Claimer: this diary is associated with a candidate and campaign!
As many of you know, I'm managing the campaign of Ron Shepston, whom you've long known as CanYouBeAngryAndStillDream, in California's 42nd District. Ron, along with me and hekebolos, are traveling to Chicago tomorrow to attend a "Boot Camp" for Democratic Congressional candidates. If Ron wasn't running for Congress and the three of us all happened to be in Chicago at the same time, we might try to arrange a meetup with local Kosters. But since Ron is running for Congress, we're doing something even better than that: we're arranging a joint meetup with IL-10 candidate Dan Seals and his supporters for Thursday evening at 8:00 p.m. (Thanks to Jerry 101, to whose diary that links, for doing the heavy organizational lifting on this one!)
That's right: you'll meet two progressive netroots-friendly Democratic candidates for the price of one!
Details below:
We will be meeting from 8:00 p.m. until who-knows o'clock on Thursday at:
Goose Island Brewpub
1800 N. Clybourn
Chicago, IL 60614
alivingston has announced that a liveblog diary will be posted at 8 p.m. tomorrow.
Stealing liberally (now there's a good name for a comedy group!) from Jerry 101's diary:
Goose Island is conveniently located at the intersection of Clybourn and Willow, just a block north of North Avenue (it's close to the Whole Foods Shopping Center), just a short walk from the North and Clybourn Red Line stop, near the Kennedy Expressway, conveniently located near North Avenue, Sheffield, Halsted, and Clybourn bus routes.
And, there is parking on site! But don't drink and drive! Goose Island is the microbrewery that makes the beverages of the same name, so the refreshments will be top-notch.
But, best of all, Goose Island has free WiFi!! So bring those laptops! We'll be live-blogging, and turning this event into a blog-raiser type event!
We have a room reserved, although if a group that is willing to pay ponies up the money, they will take priority. It would cost us $150 to retain the room in that case, and I have personally pledged $75 of that. Otherwise, we'll have to make due with the general bar/restaurant area. Although, if I recall, the general bar/restaurant area is quite large.
Commenters in Jerry 101's diary have discussed the relative merits of taking the Red and Brown lines to the menu, about which I have nothing useful to offer beyond the link.
Some people have asked why we're not having events in other parts of Chicago, and the answer is: we're willing to! Ron will be in the area until late Sunday afternoon, so as it stands Saturday night, Sunday morning, and early Sunday afternoon are free. If you'd like to organize a weekend meetup in Chicagoland -- with another Democratic candidate or figure, with Studs Terkel if you know him, with another prominent Chicagoan, or just with friends from the netroots and local grassroots, it would be our honor to be an excuse for a get-together, east, west, north, south, or central. Just contact me via e-mail so we can set things up!
We'll look forward to meeting all of you Thursday night and perhaps on the weekend! Please RSVP in comments (like Elise has) letting us know the likelihood that you'll be there!