C-Span has the major speakers' footage here (RealPlayer required). Netroots Nation says that in coming weeks they'll post full videos of panels and keynote speakers.
In my humble opinion, this convention was well worth going to. With speakers Howard Dean, Nancy Pelosi, and Al Gore, plus appearances by Lloyd Doggett, Lawrence Lessig and Rick Noriega, there were certainly enough star appearances for hardcore political junkies. The panels were widely varied and I found the ones I went to informative and interesting. And of course for those adventurous in spirit there were more than enough restaurants and bars in the area to keep you busy all night every night!
The price tag was steep, but I'd still say it was well worth it. My overall recommendation is to go if you have the money. Who knows who might make a special guest appearance next year?
Showing posts with label Netroots Nation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Netroots Nation. Show all posts
Monday, July 21, 2008
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Netroots Nation Wrap-up
Ok, not quite but before I'm done I wanted to quit being so selfish and point out some other blogs that are covering NN. Take a look and search the aggregate wealth of knowledge.
Off the Kuff
TexasBlue
Off the Kuff
TexasBlue
Nancy Pelosi at Netroots Nation
In this blogger's opinion, it's too early for this kind of thing, but oh well. Lloyd Dogget is introducing Nancy Pelosi. He got a warm reception. Now Nancy Pelosi is up and giving kudos to Lloyd Doggett and the staff of Netroots Nation and some others.
Lots of media here, expect this to show up on the news later.
Watch the live stream here. There are a couple of videos of Howard Dean and Wesley Clark on C-Span.
Who are these people?
Here's my very stripped-down transcript. Qs are questions from askthespeaker.org. As are Pelosi's answers. M is a moderator (Gina Cooper) interjection. Please understand that almost none of this is a quote, more like a paraphrase using some of the same words. I couldn't possibly keep up with the actual flow of speech so everything is very abbreviated.
q. You said impeachment is off the table?
a. I agree and that is why I support what Conyers and Sanchez has done in issuing a resolution of contempt. This is historic people didn't want us to go forward with that. This went to the floor. Republicans voted against contempt. We have other contempt, the court is now considering contempts against Karl Rove. Conyers is in charge, says "Leave it up to me."
M. Then can we expect the House to put Karl Rove in that little cell in the basement?
a. It's up to Conyers.
q. FISA immunity?
a. All electronic communication. Inspector General. Protection for US citizens abroad. Protect liberties of American people. Not a bill I would have written. Infinitely better than Senate bill.
M. I noticed bipartisan opposition online. Where is the support for this bill?
a. I'm not surprised.. We couldn't overcome the 60 votes we needed.
q. Can you tell us the Dem party vision of what government should be?
a. I see America with a big vision with how we deal with four issues. First responsibility is to protect American people. In terms of vision. It's only a decision. Just think of healthcare. In pres campaigns we heard about plans. Dems in House are talking about access to what. We're talking about big vision. Talking about research that all Americans get access to. Healthcare database so people get the care they need. About prevention. Diet not diabetes. About exercise, school. Science is the answer. Second innovation agenda. Science is the word. We may have our differences on issues like trade, let us invest in science which begins in the classroom. Begins in the classroom. Third, building infrastructure of America. Jefferson thought of infrastructure. T. Roosevelt 100 years later. Cornerstone was establishment of National Park service. 100 years later Bush is in office. Depends on science and technology whether we're talking about roads or transportation. It's just a realignment of priorities. Fourth is energy security.
q. Is Congress going to bail out Detroit.
a. I don't think that's going to happen. We should innovate and compete.
q. Abstinence only education is a failure? Will you take steps to put funds into sex education and contraception?
a. Yes. We must have appropriate sex education for our people. AO is an idea that is dangerous to the health of our young women.
M. Why is funding for AO holding its ground?
a. We need more pro-choice members of Congress.
q. Will you bring forward a bill to support broadband access to our communities?
a. In the beginning of our country, communication and transportation were the same thing. And our founders put in the Const a facilitation for that communication. Probably more difference was made in the last 20 years than from the founding of our country. Broadband is part of our innovative agenda. We must have in rural areas or inner cities, there should be no difference. Everybody has to be in on this. It involves realignment, it's going to take some money and an investment in the science to make it easier to do this. The whole country has to be wired. Another issue is Net Neutrality. I have my disappointment with the telecoms. My bigger disappointment with the regional Bells was their opposition to net neutrality. It was a lot of other smaller entrepreneurs who brought us the technology. We have to innovate.
q. Why are our are soldiers being forced to beg for care packages that include basic sundries such as protein bars, toothpaste and tampons?
a. They shouldn't have to be. There's that but it's emblematic of other needs that aren't being met for our veterans.
q. VP Gore has called for us to use 100% renewable resources in 10 years from now. How are we going to accomplish this?
HOLY CRAP! Al Gore is here! He's here in person!!!!
This man is too good for me to attempt to transcribe. Sorry, just find it on some online news later. Al Gore did mention a website that he would like people to go to: http://www.wecansolveit.org/.
Now we're on to a lightning round of questions.
Gore: I am honored by the suggestion that I consider taking a position in the next administration. I want to explain why I don't think that would be the best for me. I want to enlarge the space in which elected officials address the climate change issue.
What about the prominence of meat in the diet and its connection to global warming pollution? One of the trends is the increasing meat in the diet of developing countries. I have to plead guilty about this, perhaps because I'm a meat eater. There hasn't been enough focus on this issue.
Mountaintop mining is an atrocity.
Pelosi: I want to thank VP Gore for making people aware of this issue and for his visionary leadership. As a grandmother I especially want to thank him. Without him there would be no Netroots Nation and we would not have the technology. (I lost track here). No drilling in ANWR. 68 million acres leased in the lower 48, use it or lose it.
Gore: Buckminster Fuller suggested putting wind turbines on towers. You'd have to build new supports and you have to put them not where the structure is but where the wind is. One minor point here. The combination of wind, solar, and geothermal is important. Wind is intermittent. That can drive energy managers nuts because they have to have a steady supply. Some of the solar energy collectors help supply steady power. It's important to have a combination of those.
As to NCLB, it's important not only to have science, but arts, and pe.
As to e-waste, a lot of companies are looking for ways to reduce waste and I do give them credit for understanding the importance of the challenge. There's a long way to go.
Pelosi: Does Congress accept the challenge of 100% renewable in 10 years. I salute his challenge it is absolutely possible to do so. Talks about energy bill that was passed, including CAFE standards and renewable electricity standard. House passed it, only got 59 votes in Senate. Bush didn't want to sign it. We are going to address this again before the end of the session.
That's it. Sorry for the early end, but I'm out of juice for the laptop, so I hope you can watch the full address online.
Update: I'm back, and here's my pictures of Lloyd Doggett, Nancy Pelosi, and Al Gore.
UPDATE: Xanthippas here. Here's the NY Times on the highly favorable reception Gore received.
Lots of media here, expect this to show up on the news later.
Watch the live stream here. There are a couple of videos of Howard Dean and Wesley Clark on C-Span.
Who are these people?
Here's my very stripped-down transcript. Qs are questions from askthespeaker.org. As are Pelosi's answers. M is a moderator (Gina Cooper) interjection. Please understand that almost none of this is a quote, more like a paraphrase using some of the same words. I couldn't possibly keep up with the actual flow of speech so everything is very abbreviated.
q. You said impeachment is off the table?
a. I agree and that is why I support what Conyers and Sanchez has done in issuing a resolution of contempt. This is historic people didn't want us to go forward with that. This went to the floor. Republicans voted against contempt. We have other contempt, the court is now considering contempts against Karl Rove. Conyers is in charge, says "Leave it up to me."
M. Then can we expect the House to put Karl Rove in that little cell in the basement?
a. It's up to Conyers.
q. FISA immunity?
a. All electronic communication. Inspector General. Protection for US citizens abroad. Protect liberties of American people. Not a bill I would have written. Infinitely better than Senate bill.
M. I noticed bipartisan opposition online. Where is the support for this bill?
a. I'm not surprised.. We couldn't overcome the 60 votes we needed.
q. Can you tell us the Dem party vision of what government should be?
a. I see America with a big vision with how we deal with four issues. First responsibility is to protect American people. In terms of vision. It's only a decision. Just think of healthcare. In pres campaigns we heard about plans. Dems in House are talking about access to what. We're talking about big vision. Talking about research that all Americans get access to. Healthcare database so people get the care they need. About prevention. Diet not diabetes. About exercise, school. Science is the answer. Second innovation agenda. Science is the word. We may have our differences on issues like trade, let us invest in science which begins in the classroom. Begins in the classroom. Third, building infrastructure of America. Jefferson thought of infrastructure. T. Roosevelt 100 years later. Cornerstone was establishment of National Park service. 100 years later Bush is in office. Depends on science and technology whether we're talking about roads or transportation. It's just a realignment of priorities. Fourth is energy security.
q. Is Congress going to bail out Detroit.
a. I don't think that's going to happen. We should innovate and compete.
q. Abstinence only education is a failure? Will you take steps to put funds into sex education and contraception?
a. Yes. We must have appropriate sex education for our people. AO is an idea that is dangerous to the health of our young women.
M. Why is funding for AO holding its ground?
a. We need more pro-choice members of Congress.
q. Will you bring forward a bill to support broadband access to our communities?
a. In the beginning of our country, communication and transportation were the same thing. And our founders put in the Const a facilitation for that communication. Probably more difference was made in the last 20 years than from the founding of our country. Broadband is part of our innovative agenda. We must have in rural areas or inner cities, there should be no difference. Everybody has to be in on this. It involves realignment, it's going to take some money and an investment in the science to make it easier to do this. The whole country has to be wired. Another issue is Net Neutrality. I have my disappointment with the telecoms. My bigger disappointment with the regional Bells was their opposition to net neutrality. It was a lot of other smaller entrepreneurs who brought us the technology. We have to innovate.
q. Why are our are soldiers being forced to beg for care packages that include basic sundries such as protein bars, toothpaste and tampons?
a. They shouldn't have to be. There's that but it's emblematic of other needs that aren't being met for our veterans.
q. VP Gore has called for us to use 100% renewable resources in 10 years from now. How are we going to accomplish this?
HOLY CRAP! Al Gore is here! He's here in person!!!!
This man is too good for me to attempt to transcribe. Sorry, just find it on some online news later. Al Gore did mention a website that he would like people to go to: http://www.wecansolveit.org/.
Now we're on to a lightning round of questions.
Gore: I am honored by the suggestion that I consider taking a position in the next administration. I want to explain why I don't think that would be the best for me. I want to enlarge the space in which elected officials address the climate change issue.
What about the prominence of meat in the diet and its connection to global warming pollution? One of the trends is the increasing meat in the diet of developing countries. I have to plead guilty about this, perhaps because I'm a meat eater. There hasn't been enough focus on this issue.
Mountaintop mining is an atrocity.
Pelosi: I want to thank VP Gore for making people aware of this issue and for his visionary leadership. As a grandmother I especially want to thank him. Without him there would be no Netroots Nation and we would not have the technology. (I lost track here). No drilling in ANWR. 68 million acres leased in the lower 48, use it or lose it.
Gore: Buckminster Fuller suggested putting wind turbines on towers. You'd have to build new supports and you have to put them not where the structure is but where the wind is. One minor point here. The combination of wind, solar, and geothermal is important. Wind is intermittent. That can drive energy managers nuts because they have to have a steady supply. Some of the solar energy collectors help supply steady power. It's important to have a combination of those.
As to NCLB, it's important not only to have science, but arts, and pe.
As to e-waste, a lot of companies are looking for ways to reduce waste and I do give them credit for understanding the importance of the challenge. There's a long way to go.
Pelosi: Does Congress accept the challenge of 100% renewable in 10 years. I salute his challenge it is absolutely possible to do so. Talks about energy bill that was passed, including CAFE standards and renewable electricity standard. House passed it, only got 59 votes in Senate. Bush didn't want to sign it. We are going to address this again before the end of the session.
That's it. Sorry for the early end, but I'm out of juice for the laptop, so I hope you can watch the full address online.
Update: I'm back, and here's my pictures of Lloyd Doggett, Nancy Pelosi, and Al Gore.
UPDATE: Xanthippas here. Here's the NY Times on the highly favorable reception Gore received.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Update on Netroots Nation
I'm attending the "An Inside Look at the National Laboratory for Bad Government" panel, which, to put the name more clearly, is about Texas as the said lab for a Republican experiment in government. Here's the panel:
It includes several important Texas bloggers. From left to right is: Boadicea, Charles Kuffner, Matt Glazer, Vince Leibowitz, and Brian Hamon. Verily, a who's who of Texas blogging!
By the way, this is fascinating. Follow along with the live broadcast! (We're in Ballroom F)
It includes several important Texas bloggers. From left to right is: Boadicea, Charles Kuffner, Matt Glazer, Vince Leibowitz, and Brian Hamon. Verily, a who's who of Texas blogging!
By the way, this is fascinating. Follow along with the live broadcast! (We're in Ballroom F)
Netroots Nation Liveblogging
Since I'm stuck back here manning the fort, I'll update this with links to fellow Texas Progressive Alliance bloggers who've joined our intrepid Nat-Wu down in Austin and are live-blogging the event. Mean Rachel's got you covered here, and Kuff has you covered here. Local NBC affiliate KXAN is all over the convention here.
Netroots Nation Day 2
I went to the Different Tones Wider Nets panel where I learned that we should not be afraid to use bad language on our blogs. Well, it was more nuanced than that but I'm not going to rehash the whole panel. It was pretty good, so nuff said.
Now I'm in the Sunshine Laws for Bloggers panel where I hope to learn more about getting information from the government. Here's a picture of the panel.
(There's Vince on the left).
Boy I sure learned some amazing stuff about Freedom of Information. This panel has dealt more with state and local requests than Federal issues, which Deborah DeHay has told us is rather difficult and arcane. The State of Texas has a Sunshine Law which they say is actually quite good. Mainly what they've said is "request anything". There are restrictions and exceptions, but Robert Guest of NORMAL says worry about the law later, just start asking for info. You have to send a written request but emails count so you can email, fax, or send a letter. There's no paperwork required other than that. He suggested going to the appropriate Public Information Office of the government and simply ask them for the information you want. The more specific the better. There are some caveats of course, one of which is that they can exclude information based on certain criteria and of course they will charge you, but you can get the information.
Here are some good links on that topic.
GovernmentDocs.org
WikiFOIA
FOIA Advocates
Now I'm in the Sunshine Laws for Bloggers panel where I hope to learn more about getting information from the government. Here's a picture of the panel.
(There's Vince on the left).
Boy I sure learned some amazing stuff about Freedom of Information. This panel has dealt more with state and local requests than Federal issues, which Deborah DeHay has told us is rather difficult and arcane. The State of Texas has a Sunshine Law which they say is actually quite good. Mainly what they've said is "request anything". There are restrictions and exceptions, but Robert Guest of NORMAL says worry about the law later, just start asking for info. You have to send a written request but emails count so you can email, fax, or send a letter. There's no paperwork required other than that. He suggested going to the appropriate Public Information Office of the government and simply ask them for the information you want. The more specific the better. There are some caveats of course, one of which is that they can exclude information based on certain criteria and of course they will charge you, but you can get the information.
Here are some good links on that topic.
GovernmentDocs.org
WikiFOIA
FOIA Advocates
Thursday, July 17, 2008
I'm here!
I'm in Austin. Haven't done anything yet. I'm probably not going to do anything until I go to Gov. Deans opening night speech tonight, but I will take the laptop and blog from there. I'm out!
Update I: I'm in the Austin convention center waiting to go in to exhibition hall 4 where Howard Dean will be speaking.
Update II: 7:37 and I'm sitting at a round table inside the main exhibition hall while people are wandering in getting seated. Several hundred people are here, but it's not packed yet.
Update III: Watch the speech live here.
Update I: I'm in the Austin convention center waiting to go in to exhibition hall 4 where Howard Dean will be speaking.
Update II: 7:37 and I'm sitting at a round table inside the main exhibition hall while people are wandering in getting seated. Several hundred people are here, but it's not packed yet.
Update III: Watch the speech live here.
Netroots Nation Begins!
Netroots Nation kicks off today in Austin, and the partying and planning promises to be out of this world. Unfortunately I can't be on hand for the event, but Nat-Wu has generously offered to sacrifice a weekend of lounging by the pool and doing laundry to head on down to Austin and give us the up-to-the-minute lowdown on what's going on. Look for live-blog updates from him starting sometime tonight (most likely.) Netroots Nation, beyond being the yearly strategizing and planning conference for the liberal blogosphere in general, is also a chance for Texas liberal bloggers to shine and for the Texas Progressive Alliance to finally gain some of the recognition and notoriety it deserves. Dozens of members are traveling down to Austin to take part in the conference, so be sure to look for updates from them as well by clicking on any of the links to their blogs on our right-hand sidebar.
Unfortunately, not everybody is as happy about Netroots Nation as we are. The editors at the Austin-American Statesman try to rain on the parade with an editorial dismissing the significance of Texas bloggers, and liberal bloggers in general, and in general getting a lot of things wrong by not bothering to read the stories by their own reporters, as Phillip Martin at Burnt Orange Report details. Strangely, the editors at the Statesman did not bother to write an editorial dismissing the significance of right-wing bloggers gathering in Austin this weekend as well because...well, there's no need.
Unfortunately, not everybody is as happy about Netroots Nation as we are. The editors at the Austin-American Statesman try to rain on the parade with an editorial dismissing the significance of Texas bloggers, and liberal bloggers in general, and in general getting a lot of things wrong by not bothering to read the stories by their own reporters, as Phillip Martin at Burnt Orange Report details. Strangely, the editors at the Statesman did not bother to write an editorial dismissing the significance of right-wing bloggers gathering in Austin this weekend as well because...well, there's no need.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Free Ride to Austin
TWM is sending one of our intrepid bloggers down to Netroots Nation in July. Would you like to join him and other fellow Texas liberal/progressive bloggers? Democracy for America is offering registration/housing scholarships to enable those to attend who otherwise might not be able to afford to (and let's face it, Netroots Nation ain't cheap.) Details are available here. I encourage everyone who's interested to apply and take part in what's shaping up to be a fantastic event and opportunity for the Texas liberal blogosphere.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Save A Buck or Two
Or $50, if you're planning on going to Netroots Nation this summer in Austin:
The offer is open to you as well dear reader, by virtue of our membership in the Texas Progressive Alliance. Follow the instructions and when you get to Austin, tell them Three Wise Men sent you!
As an active member of the Texas Progressive Alliance, we hope you're making plans to join us July 17–20 in Austin for Netroots Nation 2008. In less than six months, you'll connect with progressive candidates, elected officials and fellow activists while you participate in your choice of more than 100 workshops, panels and events.
For a limited time, Netroots Nation is offering a $50 discount to all TPA members who register by Friday, February 15. For just $325—$50 off the current rate and $125 off the full convention price of $450—you'll experience four days filled with all the panels, workshops, caucuses and socializing you can handle in your home state. The registration fee covers many of your meals, too.
Register now! Simply enter promo code "TPA" to take advantage of this special rate. This offer expires Friday, February 15 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time.
As always, visit netrootsnation.org for convention updates. See you in Austin!
The offer is open to you as well dear reader, by virtue of our membership in the Texas Progressive Alliance. Follow the instructions and when you get to Austin, tell them Three Wise Men sent you!
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