Fitz!

Fitz maybe this week?

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?

fitz

I’d say I’m a better man than you. :) However, I did register at the site, but I haven’t gotten an email from them, so I can’t watch the videos.

It was mentioned in the previous thread that you can watch the whole Meet the Press show here:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10005066/

You can’t fast forward, though.

Ray Lewis 3 — You’ve never commented here before, and in the midst of this rather remarkable achievement you de-lurk to bitch about the LOCATION? That is just amazing to me. Absolutely amazing.

Ron Zuber 5 — thanks for finding that & emailing me. I sent it to my mom ;)

ray at 3–The America spelled with a K thing got old about 30 years ago. Can we leave the Commie propaganda behind please?

Actually, I just checked my email, and I can now watch the videos on ForaTv

Ray Lewis,

$$$$$$$$ - Las Vegas gave YK a good deal, making it more affordable for the masses. Personally, after being here and experiencing the convention, I don’t think it matters where YK is held. I wanted to spend every minute with my fellow bloggers and barely left the premises.

That said, the smokiness of the place was very annoying.

To answer the purity troll:

Las Vegas was chosen because _hotel and convention space rates were cheap_.

Now go away.

Rootz! baby, Rootz!

Vegas is the heart of America.

I first visited there in 1957 with my parents. The Strip began at The Sands. We stayed at the New Frontier but caugh margueirte Piazza at the Sands. It was a really cheap vacation in those days. Hotel rooms and food was cheap because they MORE than made up for it at the gaming tables.

Last time I visited Vegas I saw Jerry at the telethon live. Great fun.

The key Vegas moves are the original Ocean’s 11, Viva Las Vegas, One From the Heart and Mars Attacks!

THere are conventions in LV in the summer (and Phoenix also) because it’s the off season and rates are lower. ALthough there isn’t a lot to do, if you aren’t into gambling or shows. (been there, done that, have the nametag, but not yKos.)

Thanks to all of you at yearly Kos!Great work!

i agree with ray. and, we could put a dent in global warming just turning off all those marquee lights and air conditioning. maybe next time the place chosen will be more in harmony with the message. how bout pittsburgh? they have the largest Green convention center in the country, and it is home to richard mellon scaife and santorum.

This may have gotten EPU’d,but I did get good feedback on it,here’s a repost;
Here’s a little off topic opinion I’ve been thinking about lately;the top of the thread cry of’Fitz!’,and the new cry of’rootz!’.
The call of Fitz!(a time honered FDL tradition,I’ve logged a few ‘Fitzes’myself)can be seen as a wish for a superman(superprosecuter)to come save us.
To call out Rootz! says we are going to save ourselves.
JMO

Oh and I forgot one of the very best — Casino.

Besides Vegas it’s the best film ever made about modern American capitalism, as coporations have moved in to take over from individual entrepreneurs.

Thanks to all who reported from YKos…kept us in the loop….My fav is still Jane and the Plame panel.
THANNNNNKKKKKKKKKKKKSSSSSSSSSSS

Ray,
AFAIK, inexpensive hotels.
With the exception of legalized gambling, I think every other city offers the same “pleasures,” although not as you observe, in such an unveiled manner.
Part of the process was to leverage traditional media coverage of it. It’s a lot easier to get whores such as Byron York to Vegas than Philly.
Victories are never total, compromise is part of life. Your entire comment about a huge victory for Kos, FDL, and the liberal blogosphere was about one decision. With all due respect, in the calculus of all the factors, I think Vegas was an inspired choice. I want to go to YKos next year and I hope it they hold it in Vegas again. I’ll be happy to go to Philly too, if it’s there.

ray lewis (3) - you are missing the poetic irony of it.

what las vegas is to the spiritual universe, the bush administration is to the political and social one.

it is fitting in this sense that the rebirth of the nation, after this long dark night of the soul, take place in the darkest depths of the godforsaken nevada desert.

from darkness, light…

there were several locations for YK that were put up to a vote last year i guess. las vegas got the most votes— cuz it was cheap & relatively accessible from lots of places.

I had a very similar reaction to Ray Lewis’ when the YKos location of Las Vegas was announced.

The one time I was in LVNV (for my mother’s 65th birthday, at her request) I was overwhelmed–not just by the crass/money/gambling aspect of the city, but even more so by its environmental piggishness. I was nauseated by the utter waste–all the electricity needed for LV glitz, all the water stolen from elsewhere to accommodate the masses of tourists. And that’s not even considering the whole raison d’etre of Las Vegas: the place where marks come to get fleeced by the casinos.

Las Vegas will be gone in fifty years, I bet. And yes, Ray–a very odd choice of a place for Progressives to meet.

Fabulous photo! It’s going to be fun watching the pundits and press get busy on “framing” the event (bow to George Lakoff). Always amusing when experts start lecturing you on the real meaning of your own intentions and actions.

Congratulations to everyone who was part of YKos.

That Plame panel was amazing, and Jane did a remarkable job. It’s honestly one of the best C-SPAN programs I’ve ever watched, and I’ve watched that channel for more than a decade.

I hope Jane, Christy, Markos and others get more invitations to such events.

Yesterday, I said Jane is the new MoDo. :) And I don’t have to pay to read her articles. :)

… not suggesting that the whole operation wasn’t wonderful (I watched a good deal of the meetings on Air America’s feed). Just a cognitive dissonance: Las Vegas/Progressive Activism

DMM wrote:

The call of Fitz!(a time honered FDL tradition,I’ve logged a few “Fitzes” myself)can be seen as a wish for a superman(superprosecuter)to come save us.
To call out Rootz! says we are going to save ourselves.

Hear! Hear!
peace,
jim

Having organized and attended many confrences back in my professional life, I can tell you that cost is the major consideration. And, as those who commented earlier, that is what drove the venue location for this one.
-sofistic

Or, can anyone explain to me why Las Vegas was an appropriate choice for this convention

It’s cheap. to get to and to stay in. Maybe if there’s a YKos 2, some smart city tourism bureau will seek it out as a host city in Chicago or Philly.
Though I will say, isn’t Las Vegas, on a per square mile basis, the biggest damn preventable environmental disaster? the lights, the AC, the wasted water? No reflection on YKos, the gambler, drinker and out-all-nighter I used to be loved Vegas.

Anyone who starts with something like “As an ardent supporter of left wing blogs…” and then trashes the place is a troll.
The wingnut trolls always establish their street creds in the first sentence or so. I remember a troll from another site in 2004 who was totally anti-Kerry, pro-Bush, but she described herself as very left wing—a lesbian substance abuse councilor living in San Francisco, activist for 20 years.. etc.
Ha ha.

I like this from the Observer article:

“At their helm was former soldier Markos Moulitsas. At the age of 34, Moulitsas has progressed from private policy nerd to one of the best- known public voices in Democratic politics, described last week on Time.com as ‘the left’s own Kurt Cobain and Che Guevara rolled into one’.”

So the left’s “C”-word is “Cobain-Che,” and the right’s “C”-word is Coulter? Whatever. Jane is correct that the depth and quality of the Observer article is so far unmatched by anything we’ve seen from the US national press.

Jane, i’m glad you called out Barbara Boxer

The best articles I’ve seen are by Ron Brownstein and Dan Balz.
.

Not completely ignored by major outlets:
Net-Savvy Democrats Aim to Pack a Digital Punch
A gathering of online liberals indicates they’re evolving into a force within the party.
By Ronald Brownstein, Times Staff Writer
June 11, 2006

LAS VEGAS %u2014 Fans of the popular liberal website Daily Kos gathered here this weekend for an irreverent and impassioned conference that blended elements of a political convention, a revival meeting and what one attendee called a “summer camp reunion for people who have never met each other.”

The four-day event, which drew 1,000 people, may have marked a milestone in the evolution of the online liberal community from scruffy insurgents to an institutionalized force within the Democratic Party.

PointedHead @17 — excellent point (and I don’t mean the one on your head).

I’d never been to Vegas, and in some ways I feel like I still haven’t. I didn’t gamble, didn’t see any shows, and had two drinks the entire time (at Mark Warner’s party).

The only real indulgence I engaged in was the amount of bacon I had at the FDL breakfast.

“Jane, i’m glad you called out Barbara Boxer”

Hear hear!! I’m lying in wait for my next email from her. What is she thinking, honestly? Besides the war (which, I keep screaming into the storm, is enough reason to oppose him ), Lieberman has been a big administration enabler on the Feds’ lousy response to Katrina. He and Collins whine to the media and do nothing. Both of them would be nicely replaced by the dead armadillos lying next to them.

A couple of years back I was dating a woman who headed info security operations for a very large bank …. She told me she thought Vegas would be the next major terror target, because it was the symbolic center of Western decadence (and because of the fact that the casinos pump a lot of oxygen in — keeps the gamblers from nodding off, but also would give more bang for the buck).
Needless to say, I’m relieved that her predictions have not yet come true.
Re: Pointed 17 and the poetic irony of it: let us also not forget the late Dr. Gonzo.

Las Vegas is cheaper by miles, and that’s one of the main reasons it was chosen, by votes. I voted for Chicago just because it was closer, but I wouldn’t have been able to attend after all due to unforseen circumstances. (Plus lack of $$.)
Try booking a flight to Chicago, see how much it costs. Try the same with Vegas: It’s cheaper. Hotels are cheaper.
Over a thousand people got to attend YKos. That’s the point; not where it’s held.
Next year I’m going, God willing and the creek don’t rise!

I sent a kind word to Meet the Press about having Markos on. I hate the show, but I figure if they get enough emails, they might have progressives on more often. You can email them here:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6872152/

Maybe there should be a BYKos - bi-annual with eastern and western continental sites. Funding might be prohibitive still, but I get the feeling the interest level wouldn’t be.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....v=hcmodule

“Democrats Closing Fundraising Gap With Republicans
Increase in Grass-Roots Support Buoys Party as GOP Efforts Falter

By Jim VandeHei”
Interesting article.

I agree w/#3 — didn’t see any tie-dyes either. snark.

Too many Powerbooks and iBooks, too. Apple filed suit to ‘kill bloggers rights’. Actually, it was about keeping industrial secrets secret. Well within their rights. I don’t think the legal team really pushed as hard as they might have, given legal times as they are. (ie. they wanted to make a point, not really WIN the case.)

Note that Apple is PRO-Net Neutrality. All those downloads from iTMS get alittle less attractive with push tax.

Last, but certainly not least, zennurse’s smile is as beautiful as her spirit and heart.

I would hope too that the next con is more accessible to east coast attendees. Someone on Kos suggested Baltimore; I’d go for that if the rates are reasonable.

Or, if we want to go for cheap decadence again, there’s Orlando …

Jane,

A suggestion for the next Yearly Kos, if the location hasn’t been chosen already– how about New Orleans? Let’s give that battered city a shot in the arm with some tourist dollars and some progressive political energy.

I think it would make a great statement from our community.

Let’s not forget: Las Vegas was the venue that produced THE gonzo document of our time. The words ‘Fear and Loathing’ will always lurk behind my ears every time that town is mentioned.

Ralph Steadman rocks! He can sketch some, draws a bit, too.

ray lewis 3 -

Don’t be crackin’ on BobbyG’s home town.

Others have by now dispositively ’splained to ya the reasons. And, YKos was a MAJOR success, both in terms of the logistical administration of the event and it’s political impact, bucko. So, spare us the Red Herring ad hominem’ish whining.

two fav moments from ykos: 1. the look of incomprehension on the face of a reporter when i explained i wasn’t choosing events to attend based on the presence of a Washington VIP, but by subject and panelist, and 2. seated next to a writer from “the weekly standard” at one of the dinners i asked if anything had surprised him at the event. after a hesitation he replied he couldn’t believe how nice everyone was, to him specifically and in general, and at the high level of discourse. our cover has been blown.

OfT: Harry Gave ‘Em Hell
by emptywheel
“When I taught media history, I did it from a wide perspective. I brought my students to the rare books archive to look at papyrus and a Gutenberg. I talked about multiple media revolutions: the introduction of the printing press, the industrialization of print in the 19th century, broadcast in the 20th century, and finally the Internet. I tried to show that our little Internet revolution had much in common with the earlier media revolutions, and that it might (or might not) bring the same kind of change as those earlier revolutions.

Imagine my thrill when the Senate Minority Leader stood before a room full of bloggers and made the same argument….”

I too find Vegas distasteful, but understand the need to minimize costs for all the ordinary folks going to ykos. It bothers me, though, that someone gets called a troll for pointing out that many of the things that Vegas represents are antithetical to progressive values. If you disgaree with ray’s point, argue your case. Calling him a troll just discourages discussion. I quit participating at dkos because of all the aggressive self-appointed diary and comment police (well, that and the pie fight)and would hate to see this site succumb to the same sort of thought policing.

Dateline June 11, 2028
It came from the fever swamps.
Few of the children attending the tour of what was once Washington, D.C. - but now an arm of the Smithsonion Institution - could believe that this was the center of power for the United States of America.

In the early years, beginning in 2006, a remarkable event took place that changed the face and function of American government. A small group of what were then called bloggers, began to build a blueprint for what we now see. The country has become completely independent in terms of all essential goods and services. The internet backbone crisscrossing the country is now owned by employees and customers, in much the same way that the old food co-ops were. The same is true of banking and insurance organizations, as well as energy production and distribution systems. Everyone has the finest health care from conception to death. Bullet trains on maglev tracks crisscross the country and are more efficient than the old airplanes. Private transportation is all electric, and people plug them into their house wiring systems, which are, in turn, powered by the wind, wave, and solar systems dotted across the landscape. Elected representatives live in their own districts and debate legislation over the internet, and only meet twice a year face to face in rotating host states. None of this would have existed but for this small band of “transformational” bloggers back in those early days.
-sofistic

I just watched Meet The Press (Pacific Time Zone). Markos - yea! In fact that entire segment was a down-to-earth examination of what Democrats need to be aware of in this upcoming election. Quiet presentations, no ranting by anyone at all, and very informative. How many millions do you suppose came away from this show with a slightly (can I hope completely?) reformed view?

I’m on a high!

Actually, it was about keeping industrial secrets secret. Well within their rights.

That’s like saying Bush is within his rights to prosecute journalists rather than the leakers themselves. There’s no defense of Apple’s behavior. They should have pursued only the leakers instead of trying to strip bloggers of free speech rights.

When does the CtG discussion start?

Philly for sure. I see the logic of Vegas, but the next gathering should be in the East and Philly is a city (in a region) that is full of potential supporters and should be affordable as well.

You can’t beat the prices in Vegas. Airfare to the place, hotels, rental cars, meals - you name it.

I dislike the place intensely, but that wouldn’t keep me from going there to a convention, nor from considering it as a place to hold one.

A Vegas secret we took advantage of when the kids were younger - In the off-season, you can rent RVs there really, really cheap. We did it twice, then cruised on outta Vegas to the Grand Canyon one year and to the Utah-Colorado parks another. Greatest, cheapest way to show your kids the Rockies or the Sierras there is. An RV provides you with the rental car, a hotel and a place to prepare meals for the kids - all in one.

margot, thanks for linking to Pool boy’s latest about fundraising.
FWIW, imo ten or fifteen years from now, we will learn that probably starting in 1992, and through 2004, Republicans outspent Dems four or perhaps five to one. My speculation of course contradicts the numbers from the Federal Election Commission, which don’t suggest anywhere near that disparity.
I think the neocons “laundered” a lot of their “K” street loot in non-profits in name only such as the Hudson institute where Irving Scooter Libby now “works.” It was those non-profits in name only, as Jane and Christy have documented so well, who played a very significant role in poisoning the traditional media. It served the neocons and the Republicans very well to hide the huge lead they had in sheer cash.
I have absolutely zero documentation to support my speculation.

FYI, the YearlyKos bloggers brunch is now airing on AirAmerica’s room 1, if you paid the $10.

mamayaga 42 -

“Seven Deadly Sins, One Convenient Location. Las Vegas”

;) (actual I-15 billboard)

I’ve lived here for 14 years (which makes me a Native, I guess). We now number roughly 2 million in Clark County. Amazing. Without gaming this place would be Barstow2 — a dessicated truck/railstop of ~30,000 cranky hardscrabble blue collar souls. It is testament to [1] the chronic aggregate (and profitable) inability of people to compute “expected value” [ p(a) x the payout of a ] and the empirical valaidation of Skinner’s theory of Operant Conditioning (recent epistemological/academic ascent of the cognitivists notwithstanding).

I blog about a totally non-political aspect of Vegas here:

http://santafeandthefatcityhorns.blogspot.com/

Those of us who live here reside in an overall environment not unlike Phoenix or SoCal.

I like it here, for now.

Hey guys, good morning!

Anybody know what’s up with the streaming video of the brunch (supposed to be up and running on the Air America site)?

I was there to log in at 10:30 Pacific Time, the scheduled start time, and until 10:45 the RealPlayer response was “The Event is Not On the Air at This Time.”

Now what I get is a streaming video (yay, finally!) which shows nothing but the “Yearly Kos Convention” sign (boooo!!!).

It’s great that AAR decided to offer streaming video for only 10 bucks, but do you think they figure that for that price you shouldn’t actually expect to reliably SEE and HEAR anything?

Yesterday the Room 3 feed had no sound whatsover. Another Room had the sound delayed and out of sync by several seconds. Feeds were mislabeled (Room 2 labeled as Room 3, and vice versa). In the middle of a conference session the stream died, and was replaced with “This Event is Not on the Air at This Time.”

Sigh. If I hadn’t poked around dKos diaries, I wouldn’t have finally figured out that setting RealPlayer to play at LOW connection speed would finally get a stream to play, albeit jerkily. That was just in time to get the last few minutes of the session.

Oh well. It was only 10 bucks, after all. I’m just very disappointed after having thought I could vicariously “participate” from home.

p.s. Jane — I too am glad that you had a few choice words for Senator Boxer. Her cluelessness is baffling. And the hostility expressed is a surprise, considering the great talk she gave early in the conference (happened to catch that in the middle of the night — Friday overnight — on C-Span while they were still broadcasting bits of the conference). Senator Boxer assured “us” that our voices are being heard…so why doesn’t she want to listen to the huge numbers of folks who find Lieberman an offense to any reasonable Democratic agenda? Thanks for all you do, Jane! [And Christy, if you’re here — you were terrific, caught you on C-Span, thanks to you, too!]

Much love to all those leaving L.V. today and on the road or in the air. Get home safely! Look forward to “meeting” y’all again back here.

Rosalind, your post was delicious. Thanks for making me smile.

Update –

The AAR stream is now providing video. I can SEE everyone talking, gesturing to make their points energetically, but there is NO AUDIO.

Too bad I don’t know how to read lips.

Hi everybody!

I’m home now, exhausted after catching a 6am plane from Las Vegas, which may be a wonderful town — but I never left the Riv, so who knows?

Kinda feel like I’m in a timewarp, there and not there, so’s here’s my quick take on yk:

My favorite moments:
1. Hugs from zennurse, they’re absolutely the best!
2. Christy inviting His Hairness into our fdl caucus, who then made a beeline for Matt O’s corner and sat on the floor at Matt’s feet. hmmmm….
3. op99: “I got a pony!”
4. Sitting with the brain family while we all yelled to Harry to give ‘em hell!
5. Watching Mr. ReddHedd, proud as punch, as were we all, during both of the panels Christy sat on.
6. Being really glad that Jane is completely unwilling to compromise about the issues that matter. And hoping Barbara Boxer kicks some ass on her staff.
7. Reading through the comments this morning and wishing ALL of you had been there — and very happy to have met and laughed with all of you who were!

There’s more to say, and I will later. Suffice to say it was all a little Matrix-y, meeting everybody as they folded from their digitial to their real selves. But at least I’m back where I belong. Sleep now, talk to you all later….

Ron Zuber –

Is the stream working for you, both video AND audio?

If so, do you have any suggestions for me on how to make it work?

I just disconnected, then connected to the stream again. Still no sound.

It is working for me. Pach is speaking now. :) Don’t really have any tips, other than maybe let it run for a minute or two.

Pach is on this panel! he is speaking now …. those that have Air America

YAY! Pach is on the panel! Excellent, this is so great.

‘Boy, that YKos sure blew up good, huh? ‘… ‘But not as good as Iraq, Big Dick!’

;>)

So they determined that more people could come to the conference if it was in Vegas for a variety of reasons nobody has taken the trouble to study before running their mouths, it was an incredibly successful conference that nobody currently complaining took the trouble to attend, and there is some big complaint that this isn’t a politically correct city enough for you?

I don’t often say this, but really, you are just fucking way out of line.

Discussion on LV location … all I have to say is it’s about the people, plain and simple. The great thing about Dems is that we will figure it out … together.

I don’t often say this, but really, you are just fucking way out of line.

*Dons protective gear*

Cover your eyes! The flash can blind you forever!

Great closing comments at Yearly Kos. Pachacutec
Bloggers are the media and I believe that blogging will be the news in a few years. The comment about people learning differently and learning by watching you, was right on the money. We need to take it to the states and do it everywhere. Thanks for the great job you guys did

I had to twist Pach’s arm to sit on the panel and I’m so glad it happened. Wasn’t he incredible?

So much good content was produced. I really hope that all the video becomes available. I’d happily pay for it if YearlyKos sold a DVD.

Like I said before, we’ve been mostly politician/consultant/journalist free and have spent our time with our readers. I don’t think a whole lot of people who aren’t a part of the blogosphere realize that this is where our strength derives from, not from relationships with politicians or those in their orbits.

Thank you for this, Jane.

the pols will come to you if you have the people. But you need the people. Who are here because the blogosphere provides honesty, analysis, etc., not available elsewhere.

Oh well, I give up.

I tried fiddling with every type of control, lowering speed to the lowest choice they gave me, etc. etc.

No dice. No sound, no matter what I do. It worked for parts of yesterday’s events, so what’s different now?

I think I have to walk away now. This is way too frustrating. (sound of head hitting desk, again)

Jane H (68) — a very hearty welcome home! ;-)

Don’t worry about the ‘naysayers,Jane.
Can’t please all the people all the time.
I just stubbed the sh*t out of my toe,and I’m not very pleased.

Teddy! It was so good to meet you. And yeah I saw Op99’s pony this morning (lifted from Luke). I was very jealous.

DMM 77 — I’m much more worried about your stubbed toe ;)

72 - Jane. Yes indeed, Pach was more than incredible. Very, very impressive - indeed.

Jane 61…LOL!!

Yeah.

BTW- BobbyG just had an idea. Given the MAJOR play FDL has now gotten, and the new traffic and discourse it will without a doubt drive to your fabulous and increasingly important blog, I propose an eventual “FireDogLakeside Retreat” ([tm] FireDogLake.com)

Ruminate on that a bit…

Just an idea. Some bucolic not-Vegas location…hmmmm.m..m…

I would certainly attend.

I gotta run shortly. In addition to Elvis impersonators, Vegas also has basketball impersonators:

http://www.bgladd.com/BobbyG_hoopitup.jpg

attendance at conventions is usually covered by corporate expense accounts — the vast majority of YKos participants paid for everything out of their own pocket. Usually convention attendance is ‘required’ for organizational reasons — nobody at YKos had to be there — it was purely voluntary. Quite remarkable, I’d say !

From Political Wire:

(Snip)

“Key finding: “At this point in the 2003-2004 cycle, Democrats raised 69 percent of what Republicans did. So far this cycle, Democrats are raising 85 percent of what Republicans have.”

(Endo Snip)

To have reduced the R’s advantage to just a 15% deficit is enormous. It says several things….That more and more people are opening their wallets to support the D’s and that the ever flowing and bountiful spigots that feed the R’s coffers are getting twisted slowly shut…..

Remember, they don’t have that engine firing on all cylinders…Casino Jack Abramoff and the Native American gravy train has been DERAILED and Cheesy Tom Delay and his PAC/K Street Machine is busted to shit….

Now the D’s–as witnessed at KOS are getting the message machine into shape……We’ll need some think tanks and maybe e few more Scaife style sugar daddies to boot….but things are realigning….

Great work.

-GSD

Rootin’ Tootin’ ROOTZ!!! (big ol’ *g* to DMM)

Awrighty, I been whacking away at my Draft 1/Net Neutrality LTE (with the fine support of Anne, cbl and BobbyG — much obliged), so now lemme run Draft 2 past youse goise:

“‘Net neutrality’ backers vow to fight telecom bill” (N-J, June 10) reported that House Republicans Friday passed a bill backed by the telecom industry that would — provided the Senate and the President agree (and the President surely will) — make the Internet operate like cable TV, place toll-booths on the Information Superhighway, and force our health insurers, banks, favorite online retailers — all websites, in fact — to pay heavy new fees to keep their broadband sites available to us.

As the measure heads to the U.S. Senate this week, you may spot TV or print ads opposing it from “Hands Off the Internet” or “NetCompetition.org,” organizations that are the “fake IDs” of AT&T, Verizon and Comcast.

Please phone or fax Senators Bill Nelson and Mel Martinez immediately to ask them to vote FOR S.2917, the Internet Freedom Preservation Act, as introduced. You can reach Sen. Nelson at 202-224-5274 (phone) or 202-228-2183 (fax), and Sen. Martinez at 202-224-3041 (phone) or 202-228-5171 (fax).

True ’tis that any writing you cut by 50%, you improve by 100% — so, again, please share any guidance you may have on further refinement. Thanks!

Damn. I still haven’t seen stills or footage of Pach. My brother appreciated his comments on the gospel post the other night.

Congratulations again, you guys.

You know the red state guys and li’l green fascists are going to have to have their own convention now. Won’t is just suck, though? That crowd isn’t big on cooperation, are they?

Thank you Jane for that. He was great. He just said
It’s up to US. Agree
It’s not enough for Murtha to go and take the fire and they leave him hanging, Amen to that!

Very impressive Jane. I’m thrilled with it all and I will move mountains next year to attend this. All I can do at this point is pray we still have an FDL Brunch in Chicago later this year that we’ve brought up several times last winter. It will be a fascinating summer and fall to see what else manifests and watch our important progressive movement grow.

TRex -

Pach asked me not to post any stills of him. I respect and comply with the reqest.

Mea Culpa to the poster who recommened the URL from the Washington Post re: fundraising. I can’t find your post again and decided that a note of Thank You was more important than more looking.

I don’t know how many of you followed that link, but the Poster is absolutely right. It’s uplifiting, not slamming either party, but we sure come off looking good.

Poster, maybe if you post that link again now more posters would follow it? Just a thought.

Thank you again!

Sitting on my deck on a cool, gray Seattle morning while listening to the birds chatter away is quite a change from the heat and hubbub of Las Vegas. Probably the most significant thing I took home with me was that every Firepup I met was someone I’d be pleased to invite to my home for dinner. I already miss you all.

There were so many special moments, but a personal highlight was watching siun work her magic with the media. If they aren’t writing good things about us, it sure ain’t cuz they weren’t treated well.

It’s great to see so much interest in YKos07. For all those folks who have commented about future locations, this site might be a good place to influence that decision.

In this universe, _everthing_ becomes food for new life.

Vegas may be the belly of the beast for some of us, but what better place (metaphorically, at least) to start a process that may transform the beast?

IMHO, YKos was the best thing to happen to American politics since the progressive reforms of the early 1900s. Immense props to all for making it happen - planning, participating, attending.

lawn ornament (74) — what’s REALLY surprising is that many of us are consultant/journalist-types in real life, but that we aren’t jaded politicians nor have we completely abdicated our roles as citizens. We are just brash political neophytes that take to heart the words of those who’ve gone before us: There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why… WE dream of things that never were and ask why not.

Why not change the state of this democracy? And why not us?

Hello, Firepups! Blogging from the Sunday brunch. Attended the Sun morning interfaith service - actually, a service where all religious factions could speak a bit. Now there is an impromptu panel to try and sum up and look forward. Maryscott O’Connor (My Left Wing) at the audience microphone with a signature rant about the three republican talking points and why? why? McJoan, on the panel, said, “Uh, that’s sorta why we’re here..” Skippy the Bush Kangaroo up to thank all the volunteer for a convention that he expected to be the size of the booksigning room. I understand that there is a flickr site for pictures. i will sign up and upload all of mine.
Please know that while here, i was plugged into an outlet so that i could read your comments and feel that i was hearing you all beside me. Thank you for your being with us.

RBG 83 -

Thank you, bro’

The sentiment is fully echo’ed here.

Check out the c-span link, second entry down from top of page:

http://www.c-span.org/videoarc.....veDays=100

The Plame Panel etc. are on any time you want, just click on “YearlyKos Convention.”It’s not rocket science, and it’s free.

For those claiming the Left who rail at the usage of Mammon as the cradle of a progressive renaissance…Ruminate on the concept of detournement awhile.

Kathryn, thank you for doing such a great job
I hope that the machines will be an issue that is watched very closely. I didn’t get to see all of this but I hope it was discussed.

Squirrel hiller at 16-
Isn’t Squirrel Hill a suburb of Pittsburgh? Sounds like you have an ulterior motive.

I really think now is the time to take the momentum and energy of this conference to start some serious future scenario building. I made a clumsy attempt to do that up at 50.

Can we find or create some kind of space devoted to scenario building for the future? We need to think big and long-term, far into the future.
-sofistic

I’m outa here.

Just in case anyone is still in town tomorrow night, come see my guys at the Palms. They are indescribably wonderful.

http://santafeandthefatcityhorns.blogspot.com/

Off to put my geologic time shake ‘n bake moves on the homies at 24 Hour Fitness.

I tell these kids “dude, I may be 60, but I gotta warn ya, I got the moves and reflexes of a 50 yr old.”

Later, firepups…

There are some great pictures at flickr. Try:
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=yearlykos

Here’s a big picture featuring our exceptionally cute Jane:
http://www.flickr.com/photo_zo.....amp;size=o

Shez (87) - I’m so there. Chicago, maybe 6-8 weeks before the election, call it BACK TO SCHOOL.

We could try the DTW area, too, though, even if not parallel with Fitz. I’ve got peeps in that area that could line up an activist training program geared towards the sprint towards Election Day.

The media coverage to those of us watching at home has amply shown that the crowds are largely *not* a bunch of dreadlocked WTO protestors with bones through their noses, by the way, but rather a bunch of very respectable grown ups with clear, atriculate points of view and good heads on their shoulders. Our hearts are bursting with pride. Maybe this will finally counter some of that ‘wild-eyed liberal bloggers’ spin.

I don’t get the bitching about Vegas either, had my circumstances (timing) allowed, I would have met with any ONE of you in Barstow given the opportunity - and folks are bitching about meeting up with MANY of their FDL mates in Vegas - crikey !

btw, I guess I’m one of those eat dessert first kinda folks b/c I love LV, all of it, the 24/7 gaming, eating, drinking, dancing, probably the most unionized city left in this country AND any place that offers a full Room Service menu at 3:45 am is AOK in ol clare’s book

Firedogs, come home safe, rest up and report back as soon as y’all can

“Yesterday, I said Jane is the new MoDo. :) And I don’t have to pay to read her articles. :)”

Not yet at least. Rootz. Tomorrow. Calling all Senators.

Markos was just GREAT on MtP - made me proud and I’ve now got the Plame panel on c-span. Jane, your intro was masterful!

I’m in heaven! Thanks so much FDL, YKos people. I have hope!

Morning all. Back from LV, now in Sacramento en route to Far East, etc, but just wanted to say the YKOS was spectacular even without the Plame panel, but that panel was beyond awesome — I do lots of conferences, sometimes chairing, speaking, etc, but that was the finest panel I’ve every seen, on any topic. The audience was ready to give a standing ovation as soon as the panelists walked onto the stage, and it just got better.

A note to those at home: meeting the FDLers was a special treat — they are in person even better than on page — impressive all, and I even got a hug from zennurse, the only saint I’ve every known. What a treat.

The most unexpected discovery? Jane is shy. I kid you not. So send her hugs. If she ever gets any self confidence, watch out!

Steve, for one thing you’re off topic. I can’t answer your questions from here because I’m not in Vegas. A lot of the people on this thread are in panels right now blogging from the conference, so their attention is divided.

I’m sure there will be a time and place for us to discuss this, however. Warner’s not my favorite candidate either. But please don’t come in here and start throwing verbal grenades when you’re not really sure what’s going on.