Netroots Nation 2008 Liveblogging...Surprise!

Written by: Cheryl on Jul 19, 2008 4:37 PM

Linked to groups: Blog For America, DFA Blog Network, Netroots Activism!, Bloggers, DFA at Netroots Nation (formerly YearlyKos) July 17-20, blog for America Test and Poll Group

The  conference has been great. Nice hotel, helpful staff and meeting other activists is always the best part. Today I was late for the "Ask The Speaker" session with Speaker Nancy Pelosi. I was debating between Pelosi and sleep, Pelosi and sleep...well, sleep won out for at least 15 more minutes. :)

I ran into Arshad in the hall so I wasn't the only one running late. When I got to the session she was nearly finishing her speech and answering questions people had submitted online. Nothing new or very interesting i.e. I have heard it all before. More canned responses and she pretty much pivoted when the FISA questions were asked which wasn't making the crowd too happy based on grumbles and the holding up of the constitution during her responses. She did handle herself well in general and everyone appreciated her being there knowing she would take some heat, but it didn't solve anything or do anything to absolve the anger and frustration about the lack of progress of this Congress and capitulation on FISA.

Obama's staff members I talked to seem as confused as the rest of us regarding his behavior on that issue, and even his most ardent supporters continually expressed disappointment on that issue. Many others really didn't understand the scope and seriousness until after attending some session this week. It was an eye opener for many who now understand why so many people are up in arms about it. I have kept pretty quite on my level of frustration and disappointed so it was interesting listening to what others had to say, especially those who have been working for him for a few years. I was pretty neutral in the primaries but ended up voting for Edwards so I didn't really have a "dog in the race" so to speak.

Code Pink did a mini protest but it was too far back and not strategic enough to interrupt Pelosi. Instead I think it just upset the people in that area because they couldn't hear. Probably not a good idea upsetting your colleagues who are not your intended target.

I was talking with Xavier, another scholarship winner and very nice guy, when he suddenly says "It's Al Gore!" I dropped everything, grabbed my camera and got as close as I could (not close enough).

I had been reading rumors from Adam B on DailyKos about a "special guest" and my first guess was Al Gore but everyone was telling me "no" so I figured it was someone less interesting. Al Gore and Russ Feingold are two polticians I have always wanted to meet in person and have not had the chance to...so this was quite a thrill.

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Toward an Editorial Standard for Blog for America

Written by: Annilow on Jul 19, 2008 8:50 AM

Linked to groups: DFA Blog Network, Blog For America, Blogs United, Netroots Activism!, blog for America Test and Poll Group

Here at BFA we've been blessed with a plethora of new front thread writers in recent weeks.  These new writers have given us new subjects to think about and new points of view.  As a long time reader and commenter and sometime thread writer here, I've been a little perplexed by the lack of uniformity of form in these posts.  I know this sounds like the OPPOSITE of free speech, which I'm always ranting about, and maybe it is.  However, most of us who read and comment here read many other sources on the web.  We need conciseness and we need front posts that get to the point quickly.  Following is a list of standards I think we should adopt as an editorial standard for BFA.  This is offered as a jumping off point for discussion, nothing more:

1.  Keep front thread posts to around 300 words.  Anything less, consider making it a comment in the current thread instead.  Anything longer, consider what you can cut or use as a link.  

2.  Keep quotes to a minimum -- remember copyright laws.  Use links to the source to provide more information.  Always credit sources and use links to the source if you quote anyone.

3.  Main thread posters should be commenters, except in special circumstances like if Jim Dean wants to write something.  This is a community, not a free place to publish your essays.  

4.  Content should be original, not a copy of something you've posted already on Firedoglake or KOS.

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Al Gore: The Challenge

Written by: Susan Rowe on Jul 18, 2008 5:42 PM

Linked to groups: DFA Alternates and Delegates to the Democratic Convention, Democracy for Environmental Awareness, California Draft Gore Ballot Initiative, Blog For America, Netroots Activism!, DFA Blog Network, DFA at Netroots Nation (formerly YearlyKos) July 17-20, blog for America Test and Poll Group, DFA-Link Organizers

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Former United States Vice President Al Gore called Thursday (07.17.2008) for a "man on the moon" effort to switch all of the United States of America's electricity production to wind, solar and other carbon-free sources within 10 years.

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Gerry's Thursday articles

Written by: Gerry L on Jul 17, 2008 7:48 AM

'Morning, everyone!

Thursday~

***************round of articles about our domestic ‘issues’-July 17,  2008

U.S. House of Representatives passes budget bill seeking access to secrets

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/07/16/america/intel.php

Development: US fails to measure up on 'human index'

· Nation slumps from 2nd to 12th in global table
· Richest fifth take home $168,000, poorest $11,000

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/jul/17/internationalaidanddevelopment.usa

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Wow, this is a real landmark, huh?!

Written by: Matt Funiciello on Jul 14, 2008 5:39 PM

Its truly devastating to watch so many well-intended naifs from the peace movement organize around this man who is going to stay in Iraq, bomb Iran, force terrible overpriced health care down our throats and keep subsidizing our corn supply so that no one can afford food! Yippee! Thanks, DFA. Will you ever wake up and support Kucinich or Nader or Barr or  Paul or Moore ... someone, anyone who is actually a PROGRESSIVE? 

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Who Knew?

Written by: Monica Smith on Jul 16, 2008 8:13 AM

Linked to groups: Blog For America, Rockingham/Strafford DFA

Linked to campaigns: Obama for America

Certainly not me. If I thought about it at all, I figured that die-hard Republicans went for the least objectionable candidate on the Republican ticket in the primary. Now the National Journal tells me:

GOP Woes in 'McCain Country'
Arizona's senior senator got big boosts from New Hampshire's 2000 and 2008 primaries.

by James A. Barnes

Sat. Jul 5, 2008

Few places have been better to John McCain than tiny New Hampshire, which twice gave him huge victories in its Republican presidential primary. His first win made him a strong contender for his party's 2000 nomination. But it was his January 2008 comeback, after his campaign had been practically written off, that sealed his special relationship with the state.

"New Hampshire is McCain country," says former state Democratic Party Chairman George Bruno.

and goes on to predict that:

Barack Obama will work hard to discredit McCain's maverick image, which has played well in the state.

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Civil Disobedience

Written by: Annilow on Jul 15, 2008 1:46 PM

Linked to groups: Blog For America, blog for America Test and Poll Group

I grew up in the deep South of the late 50s and 60s and experienced firsthand a little of the effort of the black community's successful integration into the white world.  They were always polite, but they did not always follow the law.  Picture for example the lunch counters in North Carolina where sit-ins occurred.  It is hard to think back to those days -- imagine a world in which only white people could sit at a lunch counter.  Today it sounds downright ludicrous.  But that's the way it was.  It was the law.  But it was a bad law.  So they politely and respectfully ignored the law, following the lead of others before them, in particular M. Gandhi in India pursuing independence from Britain.  

Today we Bloggers for America find ourselves in a place where a new 'law' has come to pass on our beloved blog. The new law states that we will blog ONLY on the headlined topic, or risk having our comments banished to the "Water Cooler" (and all that connotes) where our comments remain for twelve hours till they are permanently removed.  This is a bad law.  It stifles conversation, breaking news, the ability to express ourselves, and to build community.  I believe it is also censorship.

So I ask that everyone join me in practicing civil disobedience on BFA.  Sure, our posts will be whisked away to the Water Cooler.  But someone will have to read them, make a determination, then physically move them.  My guess is they will become tired and bored of this activity and eventually give it up.  Please join me!  Put your posts, no matter how personal, no matter how 'trivial,' no matter how totally off topic, on the current, latest 'front thread.'  If it gets moved, it gets moved, what have you lost?  And we just might (might?) get our blog back :~) someday.

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Progressive Values Stories: Jeremy Rothe-Kushel on Caring

Written by: Edwin Rutsch on Jul 13, 2008 2:49 PM

Linked to groups: East Bay for Democracy, Oakland DFA Meetup, Lake Park, San Francisco for Democracy, Alameda for Democracy, California for Democracy, Courage Campaign, Take Back Red California, Capitol Area Progressives (CAP) , What are Progressive Values? Study Group, DFA-Link Organizers, Walnut Creek DFA, Blog For America, Blogs United, DFA Film Club, DFA-Marin, DFA Night School, Silicon Valley DFA, brought to you by Dean Democratic Club of Silicon Valley, Framing Committee, Florida DFA, NJ for Democracy, Democracy for Florida, Democracy for New York, Democracy for Texas, Democracy for NYC, PA for Democracy, Democracy for Washington, Sacramento For Democracy, Democracy for Illinois, Democracy for Maryland, Philly for Change, Democracy for Ohio (DFO), Democracy for America Miami-Dade (DFAM), Washington Fair Elections, Michigan Democracy for America, DFALA, DFA at Netroots Nation (formerly YearlyKos) July 17-20

Linked to campaigns: Obama for America

"Without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community." Anthony J. D'Angelo

In this interview, Jeremy Rothe-Kushel  talks about the progressive value of caring. He recounts learning to care more deeply by being with his family at  his great-grandmother's death bed.  It's a learning process to expand your sense of care beyond just thinking of yourself -  to caring for your family, community, nation and the world.

Progressive Values Stories: Jeremy Rothe-Kushel on Caring

My name is Jeremy Rothe-Kushel, and I was born and raised in L.A., and I’ve been a Peace and Social Justice activist for about a decade of my life.  I’m a teacher of young people.  I do hip-hop, word props, after school programs, and I’m a hip-hop artist myself.

To me progressive values would be – first, I would start that in order to make progress as a human species, we have always had to remember from the past.  Meaning that the only way that we are here is because our ancestors made it through, through all kinds of trials and tribulations.

And, so I would say, progress would be taking on the best, the highest values that have come through our thousands of years of human history, and  parsing through them, because some things have to be left and composted, and other things need to be taken up.

And also allowing for the fact that the human condition and human beings in general are just like the universe, that we are unfinished beings.

Edwin:  So what are those values from the past that you want to bring forward?

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The nuclear option

Written by: puddle on Jul 13, 2008 2:52 PM

Linked to groups: Blog For America, blog for America Test and Poll Group

- Two options really

By Charles Chamberlain on Jul 13, 2008 10:44 AM

Either the Watercooler continues forever or we treat off-topic comments like all other successful blogs in the world do and delete them completely. Which would you prefer?

I would rather keep the community we have here together and allow for open discussions on an open thread. But if no one who comes to the Watercooler is willing to respect the concept of this open thread community then.. perhaps you are right and we should no longer "persist in this nonsense" and just delete stuff instead. Is that what you want to see?

Odd, really to see the tactics of a HQ who has had  George Lakoff blog here.  The difference is between authoritarianism and consensus building.  What you're saying Charles, is that the howitzers haven't worked, and now you're promising the nuclear option.  Reminds me of the parents you hear in public places threatening their children thusly: You want something to cry about?  I'll give you something to cry about.

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DFA 1.0 on the "Recommended Blog Posts"

Written by: Imn2Paine on Jul 12, 2008 7:41 PM

WE who understand the notion of community sans HQ with hope of a soap box to stand on, or anything else come from attempts at individual expression must, or can, find a nitch here.  It is a matter of continuity, if WE will. Why should WE?

Fleetwood Mac - Safe Harbour

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