Friends, I wanted to do something different today. I wanted to tell you a story I’ve never forgotten from when I was a kid.

I hope you’ll read it all the way through and, if you can, chip in a few of your hard-earned dollars to help me raise the resources we need to beat the kind of bully that will never know the value of hardworking Americans »

This story is about my dad’s boss -- the owner of the car dealership where he worked.

He was a big guy in every sense -- over six feet tall, with a sizable bank account and political connections all around the state. His billboards around town advertised him as “the working man’s friend.” His trademark was the silver dollar. He’d hand them out to all his good customers.

My parents went out one evening to attend the dealership’s annual Christmas party. They’d cleared out the showroom for the night to make room for a big band and dancing. My dad loved swing music, and he loved to dance.

My parents were just sitting down to dinner when suddenly, the owner of the dealership took one of those buckets of silver dollars he was known for and threw them down on the dance floor. Then, he stood and watched from above, with amusement, as the salesmen, secretaries, and mechanics all scrambled around the dance floor, picking up the coins.

Dad stood frozen for a second. Then he stood up, took my mom’s hand, and walked out of the party. He would go on to quit his job because of it.

Looking back, I realize why this man’s behavior offended my father -- and why it offends me so much today.

That wealthy man had a complete disregard for the fundamental dignity of his employees. He had no respect for them. All while calling himself “the working man’s friend.”

Does that person sound familiar to you? Because he sure sounds familiar to me.

He sounds a lot like Donald Trump.

A rich guy with no respect for the dignity of working Americans. His time in office has been spent quietly making people like him richer and richer, while leaving most Americans left scrambling for the coins he has tossed on the floor.

I say: Enough with that malarkey. Enough with these bullies.

I know a bully when I see one -- because I’ve stood up to them before.

I know how to fix our economy because I helped pull us out of one of the worst economic downturns of our time. I know the value of a dollar because I was raised in a working-class family that didn’t take that kind of money for granted.

Today, that’s what I’m asking you for: to pledge your hard-earned dollar to help me build the campaign it’s going to take to knock this guy out of office.

Your donation will help me fill the gap my team tells me I need to raise to win this thing, whether it’s $1 or $5, I would be honored to use it in this fight:

If every person who receives this email gives a dollar or two, we’ll be able to show guys like Donald Trump what working Americans can do when we band together, stand up, and fight.

Thank you, folks.

-Joe