The most enduring image at YearlyKos was Markos arriving for the Teamster-sponsored reception at Chicago's McCormick Place in the passenger seat of a semi with Teamster President Hoffa.  It was evidence that the culture wars were spent and that progressive forces and advocates for working people were coming together, particularly in light of organized labor's big push to represent documented and undocumented immigrants.  What's the matter with Kansas is nearly over.  Now it is is time for all of us - and our media - to engage in reporting on the many genuine challenges facing the nation.  We know there is dread in Cableland with the end of a Democratic contest which has brought in lots of easy money.  Let's hope our new coalition can convince the media that substance can now replace the horserace - genuine articles and analysis about health care, energy policy, military preparedness, containing and defeating terrorists of every stripe, environmental concerns, infrastructure.  So much material to cover before November.  

I'm not a huge fan of the metaroots (though I suppose I've just placed myself in the meta-metaroots). In general, I think diarists who write about netroots culture by composing faux-candidate diaries or calling blog-strikes would do better to write about something that matters. This being said, while our squabbles and pie fights may not mean much in the world at large, insofar as the netroots is a community the way we comport ourselves is important.

Most of us are probably more engaged than most of the electorate, which it's self is more engaged than the general population. We are likely the largest slice of the demographic pie the talking head programs need in order to exist.

This is who we are.

Let me begin this diary with an observation. Between the two diaries I posted on Wednesday and Thursday to raise this incredible sum of money for a courageous Obama super delegate under fire, many of you had very nice things to say about me personally - my genius for organizing this effort, my devotion to our cause, how incredible I am, etc.  This was incredibly flattering, and it made me feel great.  I was flying high all day yesterday and into today.

But I need to set the record straight.  I did not raise this money for Chandler and Obama.  We did.  This is not just token humility on my part. There is a story here that requires telling, and it will shed some light on exactly how this phenomenal event took place.

OK. So now I know. This diary was erased from MYDD after two minutes, and three complimentary comments. Let it speak for itself.

Have I broken the site guidelines by writing this diary?

Before anyone tries to get this banned as a I hate MYDD diary, hold back on that reaction. It would be stupid and patently contradictory, I've been coming here for four years. Nor am I asking for more Pro-Obama diaries, or any kind of fix for the obvious pro Hillary bias of the diaries here. That's fine. She's got a large proportion of democratic voters. But I am sorely confused

I thought the principle of netroots and progressive blogosphere was that it largely regulated itself. In fact I'm told as much in trusted user guidelines. Rec'ing, rating, were all means by which the community patrolled itself. Dissent, debate, argument, reason - these were the core tenets of it's break from the MSM and would lead to a rejuvenation of freedom of speech.

Rec this diary if - notwithstanding your candidate or none - you want to find out if that's still true

Please do not spend all of your money on Obama or Clinton. We have a huge opportunity to be competitive in many senate races this year, and edge our way to a 60 Seat iron clad majority.

Follow me below to pitch your favorite netroot Senate candidate!

I know, I'm trying to train the trained, but maybe you know someone who'd be able to use this kind of help, because...

This Saturday, I will be working with an absolutely amazing group of bloggers. We will be providing a workshop on E-Activism and Blogging and yes, it has a very labor slant at the DC Democratic State Convention at the University of the District of Columbia.


Space is limited!!

So Use This Link and SIGN UP NOW!!

Now, you know anyone in DC who'd benefit from this, please, send it to them.  Know any union members who'd like to put their voice out there but are afraid, have them come out and talk to us! We want to hear their voices!!

(Cross posted here from Communion of Dreams.  Because while it has nothing to do with the details of the current election, it has everything to do with what this site is about: participation in our democracy.  I thought a long Sunday meditation might be welcome.

JD)

G'day from Australia!

You may have seen my comments from time to time, but this is my first diary, so please be gentle with me - also I'm looking after my sick 4yo son today (nothing serious I hope, just messy) so I'll be brief - and probably a bit distracted...

As well as being a keen Obamaniac, I'm also an occasional volunteer for a progressive Australian netroots organisation GetUp! which is active in campaigning on a number of progressive issues, including improved health care and education for Aboriginal Australians, and redressing the injustice of past governments towards them. I'm ashamed to say that the Australian government was still removing Aboriginal children from their parents to be raised by white Australians, or in church orphanages, as recently as the 1960's. The pain, social dislocation, and economic disadvantage this has caused can't be underestimated. As you can imagine, white Australia still has a lot to make up for.

As part of a new campaign, and inspired by will.i.am's amazing Yes We Can, a group of Australian artists has released an incredible music video of their own.

Wanna see it??

It's time for Hillary to go.

Yes I know she won,  by ten points even, but there's a King Pyrrhus of Epirus on line one who'd like a word with her about her "victory".

She won, But she won Ugly.  Consider what the New York Times (who ENDORSED Hillary) had to say today:Consider what the New York Times (who ENDORSED Hillary) had to say today

The Pennsylvania campaign, was even meaner, more vacuous, more desperate, and more filled with pandering than the.. contests that preceded it.

...it is demeaning the political process; and it does not work. It is past time for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton to acknowledge that the negativity, for which she is mostly responsible, does nothing but harm to her, her opponent, her party and the 2008 election.

ouch.  

And as Andrew Sullivan points out today since March 18th she's won all her "firewall" states and only managed a net increase of 5 delegates

so she needs to go.  But she doesn't go. so how do we make her go? Like this:

We just got back from the road and our tours' fourth day.  Traveling home in the rain on our RV was a little slow tonight, but we made it back to Bellefonte safely.  

Today included canvassing in State College for Bill, a house party in Johnsonburg and another in Emporium with supporters that included Cameron County Democratic Party Chair, Zach Hause, State Committee Member Mike Fragale and County Commissioner Phil Jones among others.  The Emporium event was held at the Pizza Palace Plus which is an award winning pizza shop.  You have to go if you are in town.  It is a must.  We will have photos on our tour page soon as usual.

It has become clear to most people that Obama will be the Democratic nominee. Ever since his chances went from merely "good" to "almost certain" attacks from both Clinton and the Republican party have become more desperate and disturbing. Most recently, by emphasizing his ties to the "Weathermen" and his radical-sounding pastor, the new thrust of the attack has taken on this form:

"Obama is a Marxist Communist and his supporters are out-of-touch elitist atheist  un-American radicals."

As DJShay pointed out in the recent diary titled Chuck Todd: Powerful ObamaNation we, the Netroots, have  made a real impact on the traditional media  with our outspoken reaction to the debacle ABC called a debate. Yes, we shook them up and they have started to take notice.  

The ABC News mailbox has probably already melted from angry e-mails about the questions' tit-for-tat focus. They concerned the gaffes and track-backs that we political elites obsess over but that inflame people who have ready access to e-mail and demand the candidates talk about substance.

-John Dickerson
Slate.com

Yesterday, I participate in a forum at my school at the University of Florida and I had a chance to ask Bob Graham a few questions afterwards. First, we had two knowledgeable participants: the former strategist for John Edwards, Joe Trippi, and Matt Bai, a journalist for the New York Times. The conversation centered on the role of the internet in this election cycle. Joe Trippi talked glowingly about the Dean’s revolution and was in awe at the Obama campaign.

I apologize. I have offended, insulted, attacked, and shown anger and (ahem) bitterness towards our brothers and sisters. Even though Obama was NOT my first choice, (Edwards and Biden were tied for that spot) he has been my choice over time. Not because he hails from my state of Illinois, but because I truly believe that without drastic, serious, thoughtful change,  on topics and issues we face now and in the immediate future, we are doomed. I scoffed at the idea of 35 years of experience of change, claiming that she would represent nothing more than 35 years of the same old, same old, but with the batter-fried hatred that the Clintons tend to bring with them. (from others and directed to their enemies, both)

Back to my apology. I smiled when the heaviest Clinton supporters boycotted this place. That was a mistake, and it is time to rectify it.

People, we are stronger with you, than without you. Please accept my abject, sincere, and honest apologies for the insults, the casting of aspersions, the retelling of times, events and positions that angered me about Hillary. It is not that I take it back; that is impossible in a digital world, absent a good programmer, a worm, and a hell of a lot more coding knowledge than I possess.

I know a lot of us here at Daily Kos and the rest of the blogosphere feel like we're talking in an echo chamber and our voices never really get heard outside of our own small bubble. But take heart, the media is listening as well as Super Delegates. From First Read

As many have noticed to different degrees, there is a bit of an economic crisis going on. Between the drastically falling -- after drastically appreciating -- house prices, the bad loans related to "securitization" and the domino effect of that ill-conceived mix playing out into the greater economy on the one hand, and the rising cost of commodities (aka resources) and falling dollar on the other hand, we have a whole range of financial issues in between that have been destabilizing financial security in America and beyond.

Some financial analysts are now saying the worst of all this is behind us, others are saying the worst is yet to come.  Ironically they are both right.  I want to give thanks to the netroots media for facilitating a shift in this story that was going to be all bad news, but now has a potentially happy ending.

The news has been particularly good to young voters and the netroots and grassroots this week... which scares me, cause its rare.  Last week was the snafu by the Washington Post and everybody got on board questioning the validity of Catherine Rampell's cherry picked stats and inaccurate conclusions (including me).  But this week has been unbelievable in response to the constant battle we have been fighting on recognizing the importance of young voters and the validity of the netroots.