Election night was the culmination of months, and sometimes years of effort, to elect progressive candidates. Now that the votes are counted, how do we translate the enthusiasm of the 2008 campaign volunteers into advocating and working for progressive policies at the state and national level?
Explore this topic at the first ever Netroots Nation in Your Neighborhood. It’s everything you love about the annual national conference--insightful panels, networking opportunities and fascinating presentations--all in a handy, local, one-day package.
WHEN
Saturday, February 28, 2009
9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Panels and Presentations
5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Drinking Liberally Happy Hour
WHERE
Doubletree Hotel Denver-North
(Next to the Westminster Center Park ‘n Ride)
8773 Yates Drive
Westminster, CO 80031
Google map to location
Thank you to our host committee members:
ProgressNow Colorado
Square State
Colorado Independent
AM 760
Drinking Liberally
Colorado Media Matters
Public News Service
NDN
Colorado AFL-CIO
AGENDA
9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.
Panel I: How Blue Can We Go? Promoting the Progressive Agenda in Colorado
Colorado is reaching toward a new progressive agenda, especially with regard to alternative energy production. But it also faces special challenges (e.g., strength of oil and gas industry, budget pressures). Where are the other opportunities? Panelists will consider possible champions of progressive legislation in the State Legislature in 2009 and suggest ways we can help. Panelists will also consider strategies for progressive activists in confronting disappointment with the Democrats we worked to elect.
Panelists:
Alice Madden, Former Colorado House Majority Leader, currently Colorado Climate Change Coordinator
Tom Plant, Director of Colorado Governor's Energy Office
Todd Saliman, Director of Colorado Office of State Budget and Planning
Moderator: Adam Kretz of Colorado Fiscal Policy and Law Institute
11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Panel II: What’s My Assignment? Keeping Activists Interested
No more canvassing, no more calls. Now that the election is over, that doesn't mean we hang up our hats. There's still plenty to do, including making sure those we helped get into office do what we expect them to do. Leaders of several online, social, service and direct action-oriented organizations will discuss how to stay involved--and step it up a notch.
Panelists:
Dusti Gurule, Latina Initiative
Erin Egan, Democrats Work/ProgressNow
John Erhardt, Drinking Liberally and Square State
Jessica Wittmer, Founder of Boulder Grassroots for Obama
Moderator: Steve Fenberg, New Era Colorado
EXHIBIT AREA OPENS AT NOON
LUNCH 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.
Keynote Presentation: Rep. Jared Polis on how members of Congress can reach out to the netroots and work with them to advance progressive legislation. Speech followed by workshops lead by Rep. Polis and State Senator Morgan Carroll.
Before Keynote, Mary Rickles from Netroots Nation will speak on progressive coalitions and infrastructure.
Please Note: the Doubletree does not allow outside food to be brought into meeting rooms. Those who want to eat lunch should purchase a boxed lunch.
2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Panel III: Today's Media--What's it Good For?
Much of the reason for the rise of the progressive blogosphere is the failings of the traditional media. Major stories are now uncovered by bloggers, while news departments in major and local daily papers are cut. What's happening to our fourth estate and what can we do about it?
Panelists:
Mike Littwin, Rocky Mountain News/Denver Post
Lark Corbeil, Founder/Managing Editor Public News Service
Wendy Norris, Colorado Independent
Bill Menezes, Colorado Media Matters
3:45 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Panel IV: Governing as Progressives and Taking Over the Democratic Party (and a strategy for own Blue Dogs)
Barack Obama, a liberal-leaning centrist Democrat was elected with the energetic support of progressive activists. President Obama may be in a position to redefine the political center in just the way that Franklin Roosevelt did. Innovative and effective policies may come to constitute the norm, as they did during the New Deal. But it’s up to us to make sure that the key features of a progressive Presidency are accomplished, especially since the President may be reluctant to do so.
What is the progressive agenda for this Presidency? We need to end the unnecessary, self-defeating war in Iraq, a war despised by two-thirds of the American people. We need to restore civil rights protections for all Americans. We need to restore Americans' expectations of transparency and honesty about government policies. We need to bring along overly-cautious Democratic leaders. We need to speak out on economic policies that support working Americans as well as advocate for the establishment of a national health care plan. And we need to insist on real accountability--for Wall Street thieves, for war criminals and for abusive CEOs.
Panelists:
Mike Lux, CEO of Progressive Strategies and author of "The Progressive Revolution"
Adam Green, Co-Founder, Progressive Change Campaign Committee
Arshad Hasan, Democracy for America
Darcy Burner, Former Democratic nominee for US Representative from Washington's 8th District
Mike Cerbo, Executive Director, Colorado AFL-CIO
5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Drinking Liberally Happy Hour (and a half)
