Netroots – Day 1

Thursday morning started with coffee, bagles, and the Morning News Dump hosted with Lizz Winstead, featuring panelists Shannyn Moore, Sam Seder, Jason Leopold, and Cliff Schecter. They spoke to a packed rotunda on the 5th floor of the Rhode Island Convention Center, and discussed the issues of the day, including the Stand Your Ground Law, a blockbuster piece on Truthout.org that got Jason Leopold branded a “FOIA terrorist,” Lisa Murkowski’s recent vote on the wrong side of the Fair Paycheck Act, and how various media outlets were reporting on the Wisconsin recall election. The event was very well attended with standing room only.

I met several people after the show who introduced themselves and expressed appreciation for The Mudflats. None were current Alaska residents, but had either lived there in the past or recently visited. And one lovely woman from Maine sought me out to give me a token of appreciation from the other northern corner of the country. Yes, Brian now has his own tiny-sized personalized keychain from Maine thanks to Mary, also known as Simple on Daily Kos!

After the News Dump, I attended a great panel, “Taking the Offense in State Elections.” It was a surprisingly upbeat and optimistic presentation, which felt good. Mentioned were states in which the balance of power in the Senate and House is currently split, or slightly Republican dominated, and where with some effort and a little dose of “putting our money where our mouth is” we can turn them in the proper direction. Alaska topped the list. OK, it’s because it was alphabetical, but it still made me happy.

The panelists talked about how we have won some defensive victories, but that is not enough. We must target state legislatures. The national races were described as “shiny objects,” and we were cautioned not to ignore local issues in favor of covering what will doubtless be covered extensively anyway. I wholeheartedly agree. It is possible to keep our eye on the ball of the big races, and also work hard to affect elections close to home. Issues of voter rights, equality, and education policy are all determined at the state level. And in the case of Alaska, oil taxation which our Governor wants to turn into a $2 billion a year giveaway to the wealthiest multinational corporations in the history of the world, means less for roads, bridges, schools, and other issues which affect our lives and the lives of our children every day.

Michael Sargent talked about the opportunities we have to take back ground, because the Republicans have gone so far right, and have overreached so far past where they have gone historically, that they have shown us who they really are. They have outed their values, and it is our job to take what they have given us, and write it large. The GOP has shown us that their values are restricting  the right to vote, restricting a woman’s right to choose, restricting a worker’s right to join a union, and deregulating industries that pollute our environment. Their values do not, it seems, include talking about creating jobs. They are about political power, and moving the country farther right than it has ever been before.

He also talked about the narrative created by the mainstream media, who have made the Wisconsin issue solely about Scott Walker. There was a big victory on Tuesday in that democrats now control the state senate. The failure to get rid of Walker was a reflection of the fact that we were outspent 8 to 1.

At the federal level, we have gains to make as well. Mitt Romney cheerleaded the demise of the auto industry. This will not help Republicans in Michigan. Arizona has moved incredibly far right, and the redistricting map is actually more conducive to electing Democrats. We have the opportunity to make gains.

Democrats are only one seat down in Colorado. The Senate is tied up, with 10 Democrats and 10 Republicans in Alaska, and if we can support candidates who are willing to work with the bi-partisan coalition, we can continue to hold the corporate interests at bay, and do what is best for the state and its people.

We don’t have the Koch brothers, and we don’t have the money. The only thing we have is the power of people – to mobilize, to knock doors, and to make voter contact. These things can and have make a huge difference.

Zandra Rice-Hawkins  talked about how that organization set about to educated the public and the media about the misguided priorities in New Hampshire’s legislature. They have created a strong, progressive message that demonstrates contrast and offers an alternative. They have motivated people to take action – and they provide the tools to do so. She also stressed that while they worked hard, the goal was also to have fun.

She talked about a state legislator in New Hampshire who had said that healthcare for those with catastrophic illness could be provided by caring neighbors, family and friends who could hold fundraisers to pay for medical treatment.

So, they decided to hold a bake sale as an earned media event. A tray of cupcakes will set you back about $10,000. They also created a fun music video with a song about the bake sales.

Do you have a legislator who has made an outrageous comment about what they’d like to see done? Create a card game. Here’s an Alaskan example… “Do you know which state representative held up a resolution honoring the Girl Scouts because he heard a rumor on the internet that they were tied with Planned Parenthood?” (Flip card over) Why look! It’s Rep. Wes Keller of Wasilla!

The emphasis should always be to restore balance and common sense. We must hold legislators accountable for their statements, and the bills they sponsor, and we must have year-round mobilizations. This is an election year, but we need to think in terms of moving from elections, to advocacy, and right back to elections.

The Q&A session ended with an issue that hit home, and it had to do with state legislation coming from ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council.) They’ve been in the news a lot lately, and we must focus on the fact that this is outside influence, outside legislation, and outside money. Many issues are brought forth that do not come from a demand of citizens, but from out-of-state special interest groups importing their philosophy into our state, not by Alaskans (or residents of any other state). These outsiders are looking out for their own interests, not ours. Their entire strategy of creating legislation to benefit these interests with prefabricated “Fill in your state’s name here” legislation is disingenuous.

The afternoon was spent networking with some interesting people. I found several investigative journalists who had done a lot of work on issues regarding FBI informants in criminal cases, and sovereign citizens groups. I learned some fascinating information. It was amazing to be able to talk about some of the things I’ve been learning about during my coverage of the Alaska 2-4-1 militia trial to people who were already informed, and were ready to dig into deeper levels with me over a cocktail and some great seafood. It is interactions such as these that are equally, if not more valuable than the panel discussions.

I’d been interested to see what the reaction of my fellow Netrooters would be about the Walker recall vote, and about the Obama administration. There is overriding frustration and anger that Democrats on a national level did not give more financial resources to the recall effort. Let me put it this way – I would not want to be a fundraiser for any organization whose acronym begins with the letter “D” as we move toward the election. The feelings about President Obama’s absence from Wisconsin is mixed. Some believe that if he had shown up, and the effort had been unsuccessful, he would be hurting his chances for re-election by tying himself to a sinking ship. They chalk his absence off to a political calculation. Others have no tolerance for that calculus and feel that at some point, he needs to stand up for principle, and for the unions who are the only institutions who can provide money, and boots on the ground for Democratic campaigns.

There was a life-sized cutout of Barack and Michelle Obama, and their dog Bo that some were posing in front of during the evening reception, but I didn’t see a whole lot of enthusiasm overall. Don’t get me wrong, people are ready to fight in November, but the spirit has been dampened a bit.

But, whichever side people are on regarding Obama’s involvement in Wisconsin, there is palpable discontent with his policies on civil liberties; involvement in Pakistan, Yemen, Afghanistan, etc.; the NDAA and its implications for indefinite detention; “kill lists;” and what many perceive as a complete disregard for basic rights of American citizens, due process of law; and new, unprecedented powers of the executive branch. All conversations seem to hit these topics at some point. I have seen only an occasional Obama t-shirt – a far cry from the apparel at Netroots 2008. Washington, D.C. may be hearing drums in the distance.

As the evening came, attendees gathered in the Exhibit Hall. I wandered around for a little while, checking out the booths and enjoying just taking in the energy of the room, and listening to little snippets of conversation as I passed. It’s always great to just watch people – greeting with hugs those they haven’t seen since last year, being introduced by mutual friends, embroiled in fervent conversation, and always dozens around with laptops, typing furiously.

The speakers for the evening program were top notch, and well worth checking out at netrootsnation.com when they are archived.

Providence Mayor Angel Tavares said he was “honored to welcome the greatest progressive minds in the nation” to his city. He even gave out a Twitter handle for attendees to use if they ever needed assistance while in Providence. He thanked local progressive bloggers who had helped to energize the city for the event. He addressed the crowd about the importance of the American city and the challenges faced by many urban areas, including Providence –  painful layoffs, pay cuts, pay freezes, raising taxes, closing schools. He has managed to balance the budget after having to make some difficult decisions. Collaboration with labor unions and working with progressive local assembly has put the city back on the right track, and he is confident that Providence will be America’s next great comeback city.  He expressed his gratitude to Netroots for choosing Providence, and said that the convention is expected to bring $3.5-4 million into the local economy.

Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood was next. She, of course, had much to say this year. She started off by saying that women across the nation are starting to feel like they’re living in a bad episode of Madmen.

And they listened when Glen Beck went on the air and said that only hookers go to Planned Parenthood. Apparently hundreds of thousands of non-hookers contacted Planned Parenthood with their stories. By the time it was over, “We had gained 1.5 brand new activists across the country, and they are all registered to vote. It was all because of social media that helped people learn about who we were,” she said.

Social media was also the catalyst for the incident with the Susan G. Komen Foundation, that Richards said was under a tremendous amount of pressure from the right to stop their funding of Planned Parenthood. “Komen was like an online flash mob,” said Richards. The incident raised more than $3 million by the end of the week for breast exams and health centers, and there were more than 1.3 million tweets, getting this information from friend to friend, blog to blog, and into the consciousness of the nation.  Her favorite tweet was  “Will Planned Parenthood please give Twitter back!”

“The Komen foundation reversed course, and we are working together again on what we should be – treating and reversing breast cancer for women all across the nation.”

She finished up by marveling at how social media is changing the power relationship with media in America. “You have the power of the internet and social media to transform health care for the next generation… the netroots is democratizing information. Thank you for being bold, and fearless, and believing in the power of stories and making the connections that are changing the world.”

Planned Parenthood also provided chocolate birth control packets on all the tables. “Double up and use a condom too,” Richards warned, and the room laughed.

Bill McKibben was next talking about the Canada tar sands, and the Keystone XL pipeline, another story that entered the national conversation because of the netroots. “You have doubles and dopplegangers in every corner of the planet using these tools to try to get under the skin of those who are trying to wreck this planet that we share,” he said.

“The tar sands in Canada are the second biggest pool of carbon on earth. Burn that stuff on top of everything else, and it’s game over for the planet. A year ago no one had heard of the Keystone pipeline,” he said, and explained how it was a handful of bloggers whose relentless coverage forced the story into the spotlight.  “Then 1250 people were arrested. This was the largest act of civil disobedience in 35 years. It was only the people in this room at first who were providing that groundswell.” He mentioned, in particular, MeteorBlades, Brad Johnson , RL Miller, and Linda McClure. “When we were getting arrested and no one was covering it, she was posting three or four posts a day.”

He also said that we’re not going to win this fight one pipeline at a time and urged online activists to take on the fossil fuel industry more diredctly. 350.org is launching something right now that will urge people to speak up and force government to take away subsidies the government provides to the fossil fuel industry. “It doesn’t make sense to hand over hunderds of billions to the biggest corporations on earth. People’s eyes glaze over at the mention of subsidies, so this is the perfect issue to engage the netroots.”

350.org will have a scoreboard, for every member of congress and the senate and room for people to nail them down on what their position on fossil fuel subsidies is. He urged us to call our representatives, and pin them down. “The difference with this issue is that climate change comes with a time limit,” he said, “and we are damned close. In this fight we are not radicals and extremists. We want the world like the one we were born in. The ones who work in the oil companies are the radicals. They want to chemically alter the composition of the atmosphere.”

Then we heard from Lilly Eskelson, the Vice President of the NEA, who started off as a sixth grade teacher in Utah. She was a really fantastic speaker and one of the ones you should definitely watch, particularly if you are interested in public education, and labor.

The thrust of her talk, as you can imagine, is the attempts by the right to “deregulate, defund, and privatize” education.

“We organize people who deeply, deeply care about other people. It’s our common bond. It’s why we’re in this room. And we are up against people who organize money, and thatis their common bond, and we are their enemy.  They have demonized us, and they’ve hit us with anything they’ve got.”

She cited that one in every hunderd Americans is a member of the NEA, and that this was an incredible circle of influence. She explained how ALEC is passing legislation to interrupt the collection of union dues, and that this was off the radar for most people.

“It is the organized middle class people that are a threat to the organized money of billionaires.  If they can silence us they will know they have silenced the single greatest voice.”

To be honest, I took really awful notes during her speech because I was so riveted, I couldn’t help but get carried away into the listening, and my fingers forgot to type. She ended by thanking those in the rooms and asking for our help.  “You understand words. You understand that silence will be death to our cause. Truth is our ammunition. So praise the Lord and pass the ammunition.” She left us with a final message –  Go. Fight. Win.

Next up was Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin from Wisconsin. She thanked the netroots for all their tremendous support during the Wisconsin recall election.

“I don’t need to tell you that the people in Wisconsin are pretty engaged in our democracy right now. I come with heavy heart, but with renewed resolve to remind all of us that our fight for the middle class didn’t end with the fight in Wisconsin. Tonight the corporate interests are giving themselves high 5s bec they think you  have been devided and have given up fighting for the middle class.”

She went on to talk about the importance of pressing forward, and also of economic reform.

“I am not afraid to take on Wall Street and I will take that fight to the United States Senate.” She also stated her commitment to strengthening Medicare, and not privatizing social security.

Sheldon Whitehouse, Senator from Rhode Island, and the man who announced the location of Netroots in Providence last year on the stage in Minneapolis was next.

He gave a great thank you to progressive bloggers and organizers.

“Netroots Nation brings us together to reconnect with the American dream that hard work at school and work pays off,” he said. “We must hold fast to Social Security, Medicare and Pell Grants. These are pillars of American freedom poa economic security. Big Republican interests will always seek to privatize both of these programs, but we have fought off multiple attacks.”

 “One ought not to be obstinate… unless one should. And if one should, then one should be unshakeable.”

I think that may be my new favorite quote.

Whitehouse will be working with Tammy Baldwin to pass the Buffett bill, and he is on the floor of the Senate every week, he said, to make sure the truth is told about environmental issues. His other big issue is election integrity, so you can imagine he is close to my heart.

“With Citizens United, the conservative block of the Supreme Court knocked down key components of election integrity,” he said. “SuperPACs have become the evil twins of candidates’ campaigns. They hide the identity of the funders, and can run vicious negative ads without anyone being held accountable.” This needs to change. He is pushing for the Disclose Act, so every American can know who is using those ads to get special influence. “I stand with you in defending the integrity of America’s elections. And if the supreme court won’t revisit it’s decision, let’s amend the Constitution.”

And finally, the main keynote speaker, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.

Wow. I like this guy. I really, really like him. The last time I felt like this was when I heard Brian Schweitzer speak at Netroots a couple years ago. And before that it was Elliot Spitzer. (I know….) So, basically I’m hoping that Eric Schneiderman is the Elliot Spitzer that Elliot Spitzer should have been.

“I reject the great man theory of history that gives politicians way to much credit for social progress,” he began. “They move when movements push them. I believe this is true of our friends and of our opponents. Women’s rights, civil rights,  gay rights, all began with activists, and ended with officials trying to run to the front of the parade. This is equally true of our opponents, and we have to be candid and give it up for the conservative movement over the last 30 years. This movement, not Reagan, or Gingrich or Bush that has pushed us.”

A group of attendees had moved in front of the stage with handmade signs. “Investigate the banksters!” one woman yelled out. “We’re getting to that,” smiled Schneiderman, and added,  “I appreciate you pushing elected officials. I’m no different than anyone else.”

He mentioned FDR in 1932, who after meeting with labor leaders said, “I agree with you. I want to do it. Now make me do it.”

In case we have any doubt of who is pulling the strings on the other side, Schneiderman read this quote from Grover Norquist. “We are not auditioning for a fearless leader. We don’t need a president to tell us where to go. We know where to go. We just need a president to sign this stuff.”  Sobering.

He talked a lot about transformational politics and our need to focus on long-term change.

“Transormational politics is the work we do today to make sure we get universal healthcare in 5, or 10, or 20 years that is better than what we could get if we got it today,” he explained. The greatest damage done by the modern conservative movement was the framing of the policies that led people to embrace poicis that hurt them. We should give due respect to their transformational work over the last 30 years, he said. “They have convinced millions of people that unions, the institutions that created the middle class are bad for the middle class.”

Here, I had to slam my laptop shut for a few minutes and just listen. This is another speech you don’t want to miss watching in the Netroots archives.

His job now, he said, as Attorney General, is investigating the bubble and crash in the mortgage market. He has three goals for the investigation.

1) Accountability for those whose misconduct led to the crash.

2) Meaningful help for those hurt by their misconduct.

3) To help get everything out in the open, so the other side can’t rewrite history.

And in his biggest laugh line, he stated regarding the right’s contention that unions are the cause of all our woes, “I can’t comment on an ongoing investigation, but so far we have found no evidence that teachers or cops or firefighters, or oth public employees blew up the economy.”

He finished up by talking about Occupy Wallstreet, and the Occupy movement.

“Occupy Wallstreet gave voice to political demand. There are many who never would have gone to Zucotti Park who also said, “We want accountability.” He talked about those who were out in the street in his home state, and that they were followed by labor unions, housing advocates, the Netroots, Moveon, ProgressiveChange, Credo, and many others. “Because of this outcry, you led by putting accountability back on the national agenda. It was your work I’m convinced, that led to presiden Obama’s remarks at the State of Union that there had to be one set of rules for everyone. It didn’t just happen because he got a new speechwriter, it happened because the agenda changed.”

“I am committed to the long haul,” he finished. “Thank you for pushing me, for pushing the president. The people are ahead of the politicians,” he said, indicating the crowd, “and you are ahead of both. The exposure of misconduct that you do is central to this effort.”

And with that, we walked off feeling inspired. The final event of the night was some great stand-up comedy including a hilarious performance by one of my roommates on this adventure, Lizz Winstead. (Yes, she had a busy day!)

Then, off into the night for a late dinner, and drinks with Lizz, Shannyn, John Aronno from Alaska Commons, Jason Leopold from Truthout, Dave Waldman from Daily Kos, and the Mudflats’ own Zach Roberts. Fun was had, and sleep was finally had too.  More later, but now I’m off to play catch up. I’ve missed the morning dump working on this post, but secretly I’m glad to have a few quiet moments in my room.

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