When Howard Dean took the reins at the Democratic National Committee, he did so with a mandate to return the party to its members and to launch a Fifty State Strategy that competes for votes everywhere, in every state, every district, every precinct, every block. Ever since Dean's accession, the DNC has put enormous resources to work on this simple idea.

Today, this strategy makes its full debut in New York, with the release of what is probably the most advanced and most open voter contact tool ever built. The principle is simple: the DNC and NYSDC have put their voter file online, enabling every Democrat to print out walk lists in their immediate neighborhood and take charge of voter outreach themselves. It really doesn't get more grassroots, more people-powered than that.

What's really revolutionary is this: the feedback process built into this tool crowdsources the maintenance of this file to you, the voter. You now own the Democratic Party's voter outreach, not Washington (or, these days, Chicago), not Albany, not the party committees themselves. It's your party now.

In charge of the effort here in New York is one Dave Pollak, who is in my considered opinion probably the best person to have in this kind of a key position.

And where it gets really exciting is when you consider that this tool, built to get out the vote for Barack Obama, will be modified to enable you to also knock on doors for candidates further down the ballot. Given that we have four competitive House races and at least eight for the state Senate, you're looking at a way to channel the excitement for Senator Obama further down the ballot.

The size of our victory in November now rests on your shoulders, dear Democrat. Get out there.

So here we are at the butt-crack of dawn, getting ready to depart for the state capital and today's Spring Meeting of the NYSDC. Joining us will be the good folks over at The Albany Project and from Rochester Turning.

Expect posts, liveblogging, guest blogging and plenty of photo material throughout the day.

And there's Liza. We're off.