[The author is a consultant for Democracy for America]

If my readers will indulge me for a moment, I want to talk briefly about something local. I live in Pennsylvania’s Sixth District. My congressman is Rep. Jim Gerlach and, as I recently detailed here and here, he is useless. I interviewed his Democratic opponent, Dr. Manan Trivedi, back in May 2010, and he’s an excellent person, a strong well-financed candidate, and a proud progressive who has been endorsed by Howard Dean and Democracy for America.

When Democracy for America endorses a candidate they don’t limit themselves to giving money. They go to work for that candidate. Tomorrow, you can see this in action. At 6:30pm, there will be an Action Summit in Collegeville, Pennsylvania at Ursinus College. You can attend this summit if you live nearby and meet Dr. Trivedi. You can also meet Howard Dean’s brother, Jim Dean, who runs the day-to-day operations at Democracy for America. If you are already involved in Trivedi’s campaign, you can learn from experienced field organizers how to be more effective in recruiting supporters and persuading the undecided. If you are not already involved in Trivedi’s campaign, but would like to help him get elected, you can learn all the basics of how to run a campaign and to be a community organizer. In fact, if all you want to know is how to run a campaign, you can get a crash course.

If you want to help but you don’t know how, this summit will teach you how. If you think you’re too shy to make a phone call or knock on a stranger’s door, this summit will teach you otherwise. The people of Pennsylvania’s Sixth District desperately need representation that is distinct from the Todd Akins and Michele Bachmanns of this world, and Rep. Jim Gerlach isn’t providing it.

So, here’s what you do. Show up at Ursinus College in Collegeville a little before 6:30pm tomorrow and go to 601 East Main Street. Here’s a map. If you want to familiarize yourself with Dr. Trivedi’s biography and positions before you get there, go here.

I’ll see you there.