You, the FDL readership, helped make this coverage possible. Because of you, a movement that the mainstream press confidently predicted would fizzle out after a day or two has not only endured, but spread. It is fast becoming Occupation Everywhere, and while you may or may not be able to stand next to Kevin as he sends out his widely-praised dispatches, you can do something every bit as important, and help him as effectively as if you were carrying his backpack for him.

Cue the FDL Membership association – a brilliant idea conceived like many others at FDL: in our comments section. It allows us to continue to build our organization on donations from our supporters while putting us on steadier footing for our future. Since its inception, the membership association has revolutionized our work at FDL – we’ve become much more organized internally, and are churning out projects and ideas left and right.

FDL is a place where you can connect with and “talk” with people like you who want to know more than the canned pablum fed to you by Big Media and where your own thoughts, analysis and opinions are heard and can spark action. It’s a big noisy, sometimes rambunctious family we have going here, but we’re all together in our search for truth and in our desire to effect positive change.

Russ Feingold is a hero, and for good reason, to progressives. Russ was one, if not the only one, of the Democratic Senate, make that Senate as a whole, who really stood up for civil liberties in the face of the bipartisan onslaught that has occurred over the last decade, both under George Bush and Barack Obama.

Going through literally tens of thousand of government documents to find these few nuggets of information is sadly something very few organizations do well (well, besides large, private lobbying operations), but this is something at which Firedoglake really excels.

To help define what role Firedoglake should play in the 2012 election and beyond, on Wednesday, May 11, at 7:00 pm EDT, I plan, as part of the FDL members webinar series, to examine four basic electoral strategies that have been used by groups or organizations to influence the political process.

If you’re a member, please send your suggestions and ideas to FDLmembers AT gmail DOT com by midnight on Monday May 8. We’ll be sending you an email with a registration link to next Wednesday’s webinar later this week.

If you’re not a member, and you’d like to take part in these discussions about shaping FDL’s activism and coverage in the future, you can join the FDL membership program here.

Thanks to the support and generosity of everyone who signs up to be a Founding Member of the Firedoglake Membership Program, we can continue to provide an independent space for the people who make FDL what it is on a daily basis — our community. From all of the staff here at FDL, we thank you sincerely for your generosity, and look forward to working with you in shaping our path toward the future.

There is friendship and camaraderie here at FDL, without question; but, let’s face it, the real draw is the quality content. The quality of content was always superb; but it has grown, over the years, to be truly breathtaking across the board.

I want to thank the Firedoglake community for all their support and positive feedback over the past two years. I never thought I could take part in directly shaping American policy, but thanks to this site and its dedicated readership, I’ve seen it happen. I hope you will please join the FDL Membership Program and provide the long-term support to FDL’s many writers and activists.