Jamie Love of KEI was in a high level meeting at the US Patent and Trade Office yesterday on intellectual property and access to medicines. When he tried to access his site to demonstrate something to the attendees, he found that the WiFi system that the USPTO provides to the public would not allow access his own KEI site.

In 2008, we chose as a blog not to endorse either candidate because we did not want to alienate either significant sector of our community. Moreover, we firmly believe that elections are the time when candidates are the most responsive to the needs of the constituents whose votes they hope to woo. That’s also our position in 2012

That’s a question I ask myself a fair amount. Sometimes I ask it about myself, and other times I’ll read a comment or diary or post and ask it about someone else.

When I ask it about myself, I’m usually trying to sort something out. “What is it about this place that draws you in, Peterr — and draws you in not just to read, but to comment and to write?”

You, the FDL readership, helped make this coverage possible. Because of you, a movement that the mainstream press confidently predicted would fizzle out after a day or two has not only endured, but spread. It is fast becoming Occupation Everywhere, and while you may or may not be able to stand next to Kevin as he sends out his widely-praised dispatches, you can do something every bit as important, and help him as effectively as if you were carrying his backpack for him.

Cue the FDL Membership association – a brilliant idea conceived like many others at FDL: in our comments section. It allows us to continue to build our organization on donations from our supporters while putting us on steadier footing for our future. Since its inception, the membership association has revolutionized our work at FDL – we’ve become much more organized internally, and are churning out projects and ideas left and right.

FDL is a place where you can connect with and “talk” with people like you who want to know more than the canned pablum fed to you by Big Media and where your own thoughts, analysis and opinions are heard and can spark action. It’s a big noisy, sometimes rambunctious family we have going here, but we’re all together in our search for truth and in our desire to effect positive change.

Russ Feingold is a hero, and for good reason, to progressives. Russ was one, if not the only one, of the Democratic Senate, make that Senate as a whole, who really stood up for civil liberties in the face of the bipartisan onslaught that has occurred over the last decade, both under George Bush and Barack Obama.

Going through literally tens of thousand of government documents to find these few nuggets of information is sadly something very few organizations do well (well, besides large, private lobbying operations), but this is something at which Firedoglake really excels.

To help define what role Firedoglake should play in the 2012 election and beyond, on Wednesday, May 11, at 7:00 pm EDT, I plan, as part of the FDL members webinar series, to examine four basic electoral strategies that have been used by groups or organizations to influence the political process.

If you’re a member, please send your suggestions and ideas to FDLmembers AT gmail DOT com by midnight on Monday May 8. We’ll be sending you an email with a registration link to next Wednesday’s webinar later this week.

If you’re not a member, and you’d like to take part in these discussions about shaping FDL’s activism and coverage in the future, you can join the FDL membership program here.