Liveblogging "Ask the Speaker"

In the interest of finish my trip without having any unpleasant chats or encounters with security personnel, I have decided to take a seat in the back half of the room and observe and listen, and keep my damned mouth shut.

Whoa - Speaker Pelosi has agreed to accept an extended question session - but any disruptions and the program stops and the jackboots take our credentials and throw us out. Since Harold Ford got heckled, I can understand, but Harold Ford needs heckled - and there is a case to be made for heckling Pelosi, too, even though I won't engage in such activity.


9:05 Lloyd Doggett, local favorite and Democratic Congressman from Austin is kicking things off. I maybe shouldn't say this, but we could let him talk till 11:00 and I wouldn't be disappointed...

9:18 - She is taking the stage. I am neither standing nor clapping. But she does look fabulous. She is lauding Lloyd Doggett for his dedication to the Constitution - I think she could use a lesson or two from him in that regard.

9:25 - she knows everyone is tired of war - so why doesn't she do something about it? Oy - now she is quoting Hannah Arendt. I could hurl.

9:27 - it's all the 'publicans fault. Who knew they had the majority?

9:28 - First question is about Inherent Contempt and why is impeachment off the table still? "Given that the constitution calls for impeachment if high crimes or misdemeanors have been committed, and the current president has flouted constitutionally mandated checks and balances, why is impeachment off the table? How do you intend to not give him free reign if you remove one of the only constitutionally given ways of limiting a president's abuse of his authority?"

Um, I didn't hear much of an answer....

9:32 - Telecom Immunity - why did you fuckers cave??? She says she went to the House to protect civil liberties? She blames the Senate and the blue dogs, like that miserable PoS and bitter disappointment, Claire "Bond Girl" McCaskill. I see a trend emerging in her answers...it's the Senate's fault. It is always the Senate's fault. We passed a bill that wasn't as bad as theirs. Pathetic.

9:40 - She keeps repeating that it's only 107 days 'til the election (Impeachment could happen tomorrow, however, and we every one damned well know it.)

9:49 - Is a GM bailout coming? She doesn't think so, and instead of addressing the question she is yammering about how she got CAFE standards raised.

9:53 - A question on healthcare. Abstinence only wastes money, will you take steps to correct this misguided idiocy? "Yes." Abstinence only is not just bad policy, it is dangerous. Mindful of the health of young women. "So why are abstinence only earmarks holding their own?" We need more pro-choice congressmembers.

9:56 - back to telecoms...Article I Section 8...founders had in mind keeping us in touch with one another...can congress step in and put broadband access on a par with the post office? Communication and transportation used to be the same thing. Universal Broadband is a Democratic goal. Everyone needs to be connected.

10:01 - Why are soldiers forced to beg for care packages that contain toothpaste, protein bars and tampons - things that our government isn't providing for the troops in the field? "It isn't right but it is emblematic of other needs that aren't being met." WTF??? "Debt of gratitude" blah, blah blah. Just DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. What is so hard to understand about that???

10:06 - Now I will stand and clap and stop snarling - Al Gore is on the stage.

10:14 - Okay, I am listening with rapt attention. More later...

10:20 - you can play along at home...stream it here.

10:30 - Questions: Would you accept a position in an Obama administration? Meat causes more emissions than cars. What should we do? West VA and mountaintop removal? Telecom immunity?

He is honored by the idea that we want him in th Obama administration, but he doesn't think that is how his talents will be best utilized. He is concerned with the climate. (He better hurry up with the answers, I am almost out of battery power...) Meat intensity is a problem for the environment. Mountaintop mining is an attrocity and an outrage. It is part and parcel of the same dysfunctional energy policies of this country. The idea of coal fueling our cars is insane...stream it, he explains why...

Out of battery. More later...

Howdy from Austin, Y'all

I am having a blast - and I took a little time to do what you are supposed to do when you're in Austin: I went with Kevin Drum to slam down some barbeque in Lockheart then I called up a local friend and we went to Antones and drank some Shiner Bock and listened to some really loud music, and then we went to some of his friends houses and hung out, and now I have a few more friends in Austin. That's how things are supposed to work, you see.

And if you don't have friends in Austin, you gotta get some. Carolyn wasn't at home, she is on the road - but the furry little red monster was available, and I gotta say thanks to his wife for letting him come out and play. That was really cool, and I really appreciate it. Because she is so cool and let him hang out with me, I have three new friends who were all involved with the kick-ass movie project I have been breathless over since one o'clock this morning when the DVD ended and I finally regained the ability to speak.

I have really been enjoying the conference. It was great to get to talk face to face with Wesley Clark and to shake Don Siegelman's hand and congratulate him on his freedom, and hear him thank us in return for our efforts on his behalf. It was nice to get to hug Darcy Burner and tell her in person how sorry I am about the fire that destroyed her house and how relieved I am that everyone escaped the fire unharmed. And it broke my fucking heart that the military issues panels were sparsely attended. What the fuck? People are dying over lies and oil - and the military issues panels are full...of empty chairs? It's all I can do to not break down and sob.

Lots of pictures after the jump...



GENERAL Wesley Clark addressing the crowd on Thursday night

Dr. Howard Dean, addressing that same crowd.

This mornings "Taking the Hill" panel - a panel dedicated to veterans running for office.
For this one, a few people showed up.
I got to talk to Lt.C. Andrew Horne, which was a great honor.


The Milblogging panel - all those empty chairs really pissed me off - on a visceral level.

My new friends, and the subjects of Faith of the Abomination.


A class on Segue riding. Seriously. Don't think there is much threat
to the challenge to "Keep Austin Weird."


Nuno's - the last real Blues bar in Austin.



Signed guitars on display at Nuno's - everyones tastes satisfied...one Fender, one Gibson.

Yes, if they came in and you are sitting here, you will have to leave the table, and if you protest, you can leave the damned bar - a very large bouncer who answers to Tank will see to it.

This is NOT Roger Naber - but he sure as hell looks like they could be related. I took the pic because he is wearing a shirt very similar to one my husband has, except the Flying V's are at an angle and they are red, rather than up-and-down and patterned.

And the house band - this fine gentleman playing the blues - and doing so quite spectacularly - gave me a pic to lay at the base of the Stevie Ray Vaughn statue tomorrow - an act my husband has informed me must be carried out lest I not bother coming home. As I miss him horribly and want to return to his warm embrace, that will be done tomorrow - and documented appropriately.

And I am beat - I'm turning in and getting some rest - Tomorrow morning, it's Nancy Pelosi, and I have a question or three...and tomorrow we go back to Lockheart for more barbeque, and tomorrow night is my last chance at the bats, and I promised trex bats, and I'm a woman of my word...so my last day full day in Austin (I leave Sunday morning) is going to be pretty busy.

I will blog as time permits...

Thursday Quick Hits - Blue Girl Made it to Austin!

Or did she??? Oh, I'm such a worrywart!

The rest of this week I'm joining 2000+ of my fellow bloggers, political workers, and technology addicts in Austin Texas at the annual Netroots Nation conference. As a Democracy for America Scholarship winner I was given the ultimate gift of a free ticket to the conference, free hotel room (shared with the unbelievable blogger BlueGirlRedState) and was graciously given a free airline ticket by kind soul/donor Denise.

This is good news--the train ride from hell is likely over. What do you want to bet she never, ever rides another train ever again, unless it's light rail with an escape hatch?

I'd do the quick hits, but I'm just so overwhelmed right now, I have to go sit down and genuflect with relief...I honestly thought we were going to have a broken arrow situation.

--WS

I did make it and i am in the scholarship winners caucus right now, and heading off to a Dean rally in a few. I'll keep you all posted and try to blog something this afternoon.

Thanks all - details will be forthcoming on the railcar to hell...

Thank you everyone! I'm going to Austin!

The winners have been announced, and I was one of 'em! For everyone who supported me, I am ever so grateful. This is a great opportunity and I am just overwhelmed!

The Netroots Nation convention will take place from July 17-20 at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas. Now I am scraping and scrounging to stretch my reduced income to cover the train ticket and the week I will be unavailable to take shifts when the agency calls - and in the summer months there is no substitute teaching to be done.

In light of the scholarship win, we are adjusting our summer fundraising schedule. Instead of our normal month-of-August fundraiser, we are going to go ahead and appeal for donations now, over the next two weeks...and if the response is like it was in January, we'll call it early and skip August all together - we aren't greedy bastards - we'll quit when we hit our goal.

Thanks again for all your support. You are why we do what we do.

~~BG