Fitz!

Everyonemust be watching the Belmont coverage…or taking a nap!

Another “zero” post – that’s so weird!

i won’t do it. I won’t.

Great to read the updates keep em coming, and get some rest.

I love these postcards, they’re great. Thanks!

So is Monday’s Walton/Fitz/Team Libby conference likely to produce any news or is ABC just guessing:

http://blogs.abcnews.com/thebl…..l_abo.html

Jane, Christy, Pach, and all firedoggies at YKos,

YOU ROCK!

Can’t wait to be there next year. It will be twice or three times as big, I’ll bet!

We’re having so much fun but we’re all tired. We had a great time last night at a Media Matters dinner. We both finally got to meet Glenn Greenwald in person.

Christy – these updates are so much fun – we love the pictures!

What I have found so much fun is seeing pictures of people I only know by name, and I can imagine that it’s been way cool for you to actually meet some of the people behind the screen names you see every day. After we saw the Plame panel yesterday, there were a lot of posts from those of us at “home” about what people looked like, and some people thought it was kind of shallow; I think it’s more that YKos has kind of brought people to life in a way that we haven’t experienced online.

Oh, well. The weather here turned beautiful, but cooler – which is nice. My age seems to be tinkering with my internal thermostat, so the cooler the better! Am kind of dreading the muggy Maryland summer.

Three cheers to you, Jane and all the FDL gang in attendance – we’re envious, but dealing with it, thanks to the frequent updates!

Being a DC area person I’ve watched and basically cheered the rise of Warner – but sorry, he’s another dem pussy till he shows me otherwise. I guess it says something that he’s at ykos.

Hey Mark, THIS COUNTRY IS FUCKING DYING, how bout REALLY STEPPIN UP BABY!

Fitz.

Christy, Jane, Pach, Everyone who is live blogging:

Thank you for keeping us in the loop. With so much to take in and absorb, I am really impressed that yo still manage to keep the home fires burning.

Oh, and the diginity of your remarks during the Plame panel hit just the right note.

Jane just went up for a nap and I’m about to follow. Er, to my room, not hers. Christy just got pulled into an interview with LinkTV. All three of us are past the point of functional rational thought: it’s been an experiential overload here, to be sure.

One of the funky things about this place is the press room, set up for those with media crdentials to lounge, relax, drink a soda and type obsessively into their laptops. This is where the establishment media types come to write their stories, sitting among us about whom they may be writing.

There’s this odd dynamic about all this. I’m sitting here looking at a guy fomr NPR, one from NBC, one from the LA Times, another from WaPo. I was at a table in here yesterday with a guy from Cox news service, Chris Cilizza from WaPo, Byron York, Dan Froomkin and Ana Marie Cox. Everyone was pleasant. But it was weird. I will honor the off the record nature of that context, and in truth we sat and typed more than we chatted. Suffice it to say the dynamic was weird.

There are so many angles to this conference: the content, the social dynamics, the media subtext, the progressive movement building, the candidates running around to get attention. . . It’s going to take me a while, even beyond the end of the conference, to sort out what I think is happening of various levels.

The fact that Presidential candidates are at YKos sniffing around and paying for an open bar (like Clark did) is most impressive…

I am sitting at the ‘net neutrality forum, my last before packing it in go to hang with my honey. This has been a great experience. Again, I am thrilled and humbled by getting to meet so many FDL’ers. Consider me a friend henceforth.

And, the Plame panel was the BEST!

I’ve got more pics, I’ll post ‘em ASAP after I get home.

Pachacutec #11 delurking for a minute here. I am really looking forward to some reflection by all of you once you get out of the swirl of YKos. The mix of bloggers, commenters, news, politicians and passion is very important to this country’s future. I lurk so much on this and other sites that I remember when this event was just a “can we do this” idea. Looks like a movement just got more of an infrastructure.

Keep those insights coming in the days ahead…after some sleep.

Relurking….

I’m curious whether anyone has any idea about the number of Kossacks who are following things from afar?

By that I mean how many are tuning in minute by minute with Air America, by Cspan (when they were carrying it), through big blogs and little.

And then there are those who are following less closely, and those who look in now and again.

I was struck by Modo’s contention that the 1000 actually in physical presence somehow represented the new “power brokers” of the blogs.

Many weren’t able to attend for any number of resons. Many are vowing to attend by hook or by crook next year.

I just think she really doesn’t get how this blog thing works and who is really “attending” the conference even though she can’t see them.

BTW Is anyone here thinking of attending the meeting at the end of July being set up by (among others) Fred Clarkson? I’m not connected with it, but I am thinking about going.

Pach, Jane, Christy,

I wish my body was capable of napping. I am doomed to just walk around like a zombie from here on in.

Listening to Simon Rosenberg on “the New Politics Begin” There is a growing belief that we are coming to a cosmic convergence where we are on the rise. I guess that is why we are here– to try to ride that wave and grow the movement.

Hard to type, the fingers are not cooperating. The brain is freezing.

I want pix and videos etc etc for DAYS you Vegas knuckleheads, hear me?

In the spirit of ykos/fdl revelation, this is me (at gig last year)

http://tinyurl.com/qpgxr

When worlds collide, huh? Pach, you’ve certainly conveyed very well the surreal quality to some of the experience – the lack of sleep probably doesn’t help with that!

If nothing else, I hope it messed with the comfort level of the traditional media, and will give them not just a few nights of tossing and turning as they try to figure out which end is up, but will alert them to the level of passion and hunger there is out here for accountability (and how miserably they have been failing at providing it).

Thanks for all you do.

Well, I speak only for myself of course, but frankly, the Democrats are going to need to do one hell of a lot better than just show up at a big blogger party to win my vote this year. From where I stand, it’s the same book, just a different chapter. They can court the bloggers all they want but until there is significant change, I — and at least a few others — will be holding our cards.

As for the MSM, I’m kind of in LHP’s corner on this one — but I’d take it a step further. I happen to believe that the MSM deserves more than a little bashing for several years of laziness and outright corruption. And I’m certainly not opposed to singling out certain specific journalists who have risen to the cause of stenography. Still, if the YKos crowd is just going to bash them, then why not treat them like they did the lobbyists and simply not invite them? It would seem to be more honest.

Oh, I see.

In reference to the Mark Warner Stratosphere party, Emptywheel just wrote:

“Warner rented out the entire top of the Stratosphere, with a great spread and bars at every corner. I’ve worked in and out of corporate America for 25 years (and personally witnessed Howard Dean’s phenomenal $40 million burn). And I’ve never been to this kind of truly excessive party.”

“I don’t know whether all the free food and liquor bought our loyalty. I actually never saw the candidate … I was much more interested in meeting the folks from DKos. But who knows whether that was the point?”

Excuse me? Who knows? Well, I do and I’m not even there. Look. No one lays out that kind of spread without the expectation of something in return. That’s the way the system has always worked. It worked that way yesterday and it will work that way tomorrow.

Distressing that the ‘net neutrality forum is WAY sparsely attended, given the importance of the topic and issue.

Sharkbabe -

Yummie pic.

Sharkbabe outs herself!

Prett good summary of ‘net neutrality concepts and issues at Wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_neutrality

Thanks for the up-dates FDL. Lots of good feeling from you guys.

I love this bar….I mean blog.

WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO TO SAVE THE FUCKING INTERNET THAT HAS MADE ALL THIS POSSIBLE, PEOPLE!!!???

just sayin

I have to say that this weekend has taught me one lesson. Stop lurking! I am so sad that I am not there and part of the experience. It isn’t enough to just read all of my favorite blogs and write my occasional outraged letter to various MSM reports and politico types. I am definately motivated to become more involved in the netroots movement as well as getting my feet moving and start grass-rooting as well. This weekend has been very inspirational to me sitting here in Oregon and lamenting not being is sin city…, but with all of the great info you all have blogged…, pictures, diaries, C-Span, AAR coverage, I do feel like I am a part of it all. Thank you for that and for all that you do on a daily basis on this site. Cheers!

Did anyone else notice Larry Johnson stop himself in the middle of his passionate talk on the Plame panel?

He was talking about how she was a covert operative working on WMD proliferation (I’d have to check the tape to be sure, but think he was mentioning Iran). He listed off three areas her group’s work would have involved which rolled off his tongue like “Father, Son & Holy Ghost” would from a Catholic, i.e. they go together in the mind. It was the third term I found interesting, “influence,” which after uttering it, he stopped himself & said something like ‘umm, protecting from.’

I found the use of “influence” interesting in light of the story from Risen’s book about the CIA trying to pass off “flawed” nuclear weapons plans to the Iranians & was wondering if there might be any connection.

Firepups!! i was just talking with Siun who asked that i relate to you all that all events and workshops have been filmed and are available on fora.tv – also transcripts. These are being released as they are produced – a great crewfrom link.tv is working overnight in order to get stuff out the next day.

OK dammit! me too! http://www.gay.com/personals/p…..mit=Submit

I discovered this old profile a coupla days ago but the pic is still good … actually my hair nowadays is a bright red.

New media workshop is a bit mind boggling. 30% of americans will have TIVO by 2008? 80 million with internet enabled cell phones by 2009? and video as well.

Internet hitting al of the media sectors at the same time. Fundamental business models being undermined. Heads exploding all over the place. Google going to make 9 billion in ad revenue this year.

Warner made his money starting Nextel. Has it to throw around. Will it buy me? Not likely. He does seem to have a good message though and we all will probably have another “date” with him (YKos being the first date). I don’t think he can buy us no matter what kind of parties he throws.

Its the message.

Distressing that the ‘net neutrality forum is WAY sparsely attended, given the importance of the topic and issue.

Conferences tend to peter out towards the end, so that’s probably the reasons for the sparse attendance. As quite a few people noted, being in a place like that with so many things happening at the same time and very little rest causes the senses to overload and then people need more rest.

But the impact of the session may be greater on those who follow things via the internet.

what jmba 26 said.

I think it’s pretty obvious that Warner was at YKos to court the power of the blogosphere, and I also think he won’t be the only one to come a-calling in the months to come.

I say, let them audition for our support – let’s see what they’ve got, and let’s tell them what we want.

As for the MSM, do we want the coverage or don’t we? Do you want the up-until-now unaware folks who still read newspapers and watch Bob Schieffer to know there’s a whole world out here for them to discover, or not?

I think we can and should continue to hold the MSM accountable for their shortcomings, but I think we have to be able to harness them from time to time for our own purposes. Barring them from covering an event like YKos punishes who, exactly – them or us? Keep them out, and they trash us for keeping them out, and then our ability to complain about the way they cover us is cut off with “if you want fair coverage, you have to let us come to the party.”

It’s a balancing act that I would prefer we conduct as adults, and not as children seeking revenge.

Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico!!!!!

anybody in vegas that sees this DINO hack . . . kick himin th ass for me and ask him why he gave NM to chimpy in 04 . . . GREG PALAST has this little turds number . . .

did you know: richardson deep sixed the recount in NM in 04, that he helped disinfrnchise thousands of latinos and native americans . . . that he worked for war criminal kissenger before being ‘elected’ in NM, that his fater was a huge financial criminal that worked for citibank in south america???

d Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico – go fuck yourself!!!

The best thing is that this shows progressives as thoughtful and caring people.We’re your neighbors,the guy who drives the UPS truck,people you’d see in line at the bank or the grocery store or a PTA meeting.For some idiot reason,the right wing has convinced a good number of people we all run around ungroomed,smelly and tie dyed and we’re easy to pick out of any crowd.Of course WE know this is ridiculous,but that little gem has sprouted and grown over the years and some people honestly believe it.I’ve met more than a few folks here in GA who have that image in their heads and won’t let go of it.

I was actually looking for unhinged moonbattery and couldn’t find any(didn’t think I would,I was trying to think like a wingnut,it hurts my head,lol).The whole thing seems to have flowed nicely,everyone knew their topic very well,and there was a real sense the people there just care and want things to be better for all of us.Of course this means nothing to the wingnuts,they’ll always find fault,but I felt proud and impressed to be represented so well by so many.

I’ll admit I was skeptical of the whole thing at first,but not anymore.Good work,everyone,you should be very proud.

Why Media Matters panel:

Eric Boehlert (sp?): Right wing has sugardaddies – Richard mellon scaife springs to mind. We need moeny like this on the left. Progressive media needs to build our infrastructure now, not wait ’til ‘08 it will be too late. We’re hoping that the press will be fair this time around, that they won’t lie about our candidate like they did to Al Gore, they won’t swiftboat him. That’s the definition of insanity… If there’s not serious work done between now and 2008, it will be too late. They might derail the Dem message for a long time.

Democrats have to stop caring about getting the press angry and upsetting the NYT. Big question- do we want to emulate the right? do it the way they do? Treasonous, unpatriotic, etc. We want the results but a different way than they do. Let likes the right, understands they have a real hard job to do. The right wants the press emasculated.

Peter Dao on now (we’ll have a picture of some of us with him to post soon. KathrynMA took the pic. and will download it – as soon as she figures out how).

Worked for the Kerry campaign. The blogoshpere itself owes its existence to the media. THat is the main issue blogs deal with. It’s about getting out our message (and build community) in spite of the MSM.

Worried that our machinery will be eaten alive by their machinery. We need to go after the MSM in a factual way for spreading misinformation.

Jenn palmieri – former dep press person clinton – difference btwn now and whitewater – dems aren’t cooperating with media the way reps did during clinton. The Reps jumped all over whatever happened during clinton. We aren’t doing that today. fifteen republicans would run to the press to bitch about clinton. Dems aren’t as doint that, we’re not as combative as we should be. (Politicians, not us).

There aren’t enough reporters teaming up with their respective areas of expertise. Coverage has become personality driven instead of issue driven. Conclusion – Dems need to get aggressive.

Paul Waldman – Media matters

Become aware of storylines ie Dems are weak. Bush and Cheney’s Adam Clymer asshole/big time story was set up to get the message to the media that he didn’t like them. Gore not challenging in florida said to the reporters that Dems are weak and Repubs are strong.

What can citizens do to improve media narrative? Goldwater’s loss started the conservative movement. They decided to build a movement. We need to do that, too. Bloggers, especially local ones, are part of the solution. Call your local TV stations if you don’t like the tone of coverage on a certain program. Same with local papers.

We don’t have a progressive movement. We have a hundred little movements. Bloggers can help put it all together.

Jamo Foser – Media matters -

Republicans really do want to destroy the media. Progressives want to make it stronger, more effective. Media criticism on the right is all the time, at all levels. That’s the only way to move the media the way they want to. Every Dem, every progressive needs to promote media criticism in everything we do. Every subject, every issue, be polite but firm.

Nice Post Anne:

It would be a bit odd to go out of one’s way to get involved in politics and then get upset because it’s POLITICAL.

The cars – Don’t Tell Me No

it’s my party, you can come
it’s my party, have some fun
it’s my dream, have a laugh
it’s my life, have a half

Chorus:
don’t tell me no
it’s my transition, it’s my play
it’s my phone call to betray
it’s my hopscotch, light the torch
it’s my downtime, feel the scorch

(chorus)
it’s my ambition, it’s my joke
it’s my teardrop, emotional smoke
it’s my mercy, it’s my plan
i want to go to futureland

I would post a picture up too, but I am severely technologically challenged and have no idea how to do it. Wow, I sound like my grandma when she complains how she can’t figure out how to program the vcr…

*ilson @ 29 – oh, great now i’ve got a bunch of gay.com cookies on my computer LOL

ilson! god we’re all beauties!

punaise: it just makes NSA’s job spicier !

The updates are great, nothing like a tale from the frontline of networking.

I could have kept going to the central committee, I mean Democratic Party, meetings for this. But, instead, I can sit at home, or work, and read bloggers congratualting themselves and be in on the virtual ground floor of yet another co-opted institution being founded.

Wonderful!

Must be weird to have to consort with the MSM radishes and the septic Byron York at this incredible event. Surely York should not have been let through the barriers. How can it be helpful at all?

Loved your pic *ilson! We’ll have to surely work on a gallery of us all.

OK, here’s me

I spent 6 hours today at the Indianapolis Gay Pride Parade and Festival — took about 500 photos. It rained too much though. I’ve been documenting gay politics locally — somebody today called me the “Matthew Brady of gay Indianapolis”. I ’spose that’s a compliment…

*ilson
I checked your profile. You look exactly like I thought you would. If only…..

lettuce, you are way too cynical. Or are you just jealous? How do you think the Right got so powerful?

Matt Stoller is throwin’ down! What an intelligent, articulate young man. Wow.

I hope his optimism is justified. Bush ould love for the highways of the internets to become more few.

punaise you freakin tease – we’ll get you yet

punaise, you are really sharp.

that was the point

That was a little tacky punaise!

Are you a fan of Alexander Pushpin?

sorry, that was a cheap shot…. :~)

mommyb LOL

rw – I replied to your golf story at the end of Howie’s thread.

I thought punaise might try to palm off

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wi…..Marais.jpg

or

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Alain_Delon.jpg as his pic …

Ya’all are too cute,lol.

I have done practically nothing this weekend but watch CSPAN and look for YK stuff online,lol.It is almost 100 degrees outside though,I have sort of an excuse to stay inside and not die of heatstroke.

I gotta finish the laundry,have fun folks….

*ilson 58 707/LOL
suave herd

A little bird told me that Ana Marie Cox lost her reporter’s notebook. Hee, hee!

Punaise- saw it. You kind of needed to know the two guys to completely appreciate the story. INCREDIBLY competitive. You’ll shake it off by Wednesday.

Hey Mommybrain,

Wish I could have gone to ykos too

About the repubs and the media – it all goes back to the Powell memorandum

This is the key to their winning so many elections.

I’m going to do a series of blogs on this when I get the time to sit down and hash it out,because it’s soooo important.

This is how this conference is: it’s taken me until now to actually get to my room. Why? Hallway conversations. Right up to and including an elevator ride to my floor with Murray Waas.

Re: emptywheel’s comment about the party. I have no frame of reference for political food and cocktail celebrations, as I’m new to this shit. But I’ve also done the corporate party thing, and I’ve seen bigger, more elaborate events. The Warner thing did not seem over the top to me, but maybe I’m just not easily impressed.

I highly doubt he could possibly buy blogosphere support, though he is acting like a suitor sending the best flowers to get a hearing. To me, that’s a good thing. They all should want to be our bitch. I don’t get the sense Warner is bad with money, but maybe I’ll learn more. As VA gov, he made his name in no small part on fiscal responsibility.

None of this is to say I have any strong feelings of any kind about Warner. He gave a competent stump speech. Jerome Armstrong has advised him well about talking directly and respectfully to the netroots, as a conversation, not a rhetoric dump. I get the sense he genuinely has progressive instincts, but would need a lot more time to see how much he’ll fight for them when they become inconvenient, as they sometimes will. I think he could probably make a competent president, but he’s not the only one, and I have no sense that he will or will not surface for me as a candidate of choice.

Punaise…tacky.

I was first exposed to the idea of net neutrality when through my involvement in one of the first commercial applications using Internet technology. (It was such an early application of the technology that the first web server to make it to market was the one we used. Very brave for a major application for a Fortune 100 company.) The concept, which was not yet called net neutrality, was sold as a way to ensure that no matter how much traffic there was on the Internet, that businesses could pay be assured of faster Internet service without having to establish private networks. This was a big factor in major corporations re-engineering their systems based on an Internet model.

From a business point of view, this is a reasonable goal. Unfortunately, there are significant unintended consequences. Worse, it seems these unintended consequences have been grasped as goals by groups that want to control the “anarchy” of the Internet.

I think that understanding the original evolution of the concept of net neutrality is important in either defeating it or insuring that it is implemented with enough controls that our worst fears will never be realized.

hi johninSacramento! Have you been reading the Daily Howler in the last few weeks? Interesting reading on the media narrative and how works.

Don’t know if anyone has mentioned this or not, but I have never seen as many iBooks and Powerbooks in one place in my lifetime as I am seeing at YKos. We seem to me in the majority here. Wonder what that says . . . .

Redshift, op99, rgb, and i are sitting in the hall plugged into an outlet and Teddysanfran just walked up saying “The pups are still here.” We are hanging out and being raucous. OP99 says “
Some guy with a video camera came up to interview Kathryn in MA, redshift and me about the Mark Warner speech. He played it coy about whom he represented but, duhhh. K in MA and redshift said nice things, because they’re really nice people. I, however, pointed out that, while I don’t blame Warner for seizing the opportunity, I think it sucked for this convention to have one, and only one, 2008 hopeful giving a keynote. I wonder who’s blowing whom on that one. I’m pretty sure it will end up on the cutting room floor.”

Pach -

They all should want to be our bitch.

Yep and yeah buddy – just a matter of getting their asses the Memo.

hey fatcat political class motherfucker, you heard? new shit’s in town.

Kathryn–Were other hopefuls invited? Were any told that they couldn’t come? Not sure I understand your comment.

Pach-
Maybe I am confused by the labels, or maybe I am just not a progressive, but I agreed with everything that Warner said in his speech. And I liked his version of “Ask not what my country can do for me….”.

Was his speech tailored for a progressive audience and your comments that he is not a progressive come from other information that you have about him? This was the first time I heard him speak.

Mostly a lurker here. I enjoy the collective brain power here. It is so wonderful to have a community that is so open and welcoming of everybody. As a gay 63 year old woman I so enjoy all the openess of this group. *ilson I look upon you as a special compatriot. I also have terriers plus wire dachshunds. There are so many commanalities here. We would be a template for an ideal world.

Mommybrain,

Daily Holler, nope. Going there right now. Have any specific articles to read?

Off topic – I’m trying to get time off to go to Demfest in San Diego in about a month. And if I go it’ll either be driving – or our group is thinking about getting a bus. So we’ll be passing your way. Are you going?

Interesting discussion about Warner. They guy said to himself “Maybe I can go out there and introduce myself and make some friends in a community that I think is going to be important in 08- hell I’ll even throw em a party.”

And for this he seems to be getting blasted.

Don’t get it.

You’ve done so well that not even Bush’s ploy of taking out Z could distract attention from your get-together

My own impression of Warner’s speech was that he had the right talking points but I didn’t see the fire that inspires me. From the first time I heard Dean speak, I felt that fire and that connection. Willing to pay attention to Warner as time goes on, but he didn’t EXCITE me. Don’t know if we can sell competence — couldn’t with Kerry.

*ilson @ 29

OMG!!! You look exactly as I pictured you!

They said video from most of the sessions would be available fairly quickly at linktv.org/yearlykos and at fora.tv. Interesting sessions with interesting people at every timeslot, although the Plame panel was the tops.

Another reason for everyone being tired (besides the fdl breakfast starting at 7:30) is that you have to take a surreal walk that seems about a half mile to get from the convention back to your room. First you walk through us (friendly people lining the halls typing on computers) then you get to the convention of Pool Players just starting up, then finally through the zillion clanging, flashing, smoky slot machines.

I’ve been a longtime Deadhead , and this had the same feeling as after a set of Dead shows — you’re worn out, got to hear most of what you came for, and had lots of fun, but mostly inspired by being part of a shared experience experienced by a (diverse) community and feeling like you’ve plugged into some special energy that you get to take back and try your best to put it into your real life.

R-Dub #75:

I’m with you. If they show up, they get ripped. If they blow it off, they get ripped.

Somehow, I think there’s ‘way too much payback going on (i.e., ego involvement) and not enough “eyes on the prize”, but I don’t get to be there to feel the real vibe.

Whoa. . . I never said Warner was not a progressive. I did say he seems to have progressive instincts, but that’s impossible to assess from a stump speech. One needs to review actions.

There was nothing wrong with the speech. But stump speeches don’t impress me that much, that’s all. I really have not studied Warner closely, even though he has been my governor. I don’t have any inside skinny on him.

This little misunderstanding is why I’m trying not to say anything about candidates for 08, because it’s too early, and when I think out loud in the blog, it might throw people off or otherwise unduly influence their thinking about potential candidiates. And in reality, a lot of how I will assess candidates will be to watch and see how you all react. I don’t want to bias that conversation.

I will say this about 08: whoever we run better know how to take hard punches and hit back. Warner has never faced what the right would throw at him. Neither have Richardson or Clarke who also came visiting this convention. That does not mean they can’t take it, but we need a candidate who knows how to order a political hit. I’ll be watching the feild in part to see who can do that.

rwcole at 71, that was me embedded in Kathryn’s comment. Markos addressed that in his introduction, but I missed it. Katymine thought he said that Warner approached Kos to sponser the convention, but I can’t sweaar to that. Either way, the appearance of evil and all that.

Pacha- If you are worried about unduly influencing our opinions- don’t worry. Just say what you think like everyone else.

Sharkbabe, *ilson, punaise — please stop. I can’t type when I’m laughing like this. And I ask you, could actually being in Vegas be that much better than watching it and reading it simultaneously on our own couches? (Well, except for Warner’s free booze, that is.)

And Angry OB, it’s 100 degrees here, too, and I’m also doing my laundry, reading FDL and watching Argentina vs Ivory Coast (recorded). Weird, this coast-to-coast rolling conversation. Weird, but good.

Tomorrow I’m off with my precinct captain to a fundraiser to be attended by four Democratic governors, including Bill Richardson, who must’ve come here straight from Vegas. The world really is getting smaller, yes? Maybe the proximity of EPU — he’s a 100 miles south of me, I think — is having some sort of compression effect.

I don’t take Warner at his word. He’s trying to be the next Bill Clinton. The times are way past such, Mark. Moreover I blame Clinton’s putting up with these mad dog fascisti as much as anything for the plight we’re in.

Hello – the Enlightenment and civilized values have been forced from the room by corp-paid GOP thugs. Is a democrat ever going to fucking notice this simple fact? For all Bill C’s brilliance and greatness as a steward, he too didn’t seem to get it in the least.

Don’t know if anyone has mentioned this or not, but I have never seen as many iBooks and Powerbooks in one place in my lifetime as I am seeing at YKos. We seem to me in the majority here. Wonder what that says . . . .

Why do progressives support a company that doesn’t think bloggers should have First Amendment rights?

Okay, here’s VG. Not gonna stay on PB for more that 3 hrs tho!

http://i8.photobucket.com/albu…..stcrop.jpg

rwcole: fair enough. I just don’t want to be misunderstood, and maybe I feel a bit more tired right now, not wanting to explain too much. I have nothing to say bad about Warner. I’m neutral and open. I’m not a cheap date, and as far as 08 goes, I’m going to wait a long time to try to sort it out.

I’m still learning about Warner. One bit of today’s speech I did not like. He said the worst thing about Bush was not what he has done, but rather what he has not done.

I guess Warner thinks that Bush’s destruction the Constitution is not an important issue.

He needs to remove that phrase from his speeches.

Not VG-tarryin’?

Punaise

Definately Car never us.

Pade 73 – thanks for delurking – 63 and gay rocks, you’re where all us lucky ones are headed!

Awesome !!! But please, if possible, post some pics of Ariana. Man, is she gorgeous!

Pacha- Don’t think anyone has made up their minds yet for 08. We’re in an early screen mode. MAYBE her- definately not HIM- etc.

Great face Valley!

Valley Girl looks so fucking distinguished ! Tres elegant!

great pic, VG!

I thought Warner was pretty good; he talked about the administration having “an on/off switch for obeying the law” and a couple other bits that were more pointed than I was expecting at this point. I’m not on anyone’s bandwagon at this point, but I liked what I heard.

Vegas experience — an older lady just left her bag with us for a few minutes while she went to find her husband. When they came back, she said she’d told one of the security guards that she’d lost her husband and he said “Lady, this is Vegas. He could be anywhere!”

Hi Pade. Yep. This is a great place.

rw- thanks and as one my Southern friends said, but when you dress up and fix your hair put on makeup… you look like an entirely different person! hehe

VG 87 – wow you are beautiful.

wow! y’all are making me blush. ;) I’m gonna have to take the pix down sooner than I thought!

VG I thought you would be blonde. Your face is perfectly in tune with your strong self.

(Actually, anybody here, even Jane Herself, could have two heads and I’d still be in a swoon. Minds and words are what gets me goin :)

No way Valley Girl, you’re as beautiful as we already know you are on the inside.

CMM- I am blonde! Ash blonde!

Dem now leads in gubenatorial battle according to arch gooper Rasmussen.

Could Colorado be turning—BLUE?

Valley Girl – beautiful face. I mean it, I have painted portraits for 30 years. Wonderful arrangement of features. Yeah.

I think it’s great that they come a-courtin’. It means that they think: a) there’s something in it for them – they know there’s loads of energy, bodies and dinero; and b) they feel close enough to the message to know that we will yield our pearls of precious price to the right suitor.

Not to be mercenary or nuttin’ but it’s not unlike Dobson and Bush (though not on thatlevel yet). OK…they want us…what are they gonna give us? A couple of parties and cocktail weenies are all well and good but ain’t gonna cut it. Rather, it seems to me that the right suitor will be willing to shape their message to more meet the NetRoots.

ashby going now

VG OK. Ash blonde

I’s sure like to see other pics-nothing tacky.
I don’t have the tech here to send my pic.

INVESTOR’S BUSINESS DAILY

Posted 6/9/2006

For one day at least, President Bush was more popular than he’s been all year.

The president’s lagging poll numbers got a swift boost from Thursday’s news that U.S. warplanes had killed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the most wanted-terrorist in Iraq.

Polling done on Thursday for the IBD/TIPP Presidential Leadership Index gave Bush a 44.2 rating, up from 39.1 in the prior days of June and 38.9 in May. The last time the Index reached this level was in December, when it hit 44.3

buy dee buy Punaise

OK so let’s pummel this Warner boy into what we the people need.

It makes me laff that Randi Rhodes calls dykes “vagitarians.”

well, I’m a meat eater!

Rasmussen shows no bounce for Bush on Zarqawi.

http://www.rasmussenreports.co…..proval.htm

*ilson:

Tell me something I don’t know.

The World Naked Bike Ride (WNBR) group was created by Daniel and Conrad to help coordinate a large international naked bike ride between many different activist groups across the World,” according to the WNBR Website. “The World’s first international naked bike ride in 2004 was a collaboration between the WNBR group which rode on June 12th and Manifestacin Ciclonudista in Spain which rode on June 19th.”

But according to Britain’s Press Association, the nude bicyclists failed to distract anyone since it took place during a World Cup Match.

“As millions dropped everything to cheer England on to victory in its World Cup game, behind their backs naked cyclists, international rugby and a bizarre milk souring stunt passed them by,” reported the Press Association.

ROFL Sharkbabe. My gay Latino friends joke they are senor eaters.

Yeah. Let’s pummel Warner into shape. Pummel, pummel, pummel.

How Hispanics became the new gays,” Frank Rich explains in his latest column slated for Sunday’s edition of The New York Times, RAW STORY has found.

“Gay people, though traditionally handy for that role, aren’t the surefire scapegoats they once were; support for a constitutional marriage amendment, ABC News found, fell to 42 percent just before the Senate vote,” Rich writes.

“Hence the rise of a juicier target: Hispanics,” Rich continues. “They are the new gays, the foremost political pinata in the election year of 2006.”

Rich calls some politicians “equal opportunity bigots.”

I’ve been watching live streaming on AAR which has been ok with some technical glitches. CSPAN was clearly having technical problems with the live feed but they will rebroadcast the tapes next week. The MSM is doing a pretty decent job showing up.

Kos on MTP tomorrow-overall I’d say things are going great. But for a work commitment I’d be in Vegas too.

Would love to see more photos.

The panels have been great. I can only imagine what YearlyKos II will be like.

None of this matters if we don’t win in ‘06 and ‘08. Just remember how hard that’s going to be.

Mary Ann

Yeah- interesting:

Thirty-nine percent (39%) of Americans approve of the way that George W. Bush is performing his role as President. Sixty percent (60%) disapprove.

Two-thirds of the telephone interviews for this update were conducted following the death of terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. This suggests that there is no immediate “bounce” for the President from the news. Economic confidence, as measured by the Rasmussen Consumer and Investor Index , has actually slipped a bit since the terrorist leader’s death. That stands in sharp contrast to the reaction following the capture of Saddam Hussein when economic confidence soared to the highest levels of the post-9/11 era.

(Rasmussen)

rwcole: funny you mention that! today at Indy Gay Pride our Congresswoman gave a 10 minute off-the-cuff speech where she too tied-in anti-immigrant politics with antigay politicos — how America works best without divisive practices…

VG — op99 and I didn’t get to see your picture! And after all those comments…

rw- also interesting adding up the percentages. Looked like only 1% were not accounted for- undecided? I remember % of 5-6% undecided in some earlier polls.

I’m popping back in. On this Warner party, I would encourage everyone to chill. And…be thankful. HE showed some effort to get to know root folks. That’s a good thing. You don’t have to endorse him….you don’t have to pledge to support him in 08. But….thank him! Thank him for coming, thank him for listening, and thank him for a few drinks. It’s more than many others in political positions did. use your new influence in a positive way….and refrain from being petty about his efforts.
Ghostman

dayam it, VG, your photo is gone!

Redshift- ah well… things move fast at FDL. ;) Back to more important matters–

me 2 —- i wanna see vg!!!!

good old Governor Pat Brown of California told legislators: if you dont know how to eat their dinners, drink their liquor and fuck their whores without being beholden to lobbyists, you dont deserve to be a legislator. Same thing with the Netroots: we will be wooed but you dont have to be bought!

John Laesch, who’s running against Hastert, just wandered by (the Fighting Dems who are here are having a party across the hall.) Mommybrain asked him “So you’re a vet? Not a veterinarian, I mean a real vet.”

Suzanne – VG’s on a Russian mail order bride website – damn those guys are quick!

(just kidding…just kidding!)

Valley- as I recall, Rasmussen ALWAYS has a very low undecided- part of the reason he gets higher JARs for Clusterfuck. I haven’t looked at his polling questions to figure it out- maybe his automated system has something to do with it- I don’t know.

At any rate- I never put much faith in his numbers- I suspect that there will be a bounce coming- he usually does in cases like this- and then it fades.

dang it punaise! i finally get caught up on all the comments and find out i’m still left behind.

jmba 39 if you’re still around – go to photobucket.com or similar place (google “photo sharing”) – or yahoo photo – it’s free, any idiot can do it, I’m proof :)

Ghostman- well said.

oh, and pun, in case no one pointed it out to you, i never figured you for a RED tack…

*ilson > “you dont deserve to be a legislator”
geez, I’d like to know who among the current crop of Republican “legislators” would pass this test!!

Suzanne – I was blushing

I’m curious about the Warner party.

I think its great that he and other politicians came. I don’t think that it is fair for us to laud the fact that some politicians have shown up for the convention and then criticize them for doing so.

I think it is great that Warner showed up. Even better that he didn’t just come in, make a speech, and then leave.

Was he at the party? If so, did he really talk to people there? I mean, real conversation, not just photo ops? How familiar was he about the blogs? Did anyone speak to him? Please tell us about it.

How about the other candidates and their parties?

Glorfindel (#44): because “We are not afraid”.

PAch (#81): FEINGOLD

AFter major struggle, I finally got my Air America to work. (Had to load Real Player on my laptop, it would not work on the desk top.) So I missed the first 15 minutes of the Plame panel… I was so excited to see Dean on C-span, but then it wasn’t… At least I had him on the laptop.

I wanted to go so bad. Twice I went out and priced the airfare. But when I added it up I just couldn’t justify the cost. And I’m not that hep on the idea of traveling by myself any more either, and couldn’t get hubby to agree this would be a good vacation for the two of us. Maybe I should have pushed harder. I think he would have enjoyed Bonddad and the economics panel, and Howard Dean too.

Thanks Christy and Jane and Pach for the notes. I read every one, and appreciate them. Wish I was there with you guys.

Rob (#89): Why? Because he didn’t mean it? or did he? Either way, not good.

Best thread ever – you poor Vegas schlubs, you missed the Sat afternoon slumber party from heaven, not to mention Valley Girl and *ilson on the catwalk…

I’m back in my room. We’ll see if my fancy new smartphone lets me post. Best overheard description of the Warner party: ‘This reminds me of my Bar Mitzvah.’ More later.

MSNBC post regarding pretrial hearing on Monday for Libby/Fitz. Question to be asked…”hey Fitz are you going to be wrapping it up soon?” Here is the site.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13231479/from/RS.5/

Sharkbabe (#114): That’s like some woman who believes she will “change him” after they get married. IF he’s not there already, keep looking.

VG — rbg still had the photo, so we got to see it. I must concur with the other firepups!

Sharkbabe – yeah, we played truth or dare, and I pun-ted. (or was it spin the bloggle?)

jmba: I assume this hearing will be public and that some serious reporters (like Waas) who understand the case will be present to catch hints, nuances, slips, etc.

punaise
I thought it was pin the tail on the donkey

fahrender 150, true and well said

Just so you know, we do miss you guys! That’s part of the reason we’re blogging in a hallway (and not just because it attracts “ooh, are you bloggers?” media people like flies. ;-)

(Actually, I’m exaggerating, there have only been two or three.)

Just got home (I’m done, gotta hang with my Squeeze and then go hoopitup tomorrow). I have been in the company of the finest people for the past 3 days. The FDL crew RULES!

I missed Valley Girl’s pic. Honey, you better send it to me.

BTW- Any FDL’ers in Vegas: If you want to hear a MONSTER jazz pianist tonight, go to The Artisan (Sahara & I-15, only about a mile from the Riviera).

http://santafeandthefatcityhor…..pdate.html

and/or

http://santafeandthefatcityhor…..drian.html

Cheryl and I will probably be there. They start at 10 pm.

jmba 154 – touchee! I’ll leave it for others to use the verb “prick” :~)

ilson, thanks. It has been slow on the Fitz front for a little while, so it will be good to get some fresh tidbits to tide me over until Fitzmas.

Some of us may miss the point from time to time, but punaise never will.

I’m sitting in the Riv’s hallway with Op99 who tells me that someone else actually called her a “funny little bible-thumper”…having now met her in person, I find that very hard to believe.

Actually, that last post was from me,not Op99.

de-lurking for a minute here…Sharkbabe, *ilson, and ValleyGirl. All of you look exactly like I imagined!!! I am amazed. ValleyGirl’s pic was the clencher…perhaps the woo woo stuff about doing dream work with people before you meet them is real. And, yeah, punaise…you most certainly offered what I expected! Meanwhile, see y’all in my dreams and thanks for all you do in whatever realm. Kate

Echidne of the snakes @ 31

Conferences tend to peter out towards the end, . . .

Some of us wish you’d find a different phrase to express this sentiment.

;)

Why is it that when I click on someone’s underlined name, I get a message “The URL is not valid or cannot be loaded.”

Anyone, please?

Curious: that person might have posted a fake URL or maybe that server is down for the time being…no biggie!

Jane sighting: She just breezed by in a fabulous print cocktail dress, black hiiiggh heels…very foxy. She was with some schlup whom I only saw from behind (Atrios?).

What’s a “schlup”? Like a “sherpa”?

op99: what kind of shirt was the schlup wearing? Mr. Black has been noticed favorably here for his tasteful choice of shirts…

Schlup? Sherpa? Don’t we have a national language in this country anymore?

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Oklahoma on Friday became the fifth state to allow the death penalty for certain sex crimes, although legal scholars questioned the constitutionality of the new state law.

Under the measure signed by Gov. Brad Henry, anyone convicted twice for rape, sodomy or lewd molestation involving children under 14 can face the death penalty.

South Carolina’s governor signed a similar law on Thursday allowing the death penalty for offenders convicted twice of raping children younger than 11. Louisiana, Florida and Montana also have laws allowing the death penalty for certain sex crimes.

Defense attorneys and death penalty experts said the laws defy recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions that have scaled back the death penalty’s application.

Barbara Bergman, president of the Washington-based National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, said Supreme Court decisions have made it clear that the death penalty is reserved for someone who has taken another life.

*ilson46201, thanks a lot of the pic. I agree with lhp.
IMO, you bear a striking resemblance to Lee Marvin.

What this country needs is more capital punishment- that’ll fix em.

op99, RBG, really appreciate the live blogging.

Peterr 160 – doesn’t everyone want a tack’s break?

*ilson, it was a fabulous blue unstructured button up over fashionably baggy jeans. This is the truthiest description I can come up with from a brief glimpse. (No, I did NOT glimpse his briefs.)

Capital punishment for sexual predators – a creative way of solving the problem of finding a place they can live after release!

“a fabulous blue unstructured button up”
sounds like an Atrios shirt!

new thread. (I got a zero!)

*ilson- you are hilarious!!!

I just saw the panel on Plame recorded on C-Span. It was terrific! I particularly enjoyed the discussion [yours] on Grand Juries. Waas and Froomkin each had helpful perspectives. Jane was delightfully impish as always. Mr. Plame and Mr. C.I.A. were “good and meta.” I don’t know what Empty Wheel’s Ph.D. was in, but she got her money’s worth. Her points about Character and Narrative should be repeated to bloggers daily. We’re lucky to have her.

Thanks to all of you for a job well done! I just wish they’d show it on Dateline, and 60 minutes and – well you know where else, everywhere else. If it were the only thing at yearlyKos, the enterprise would have been a success…

punaise says “doesn’t everyone want a tack’s break?”
June 10th, 2006 at 5:43 pm

That was “thumb” comment. (g)

I like Warner’s results in Virginia. He got tax increases through the Republican controlled Virginia legislature. He got local business to buy into the need to FUND rather than STARVE government – as being good for Virginia.

Warner is effective. He governed well. Hope that counts for something given what we’re living through at the federal level.

Warner’s effectiveness surely was a factor with Kaine’s success also.

getting really sick of the hot babe stuff. really turning me off. so I’m fat, so I’ve got pimples. didn’t know that’s what you were looking at. get off your envious horse and talk politics please. leave the longings for being slim and sexy in the bathroom.

*ilson (at 132): holy smokes, did Pat Brown really say that???!!! Makes him sound like a politico from Texas. Dayam.

Now I know why I didn’t go to YKos: My laptop is a Dell.

I’m a conservative who enjoyed your Web site during the days it seemed like Fitz might huff and puff and blow the White House down. Justice.
I just wonder how you guys can work with or support Harry Reid. The guy wanted to send illegal immigrants back in chains a few years ago. Then, he’s caught fibbing about how he changed his mind on the subject. And now he claims to be pro-illegal alien.
He is the classic weasel. You know, the guy who would be cast as an opportunistic villain in a movie so even idiots would know he’s a villain. If phoniness were a cologne, you could not get in an elevator with the guy, or even a bus.
Obviously, you folks are committed to your cause. I just wonder how you — and I see it with the right wingers too — put up with — well let’s be honest — creeps? I’m hoping for a dialogue here, so if you’re just going to say “Fitz” or ask me how i put up with Sean Hannity — I hate the guy — just go back to the slot machines.
Steve N.

As an ardent supporter of our left-wing blogs I was truly saddened and disappointed by the choice of Las Vegas as being the site of the “YearlyKos” convention. I’ve been there once for a law enforcement convention and will never return.
I found Las Vegas to be the epitome of capitalistic swill. It is the face of “Corporate Amerika”. Gambling, it’s main attraction, totally void of virtue, and the antithesis of benevolence, appeals to personkinds most base and vile goal-”I want to be filthy rich!” And why would one ever choose to patronize and be associated with a city that advertises itself with such a deceptive-laden slogan as, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas”? Why not support with our dollars a much more worthy and economically distressed city such as Philadelphia, culturally rich, ethnically diverse, and hell-bent on defeating Rick Santorum, or choose any of our other needy progressive cities.
I can imagine no more of an appropriate city than Las Vegas for conventions of our much-disdained media and “thirty percenters”.
Does anyone else feel this way? Or, can anyone explain to me why Las Vegas was an appropriate choice for this convention?
Where are our Mitch Snyder’s?

steve N. at 186 and ray lewis at 187,

You all can go on back to Barbara Comstock or whoever on the rabid right sent you here. Your threads have been discussed and repudiated elsewhere on fdl.

Hope you can let go of that heavy weight of hate, and be open to the idea that sometimes other people are right.

Oh, and ray lewis, the America with a K thingie got old about 30 years ago. Enough with the Commie propaganda, it’s boring, ok?

Leisure Guy was right!