The Clinton campaign is fighting back against a Sunday New York Times report by Patrick Healy that suggests her campaign is not only deteriorating, but that she is foreshadowing her exit through valedictory statements.

Armed with hundreds of signatures from campaign staffers and volunteers, the campaign attempted to respond with a letter to the editor in the Times, but says it was rejected on the grounds that they hold "valuable space" for "ordinary readers." A Clinton aide pointed out that "This letter is a mere 218 words, and signed by 503 people - thirty three times as many people as the story cites, and all of them by name." Clinton staffers and volunteers also submitted individual letters, which the Times has yet to accept.

Below is a copy of the letter and the list of signatures.

(Update: NYT editorial page editor Andy Rosenthal responds, saying he didn't run the letter because it was a thinly disguised "press release." Citing the letter below, TPM's Greg Sargent talks to a Clinton insider about the campaign's apparent new strategy of running against the media.)

To the Editor,

In regards to Patrick Healy's story on Sun, Feb 24, 2008, "Somber Clinton Soldiers On as the Horizon Darkens"

The unnamed advisers and aides the story relies on speak for nobody but themselves.

The rest of us - thousands of her supporters, friends, members of her staff and volunteers - are working tirelessly each and every day and night, because we believe in Hillary. We believe she will win the nomination. We believe she will win in November. And we know she will make the best President of the United States.

Hillary is a voice for countless Americans across the country who need a champion, a problem solver, a president. That's what she's done her whole life. That's what inspires us. Those of us who have had the honor of working for Hillary Clinton - as First Lady, as Senator, and as a candidate for the Presidency - are awed by her passion and her service. We all strive to live up to her example, to do our best every day to serve this nation.

Millions of Americans across the country have already cast their votes and made it clear that they want Hillary Clinton as their president. Millions more have yet to have their chance. These are the opinions and voices that matter.

Signed,

Hillary Clinton staff & volunteers (Listed Alphabetically)

Huma Abedin, Barbara Adair, Emily Aden, Caroline Adler, Jonathan Adler, Jon Adrabi, Alexandra Agius, Nahiyan Ahmad, Edward Allen, Scott Andes, Mishan Araujo, Kat Atwater, Rob Bachmann, Angela Baker, Isaac Baker, Kate Balcerzak, Kris Balderston, William Ballard, Liza Ballantine, Erik Balsbaugh, Dave Barnhart, Nathan Barr, Sarah Barton, Katie Bassler, Kamyl Bazbaz, Kate Beale, Shaun Beaulac, Eric Bederman, Hank Bennett, Adrienne Lee Benson, Michelle Bensignor, Ronda Bernstein, Jay Biba, Nick Black, Eric Blackwell, Nina Blackwell, Andrew Bleeker, Lane H. Blumenfeld, Traci Blunt, Greg Bohne, Swathi Bojedla, Chad Bolduc, Fredrick Bolinder, Reva Bottles, Sari Bourne, Michael Brasher, Jackie Bray, Justin Brennan, Seth Bringman, Rickey Broadway, Erica Brooks, Alvin Brown, Catherine Brown, Christina Brown, Sasha Bruce, Justin Burchard, Case Button, Emily Buttrey, Colleen M. Byers, Emily Cain, Meredith Cabe, Jeannie Carlson, Tony Carrk, Jay Carson, Tronn Carson, Nick Casey, Carolyn Cavaness, Georgiana Cavendish, Guy Cecil, Michel Chaghouri, Theresa Chalhoub, Robin Chappelle, Daniel Felipe Chavez, Daniel Isaac Chavez, Catherine Chen, Brad Cheney, Dennis Cheng, Cynthia Cho, Lenore Cho, Lillian Choi, Pam Cicetti, Sarah Clark, Nick Clemons, Daniel Cloudt, Meagan Coffman, Dana Cohn, Caroline Cole, Ellen Connell, Marina Costabile, Sean T. Conway, Sam Cooper, Stephanie Coronado, Brynne Craig, Peter Daou, Darrin Davis, Stephanie Davis, Jon Davidson, Nicole Davison, Trevor Dean, Mary deBree, Elizabeth deGrazia Blumenfeld, Kristian De Meo, Mike Delany, Drew Densmore, Phillip de Souza, DiBartolomeo, Robert Dible, Allison DiRienzo, Alexander Djerassi, Mary Beth Dolecki, Ryan Donohue, Lorianne D'Orazio, Katie Dowd, Jonathan Drobis, Anna Dudek, Jay Dunn, Pam duPre', Lauren Durham, Abe Dyk, Jessica Eaton, Dana Edelstein, Cleon Edwards, Nancy Eiring, Mo Elleithee, Katie Ellis, Adrienne Elrod, Will Elwood, Andrew English, Naomi A. Eskin, Miguel Espinoza, Daphne Evans, Leecia Eve, Chris Falvo, Benjamin Farley, Anne C. Fauvre, Matt Felan, Daniel Felipe Chavez, Lance Fiasconaro, Joseph Figueiredo, Rosalind Fink, Mike Firestone, Christopher Fitzgerald, Paige Fitzgerald, Ashley Floreen, Michael Florio, Larry Fogel, Sabra Foley, Scott Freda, Josh Friedman, Michael Fuchs, Kimberly Fulton, Bethany Gardiner-Smith, David Garten, Kathleen Gasperine, Ann Gavaghan, Paige Gebhardt, Sarah Gegenheimer, Ethan Gelber, Audrey Gelman, Stephanie Gent, Kate Geyer, Harold Gist, Olivia Gobert-Hicks, Adam Goers, Aaron Goldman, Joe Goldman, Rebecca Godlewicz, Aaron Goldman, Ana Gonzaga Bedayo, Jessica Gonzalez, Meghan Hays Goodman, Stefanie Goodsell, Matt Goodwin, Christopher Gowen, Laura Graham, Timmothy Green, Valerie Green, Doug Greven, Caroline Grier, Mandy Grunwald, Crystallyn Guest, Tulin Gurer, Nicole Haber, Carolyn Hahn, Jon Haines, Greg Hale, Carrie Hall, Patrick Hallahan, Sarah Hamilton, Diane Hamwi, Monica Hanley, Aaron Harris, Doug Hattaway, Maggie Havemann, Emily Hawkins, Clay Haynes, Meghan Hays Goodman, Catherine Hazelton, Christina Henderson, Eric Hersey, Karen Hicks, Elisabeth Hire, Melissa Ho, Trent Holbrook, Micah Honeycutt, Alex Hornbrook, Christie Houlihan, Jason Houser, Annie Hughes, Kathryn Hurlbut, Sarah Hurwitz, Dana Hyde, Brandon Hynes, Regine Irele, Walker Irving, Carmella Isabella, Christina Iskandar, Katie Jack, Darrell Jackson Jr., Nancy Jacobson, Rafi Jafri, Keya Jayaram, Irene Jefferson, Jordan Jiloty, Lauren Jiloty, Graeme Joeck, Keren Johnson, LaToya Johnson, Lily Johnson, Maia Johnson, Sean Johnson, Cassandra Jones, Monica Jordan, Michael Kanick, Lane Kasselman, Ioanna Kefala, Matthew Kehres, Connolly Keigher, Elizabeth Kelley, Dana Kelly, Rachel Kelly, Corley Kenna, Thomas Kerr, Michelle Kessler, Murad Khan, Yekyu Kim, Jarard Kings, Jaclyn Kinney, Sabrina Kirkwood, Barthelemy Kiss, Eric Kleinfeld, Ben Kobren, Brenda Kole, Chaitanya Komanduri, Meredith Kormes, Josh Kram, Thomas Kroeger, Michelle Krohn-Friedson, Laura Krolczyk, Jessia Krupke, Stephanie Kujawski, Lorna Kurdi, Erika Soto Lamb, Roger Lau, Betsy Lavender, Chris Lavery, Hyun J. Lee, Hilary Lefebvre Perry, Joyce Lenard, Michael Lenihan, Nicholas Lepham, Jeremy Lerman, Rebecca Leventhal, Lindsay Levin, Fabien Levy, Judi Levy, Mark I. Levy, Ann Lewis, Kidron Lewis, Judy Lichtman, Ricki Lieberman, Carly Lindauer, Arielle Linsky, Jon Lipshutz, Susan Liss, Lach Litwer, Emily Lockwood, Catherine Loeffelman, Phyllis Love, Jon Lovett, Bari Lurie, Matt Lurrie, Tamera Luzzatto, Dawn Mabery, Sharyn Magarian, Chad Maisel, Samantha Maltzman, Jamie Mannina, Jonathan Mantz, Lindsay Marsh, Capricia Marshall, Lindsey Marshall, Marlon Marshall, Mather Martin, Chelsea Maughan, David Mauro, Molly McAndrew, Michael McCray, Robert McDaniel, Cecil McDonald, Kevin McGhaw, Mary McKenna, Matt McKenna, Camellia Meehan, Ebony Meeks, Kelly Mehlenbacher, Sheila Menz, Nick Merrill, Susan Merrell, Luz Mendez, Noah Messing, Dana Messinger, Matt Michaelree, Michael Miller, Michaela Miller, Stephan H. Miller, Cheryl Mills, Kim Molstre, Mike Monroe, Nicole Montefusco, Lauren Montes, Robby Mook, Brie Moore, Minyon Moore, Linda Moore Forbes, Bobby Moran, Patricia Morris, Dana Morrissey, Dan Morocco, Kate Morrow, Shelly Moskwa, Annie Mullaly, Michael Muller, Tim Mulvey, Deirdre Murphy, Maxwell Nacheman, Bob J Nash, Erika Nelson, David Nerio, Sarah Nolan, Jed Ober, Jessica O'Connell, Eric Oginsky, Daniel O'Hara, Johna Ohtagaki, James Orintas, Gina Ormand, Brendan O'Sullivan, Mildred Otero, Yaël Ouzillou, Saskia Pallais, Maura Pally, Andrea Palm, Nick Panagopolous, Katie Parker, Adam Parkhomenko, Jennifer Parsons, Amee Patel, Shraddha Patel Tewary, Jon Patsavos, Amelia Pelly, Laura Pena, Karli Penders, Jessica Perez, Karen Persichilli Keogh, Darren Peters, Chelsea Peterson, Laura Phelps, William Pierce, III, Amanda Piter, Michael Pleyte, Jen Polenzani, Kyla Pollack, Ben Pollara, Daniel Pollock, Matt Porter, Dara Poster, Chad Radock, Jamie Radice, Jason Rahlan, Russel Rampersand, Candace Randle, Tara Rangarajan, Amy Ransom, Mona Raphael, William Reese, Philippe Reines, Nancy Richardson, Alex Richmond, Sam Ritzman, Joleen Rivera, Adam Robinson, Megan Rodman, Fabiola Rodriguez-Ciampoli, Maria Isabel Rodriguez, Miguel Rodriguez, Rose E. Rodriguez, Traci L. Rodriguez, Tori Roth, Frank Rothman, Stefanie Roumeliotes, Victoria Ruan, Ali Rubin, Emma Ruiz, Isaac Ruiz, Rishi Sahgal, Jordan Salberg, Melissa Salmanowitz, Heather Samuelson, Edgar Santana, Joshua Schank, Nick Schmit, Ron Schneider, Beth Schoenbach, Dan Schwerin, Jamie Scott, Talley Sergent, Andrew Shapiro, Geri Shapiro, Stella Shaw, Saul Shemesh, Elisa Shyu, Avra Siegel, Phil Singer, Dana Singiser, Dawn Smalls, William Smart, Ace Smith, Ashley Smith, Carson Smith, Edward Smith, Jamie Smith, Natasha Smith, Kate Sokolov, Maya Solis, Patti Solis Doyle, Emily Solon, Jonathan Soohoo, Phil Spector, Uday Sreekanth, Tali Stein, Susan Stern, Haley Stevens, Heather Stone, Katharine Stoltenberg, Kathleen Strand, Burns Strider, Erin Suhr, Katie Sullivan, Stephanie Sutton, Michael Szymanski, Kyle Lynn Taylor, Matt Tepper, Richard Thayer, Emily Thomas, Meigan Thompson, Nora Toiv, Lucé Tomlin-Brenner, Caroline Torosis, Michael H. Trujillo, Cristina Trutanich, Lyn Utrecht, Angel Urena, Dan Utech, Lona Valmoro, Melissa Vanzant, Sarah Venuto, Teresa Velmain, Aaron J. Ver, Luis Vizcaino, Rachel Vogelstein, Tony Wagner, Charlotte Waldo, Mark Walsh, Lindsey Walters, Denene Wambach, Vanessa Weaver, Ervin Webb, Jr., Enid Weishaus, Geoff Wetrosky, Brian Whitehurst, Antoinette Whitmore, Courtney Whitney, Josh Williams, Maggie Williams, Carol Willis, Jeanne R. Wilson, Laurie Wingate, David Wolf, Howard Wolfson, Travis D Worl, Eric Woodard, Coety Wyse, Simon Zewdman, ###