Wow! That’s the best way to describe my experience at Netroots Nation.
You asked tough questions. You showcased your amazing talents. And you gave me a reception that I will never forget.
I enjoyed seeing people like Martin Weinberg (@progressiveelec), who was one of the first bloggers to start spreading the word about our campaign almost a year ago. I had great conversations with people like Nicole Sandler (@nicolesandler), who came to #nn10 despite a broken foot, and wanted to talk about how we can win this election; or the women who joined me for a roundtable, like Minnesota’s @robinmarty, who blogged about it here. I was glad to meet Markos Moulitsas (@markos) and talk about what makes my campaign different – and how we will finally defeat Michele Bachmann. And my campaign staff will tell you how thrilled I was to meet the quilting bloggers (as an avid quilter myself!) and thank them for their promise to quilt for our campaign, too.
There were thousands more of you who stopped by to say hello or tweeted your support while we were there, like @gottalaff, @larrydhalsted, @joesudbay, @RRPartnersgov, @csamuels, @derekjohnson, @zerlinam, and too many others to list.
And, I was honored to join you in making care packages for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Your focus on giving back to the community is what makes you true leaders.
Thanks to all of you for an inspiring day, and I look forward to welcoming you to my home state of Minnesota for #nn11! With lots of hard work and your support, I hope to be there as the newly elected Congresswoman from Minnesota’s 6th District.
You’re going to play a pivotal role in this election. For the past few years, you’ve made sure that Michele Bachmann is held accountable for her words and deeds. We’ve seen in just the past few days how critical your work is, when on Friday Congresswoman Bachmann said that, should the GOP take over the House in November, “all we should do is issue subpoenas and have one hearing after another.”
But you and I know what Congresswoman Bachmann clearly doesn’t: that the American people need results, not more partisanship. They need a real representative who is going to be a part of finishing the work we’ve only just begun: creating jobs, ensuring affordable health care, and bringing an end to the special interests that continue to have a stronghold in Washington – through mouthpieces like Congresswoman Bachmann.
So while I need you to continue to hold Congresswoman Bachmann accountable, more than that, I need you to help me win. At #nn10, the challenge was put before you: we have less than 100 days to ensure we keep moving our country forward.
President Obama got it right in his video address to #nn10: “change comes from the grassroots up.” We’ve built an incredible grassroots campaign: more than 24,000 donors; thousands of volunteers who knocked on 4,000 doors in just eight hours last weekend alone. We’ve got the campaign to win, and less than 100 days to get the job done.
Even though I returned to Minnesota tired after a long day and then evening with you at the House of Blues, I am more energized than ever about our campaign and the grassroots network we have built – in the district and across the Internet. I hope you’ll continue to be a part of it.
So, thanks to Raven Brooks (@ravenb), Nolan Treadway (@nolan) and the entire Netroots Nation team – and to all of you – for putting together a great gathering and engaging in an important conversation. So, let’s continue the conversation here, and let’s get to work on that victory on November 2nd!