Day Three: Dean, former and current candidates, and more odd food.
My third full day in Pittsburgh was probably the most noteworthy in terms of events: the day started at 9 AM with none other than Howard Dean himself headlining what was billed as a town hall, but really turned into a half-interview half-monologue on Dean's part. The subject was, naturally enough, healthcare reform. (Parts one, two, three, four, five, six, and seven.) Dean took the time to calm the crowd down about some aspects of the healthcare debate, emphasizing that it wasn't nearly as bleak as some people made it out to be.
This year marked my second appearance at Netroots Nation. The first one was special because so many of you helped me get there, whether it was by voting for me as one of the Democracy For America/Netroots Nation scholarship winners or by giving to my fund to help me financially.
The experience in Pittsburgh was great. I attended more panels than I did last year and I thought that this year's conference was better. I like to focus on policy more than electoral politics (electoral politics get redundant, especially when we have to talk about races for one or two years) and this year's convention was all about forging a progressive policy, whether it was getting health care reform done, investing in a clean, green economy or by taking progressive approaches to fixing our current economic crisis.
The first day, I attended the Online Congressional Engagement Beyond Twitter panel. This panel was interesting because it discussed how new mediums like Twitter enable representatives to reach more constituents. It also discussed the role of a new media director or a netroots outreach manager in the House and Senate. As discussed at the panel, more and more members are bringing such a staffer on board, but the overall number is not large. Ideally, every representative would have a new media/netroots outreach person on staff. But in the current makeup of Congress, that person tends to be a communications director or press secretary.
Next, I moved onto the Local Campaign, World Wide Web: Politics, the Internet, and the Future of Public Life panel. This was a very good panel, especially for local and state bloggers. It focused on how the Internet can impact local races and how the Internet is more than just a fundraising tool. Some candidates look at the Internet as an ATM where they can get loads of money, but it's actually more than that. The Internet enables candidates to reach constituents and provide more information than a palm card or small piece of campaign literature would. A website, while a great way to raise money, also provides you with a great informational tool.
My last panel of the opening day was Democracy Without Newspapers. This was one panel I had my eyes on since the agenda was released. The panel discussed the role of blogs and how they impact the newspaper industry. I felt that there was a point missed in the whole discussion that I will touch upon in a separate post. But the discussion was a good one to have. The fall of newspapers in our country doesn't mean the end of democracy. Newspapers made a business decision when blogs first entered the scene and they are paying for that decision now.
The first day concluded with the opening keynote given by former President Bill Clinton. I thought he gave an excellent speech discussing health care reform, the environment and the economy. It was a long wait for him, but he gave an excellent address. Judging by others, it got mixed reviews. But I think President Clinton has evolved from the days of the DLC and the moderate-to-conservative Democratic regime. He praised the netroots in his speech and the progressive movement. He realizes the importance of bloggers in our society and in our politics today. That was one thing I will remember about the speech.
Well I still haven't caught up on the sleep I lost doing 18 hour days, my wallet is noticibly lighter, and my car's brakes are now making angry grinding noises after their long road trip, but I've made it home safely from Netroots Nation 2009... which means that it's time to start busting my butt to report on the happenings. Mind you laptop crashes have destroyed about 8 hours work on this in the past two days, so if this seems late and grouchy, that and the sleep deprivation are a big part of the reason. I'll be posting this in two installments, a few days apart, each covering half of my stay in Pittsburgh.
It has been a fun time at this year's Netroots Nation. We still have two days to go, but the convention thus far has been a great experience.
I will have a lot of pictures and video later, including posts about the panels I have attended so far.
There have been plenty of things to talk about here. One of which was the opening keynote given last night by former President Bill Clinton. I thought he gave a passionate address to the gathering. He definitely made us wait, but it was worth the wait.
The Howard Dean town hall meeting this morning was excellent. I thought Dean detailed why it is important for us to get health care reform done now. He also said something I found interesting: Instead of starting with a public option and working from there, we should have started with single-payer. I have heard this before and I believe that should have been the way to go. Instead of starting at the middle, start at one end or the other.
While this isn't relevant to New York politics, I found the Pennsylvania Leadership Forum featuring Sen. Arlen Specter and Congressman Joe Sestak to be very telling. Specter basically used the experience card over and over again, detailing his relationships with long-time senators, including current Vice President Joe Biden. Sestak had a different focus. He isn't trying to run on how many years he's been in Washington D.C., but rather what he can do and hopes to do if elected senator in Pennsylvania.
The forum also served as a great example of why some primaries are necessary.
So far, this event hasn't disappointed. I'm actually on my way to the Meet the Candidates event. Should be a lot of fun.
If you're interested, follow my Twitter feed if you want to know what's going on at the convention.
(UPDATE: We have raised $400 for Adama, which has helped him pay for registration. Now let's see if we can help him get a hotel room for the few days in Pittsburgh and some cash for food. Give any amount you can. Every contribution goes a long way.)
With Netroots Nation around the corner, I have been going around to members of this community asking them if they will be making the trek to Pittsburgh in August. Some of you said you were, while others said they weren't. One of those who said they weren't going to attend was Adama.
Adama has become a key member of this community and has been willing to contribute on a number of topics, whether it's the U.S. Senate primary or the fiasco in the New York State Senate, Adama has become a fixture on the front page here at TAP.
It is because of his contributions to this community and due to his willingness to stand up for progressive causes that I write this post asking you to contribute to a fund that will help send Adama to Pittsburgh for Netroots Nation 2009.
I first met Adama at the Wyoming County Democratic Committee's Flag Day Party in June 2008. That party was one of many fundraisers and events I attended supporting Jon Powers' campaign for Congress.
When I arrived at the fundraiser, a friend of mine who is very involved in Democratic politics and the progressive movement told me I had to meet someone. That "someone" turned out to be Adama, whom I talked with for a few minutes.
Since that time, Adama has started to contribute more here. But, what is arguably his greatest contribution to our party and movement is GLOWDemocrats.com, a website/blog that focuses on the four rural counties in New York's 26th congressional district: Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties. While you can read Adama at TAP and on other blogs, you can see his best work at GLOWDemocrats.com.
We are shooting for $1,000. That will help pay for registration ($275), hotel (price depending on where Adama stays, plus if we can get him to room with someone who would like to have a roommate) and give him a little cash for food and beverages (a good beer with fellow New Yorkers is a must).
Last year, this community rallied around me during my hour of need. It is something that, to this day, I am humbled by and was honored to receive support from many friends in this movement. I hope that the same people who supported me last year will come to Adama's side this year and send him to Netroots Nation.
(UPDATE: Looks like we have about one-quarter of the money we are shooting for. That's impressive. Thanks to everyone who has been giving. Adama is very deserving. He is just $19 away from being able to pay for his registration. After that, we'll work on getting him a hotel room and some extra cash so that he can eat.)
With Netroots Nation around the corner, I have been going around to members of this community asking them if they will be making the trek to Pittsburgh in August. Some of you said you were, while others said they weren't. One of those who said they weren't going to attend was Adama.
Adama has become a key member of this community and has been willing to contribute on a number of topics, whether it's the U.S. Senate primary or the fiasco in the New York State Senate, Adama has become a fixture on the front page here at TAP.
It is because of his contributions to this community and due to his willingness to stand up for progressive causes that I write this post asking you to contribute to a fund that will help send Adama to Pittsburgh for Netroots Nation 2009.
I first met Adama at the Wyoming County Democratic Committee's Flag Day Party in June 2008. That party was one of many fundraisers and events I attended supporting Jon Powers' campaign for Congress.
When I arrived at the fundraiser, a friend of mine who is very involved in Democratic politics and the progressive movement told me I had to meet someone. That "someone" turned out to be Adama, whom I talked with for a few minutes.
Since that time, Adama has started to contribute more here. But, what is arguably his greatest contribution to our party and movement is GLOWDemocrats.com, a website/blog that focuses on the four rural counties in New York's 26th congressional district: Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties. While you can read Adama at TAP and on other blogs, you can see his best work at GLOWDemocrats.com.
We are shooting for $1,000. That will help pay for registration ($275), hotel (price depending on where Adama stays, plus if we can get him to room with someone who would like to have a roommate) and give him a little cash for food and beverages (a good beer with fellow New Yorkers is a must).
Last year, this community rallied around me during my hour of need. It is something that, to this day, I am humbled by and was honored to receive support from many friends in this movement. I hope that the same people who supported me last year will come to Adama's side this year and send him to Netroots Nation.
It is always a bonus when the candidate wants to do an interview. I never turn down an opportunity for an interview, but when the candidate wants to do one and wants to engage a certain readership, that is a huge plus.
Jon Powers wanted to be interviewed. Jon and I both were in Austin, Texas for Netroots Nation. Jon also attended last year's convention in Chicago.
It has been nearly a year since Chicago and over a year since Powers started his campaign for the 26th congressional district seat. What that means for Powers' campaign is clear to him.
"It has been a year since Netroots Nation (in Chicago last year). [The convention] reflects our campaign," Powers said. "When we got into this, we really went town by town, committee by committee and county by county building up our support. We had the real activists coming out to work for us. We were named to DCCC's Red to Blue program but our opponents say we don't have hometown support. We do have the hometown support. We have the grassroots support."
Photo: Jon Powers speaking at the Netroots Candidates event Friday night.
Powers added: "Upstate New York hasn't had a netroots candidate. We have been pretty groundbreaking with what we have been able to do with the campaign. [The netroots has] been a great way to get our message out with folks. It has been an alternative approach to the media. Whether it's the campaign side, what we're going to do with our economic approach or looking into the future of Western New York energy policy. The netroots represents the future of the new politics. 2008 is a once in a generational election that this (the netroots) has been a critical part of."
I took the time to ask Powers a few more questions about the netroots and where he stands on two issues that impact the netroots: Net neutrality and universal broadband.
You can read the full question and answer session below the fold.
(1) This is the closest Netroots Nation has been to New York. Pittsburgh is a five hour drive from my house in Western New York. This presents a great opportunity for "netrooters" here in New York to make the short ride (or short plane ride) to Pittsburgh.
(2) The northeast is full of great "netrooters" who will make good on this opportunity. I know we will be well represented in Pittsburgh from New York and our friends in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Ohio and of course Pennsylvania, along with others from New England and the Mid-Atlantic region will step up to the plate for this great chance.
I hope to see many of you in Pittsburgh. You can register early at a rate of $175. The next tier will be $225. So sign up early to make the trip.
After three days in Texas, I am back home in New York. I will have several posts about Netroots Nation over the next two days. There are a few things I must say:
(1) This was my first time attending Netroots Nation. I will assure you that I will do everything in my power to attend the Netroots Nation conventions in years to come. It was a great experience. I met some great people (shook hands with Al Gore too) and enjoyed learning more about topics that interest me.
(2) The netroots movement is an important and while still growing, has a huge presence. How legitimate is this movement? Legitimate enough to bring people like Al Gore, Nancy Pelosi, Howard Dean and many others to the convention.
(3) While we do have some level of notoriety, we have a lot of work to do. As Kos said, we just got beat up in a big way over FISA. We need to do more. We need to beat the telecoms. In New York, we need to beat the "three men in a room" mentality.
(4) On a state level, I think we need to do more to build the netroots here in New York. We need to build up a base of bloggers, readers and activists that will fight for things like public financing of elections. I am not implying that we don't have such a base, but we need to better. We can ALWAYS do better.
I will have a lot more tomorrow. I will have posts on panels, an interview and plenty of pictures.
Sorry for checking in so late, but I have tried to fill up on panels and then bombard you all with concise posts on panels VERY soon. I have attend four panels as of this posting and will probably conclude my day by attending Beyond the Political Sphere and the Netroots Candidates event at my hotel later.
But first I must tell a story.
I headed back to my hotel in between panels just for some down time and to download my pictures and video from the panel featuring John Dean in the morning. I walked to the elevator and waited (sometimes it can be a long wait for an elevator up and down in my hotel). Finally, an elevator opens up. Two men are standing there. I thought nothing of it for about two seconds.
Then, I do a double-take.
I am sharing an elevator with Richard Clarke and Rand Beers. No kidding.
I introduced myself and both men were very gracious. When they realized they were going back up again (I'll explain why they got "lost" on the elevator later) Clarke remarked, "I think you hijacked our elevator."
I got off on the 10th floor, impressed by what I just experienced.
I will have more posts very soon on different panels that I have attended, including the last several minutes of a panel featuring former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman.
We were told literally minutes before it occurred that DNC Chairman Howard Dean would be speaking at a rally outside of Netroots Nation. That rally featured many supporters (I would say 100 people at the very least). Here's one photo:
Of course, Dean will be giving tonight's opening keynote inside Netroots Nation. I am looking forward to that AND the air conditioning that comes with it. Here in Austin the temperature is 94 degrees as of 1 p.m. CDT. So the indoors is the preferred place to be right now.
As for other "famous people" sightings, I just saw Markos walking around. Rick Noriega's wife Melissa Noriega, a Houston City Councilwoman, introduced Dean when he spoke at the rally.
I will have more on Dean and either pictures or video from his speech tonight up later.
Netroots Nation is upon us and I am sitting inside the Austin Convention Center. Just gathered some free gear given to the registrants and it contains a lot of goodies.
Today consists of caucuses (the state blogger caucus is going on as we speak) and the big opening keynote featuring DNC Chairman Howard Dean. I will have pictures and/or video from that speech tonight and will be live blogging that and other panels as well.
Don't expect too much else from me today. I'm working on exactly 60 minutes of sleep. It was an early morning to get to the airport and finally arriving in Austin at 9:45 a.m. local time. The flight to Atlanta from Rochester was pretty smooth, with only one instance of turbulence that actually shook the plane. The trip to Austin from Atlanta was a different story, but at least the pilot stuck the landing (I didn't even know we touched the ground).
You will definitely be hearing from me a lot tomorrow and Saturday.
Here are a list of the panels I plan on attending tomorrow.
10:30 a.m.: Rural America and the Progressive Movement. This one appeals to me for obvious reasons and in an election year featuring many races in New York where rural seats could be won by Democrats, this should be a very sound discussion.
12 p.m.: Kos and Harold Ford Keynote Discussion. Who wouldn't want to attend this? It's the only event during that time slot (unless you count eating) and I am very excited about that.
1:30 p.m.: The Subprime Mortgage Crisis: Inside An American Tragedy. The subprime mortgage crisis is an interesting issue, especially at the state level. I think this panel will shed some light on possible progressive solutions to the crisis.
3 p.m.: Your Government Failed You. This panel features Richard Clarke. There is an immigration panel at the same time, so I might go to that one. Clarke should be a great catch. I'm looking forward to that.
4:30 p.m.: Beyond the Political 'Sphere. This is all about enlarging our progressive base even when politics might turn some people off.
6 p.m.: Netroots Candidates Event. Need I say more? This event actually takes place in my hotel, which is a huge plus.
I will inform you about my schedule for Saturday. I am coming home Saturday night, so you won't get anything on Sunday from me. Sunday doesn't have a whole lot to offer anyway, but the next two days will be jam-packed.
I am looking forward to Netroots Nation later this week (Thursday through Sunday) in Austin, Texas. I know many other bloggers are as well and I have heard from readers that they are excited about the coverage that will come out of Austin later on this week.
I consider myself lucky on two fronts. First, many of you voted to send me to Austin on a DFA Netroots Nation scholarship. Secondly, many of you contributed to my cause (which I hope you see as a worthy one) to make sure that I can get to and from Austin.
That said, I hope Austin is a great learning experience for me. But I also want to go there for you. You all contributed so much to make sure I got to Austin. Now I want to give back the way I know how.
The Netroots Nation agenda will give you a full schedule of what will be going on during the convention. There are a few no-brainers, such as Howard Dean's opening keynote on Thursday and "Ask the Speaker" on Saturday.
But there are many great panel discussions and learning opportunities. I want to know what you all you want to read from back here in New York.
I'm looking for a top five list from readers to see what panel discussions and events interest them. Again, check out the agenda and let me know what you want to see on this blog Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Thanks for your interest and as always, thanks for reading.
Last night, I sat down and purchased my plane ticket to Austin. I am not a frequent flyer, so I compared one-way tickets to round-trip. I got a one-way ticket to Austin for $182 last night, while a round trip costs $406. Not a bad deal, considering it's a week out.
On the way back, I'm going to take the train from Austin to Chicago. It will take a day to get from Austin to Chicago, but it will be worth it. I'll be able to hang out in Chicago - one of my favorite cities - for a couple of hours. My father used to live in Chicago so I wanted to bring him home something from the "Windy City." Then, I'll hop on a flight from Chicago to Buffalo.
I want to thank everyone again who contributed money to benefit my cause and to everyone who calls themselves members of the TAP community. The support I have received over the last few weeks has been refreshing. It's good to know I have a lot of friends in the blogosphere.
Only a few days ago, there was a very strong possibility that I wasn't going to attend Netroots Nation. My mom was told that she would only be able to take this week off to take care of my dad, who underwent open heart surgery last week after having another heart attack - his second in a matter of weeks. The first words out of my mouth to my mom were "I don't have to go to Austin." She insisted on me going, but that's just my mom. She is as selfless as can be. She needed help. I wasn't about to go to Austin and have a good time while my family struggles with who will be taking care of my dad at home.
I only told one person in the blogosphere of my tentative decision and that was Phillip. I sent him an e-mail explaining the situation and why I was probably going to pass on Netroots Nation. Phillip wasn't going to take that. At first, he wanted to raise money to pay my mom what she would have made next week so that she could take an unpaid leave. Luckily, that is no longer necessary. My mom, thanks to her cooperative employer, was granted an extra week of vacation time so that while I'm in Austin, she will be at home.
Then this turned to me. Phillip asked me if I had my plane ticket and I said no. Money is tight and with my dad's recent stay in the hospital, money was extremely tight. In fact, I was broke. So broke that I paid for my last day of parking at the hospital parking ramp in quarters that I have saved up from loose change over the last several months.
Phillip, along with Bouldin and a few others from what I gather, put this together for me. An online fundraiser with a goal of $750 to pay for my plane ticket and some BBQ money, as Phillip put it. I was just hoping to get enough to cover travel.
Thanks to this community, we have reached that goal. I will be headed to Austin and I will have "BBQ money." I am humbled by this support. I never imagined support quite like this. I am happy to know that I have many friends here in the New York blogosphere.
My great thanks to all of you for your support, especially during this most stressful time.
Yesterday morning I asked you to help send Robert to Austin. 24 hours later, we've met our goal. We totally did it. That means a lot to me and I can assure you it means even more to Robert. Thanks so much to everyone who chipped in and helped spread the word.
Our boy wonder is going to Austin, TX next week and this community is largely responsible for that.
(Bumped. Help Robert get to Austin! - promoted by phillip anderson)
As many of you know, our intern, Robert Harding, is absolutely tireless. He does our state Senate Power Rankings, he interviews candidates all the time. He does it all. He has gone above and beyond for us time and time again. You probably also know that, through the efforts of many folks on this site, Robert was able to win a DFA scholarship to Netroots Nation in Austin. This scholarship program was made for folks like Robert, who just graduated from college and just turned 22 years old. That scholarship is making it possible for him to even attend, because without it, that just wasn't going to happen.
You probably also know that Robert's father recently had open heart surgery. He's had a hell of a summer. Robert emailed me the other day to tell me that he probably wasn't going to be able to go to Austin after all. His father had just come home (after going shopping for a walker) and that: 1, he was needed at home to help take care of his dad and that: 2, he probably couldn't afford the plane ticket from Buffalo. Since then, family members have stepped up to help pick up the slack at home and I told Robert that we were going to everything we can to get him to Austin.
Here's how you can help. You can help cover the cost of a plane ticket to Austin, something that, given the events of the past few weeks, is simply beyond Robert's means. Robert earned that scholarship, which is paying his registration and hotel room, and we need to make sure that he can actually use it.
We've set a goal of $750. This will cover the cost of the ticket (about $550 as of this morning) and put some BBQ money in his pocket. We helped get him that scholarship and now we can help get him to the conference. Robert always goes all out for us and we are all better for it. Now we have a chance to return the favor.
My great thanks to everyone who voted to support me. The support I have received is truly humbling. I was hoping to be one of the lucky ones who got a scholarship and I ended up finishing in second place with 125 votes. I extend my congratulations to Jeff Gardner from Blue Jersey who was the overall winner of the competition and the automatic recipient of a scholarship to go to Netroots Nation. I look forward to meeting Jeff - my northeast cohort - in Austin.
I also want to add that there is a reason why this news was bittersweet for me today and that reason was also why I didn't post all day.
My father had a heart attack this morning. I was told that my father had been taken to the hospital after my interview with NY-21 Democratic candidate Tracey Brooks this morning. I have spent the last 10 hours at the hospital. My father is stable, he's joking around and loving life. He will be good to go and should be out of the hospital tomorrow.
I will be taking it easy over the next few days. I don't plan on posting until Monday. Just let me get past this weekend and I will be back.
Again, my thanks to all of you that voted and have supported me throughout. This opportunity means the world to me. I am honored and humbled by the praise I have received and I hope to continue being a source of news and information here at The Albany Project.
I was just checking on my DFA Netroots Nation scholarship page and noticed that I had a lot of votes over night. When I looked at the votes, I noticed votes cast by people with no names but rather initials. These votes were cast by "A A", "B B", "C C", "D D" and so on.
There was even a "Q Q."
I would ask that whoever is doing this to stop doing so AND to delete your support for me. I would much rather finish as the runner up with legitimate votes than finish first with illegitimate support.
While finishing first gives you an automatic scholarship from DFA, I believe I have received enough support to receive a scholarship of my own. Other than Jeff from Blue Jersey, who should have the real lead in this competition, I am the only other nominee with over 100 votes. While DFA could pick someone else (they reserve the right to do so), it would be hard to argue against the only other person to pass the 100 vote plateau.
Again, the person who is casting votes with alphabetical initials, please stop and delete your support. I am happy that you know your alphabet, but not happy that you have given me false votes and a false lead.
It has been nearly a year since Chicago and over a year since Powers started his campaign for the 26th congressional district seat. What that means for Powers' campaign is clear to him.
