(CNSNews.com) - When it comes to a Supreme Court nominee, Democrats are ready to fight, even before they know who they'll be fighting against.

In a message to his fellow Democrats, Sen. Chuck Schumer wrote on Tuesday, "I'm ready to lead our new fight, but I need your help."

Schumer, the chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, is urging Democrats to sign a petition that calls on President Bush to "engage in real, meaningful consultation with the Senate and the American people and to give us a nominee committed to protecting the rights and freedoms of every American."

Schumer said Democrats want to gather 30,000 signatures in the next week, and he said he will "personally guarantee that each and every one of those names gets delivered to the front door of the White House."

The petition reads as follows:

Mr. President,

You now have a great opportunity to make good on your promise to be a uniter, not a divider.

As you consider your choice to be the next Supreme Court justice, I urge you to consult with the Senate and the American people in an effort to choose a judge who will serve the broad interests of our entire nation, not just a narrow partisan agenda.

Give us a Supreme Court nominee who we can count on to:

-- Protect fully the individual rights and freedoms of all Americans.

-- Keep an open mind and a balanced perspective for each and every case, while rejecting an ideological or partisan agenda.

-- Refuse to play favorites by consistently siding with powerful special interests over the interests of the average citizens.

The whole country is watching. We're counting on you.

Signed by:
[Your name]
[Your address]

Schumer's message to Democrats warns that the "right wing has blinded George Bush to the public's true wishes," and he says it is up to Democrats -- who control neither the White House, the Senate nor the House -- "to show him what the people really want."