Netroots Nation

'No, I mean their mega-consultants -- not my mega-consultants who also happen to be theirs.'

On Winning, Life Inside Congress & Lessons From Bill Clinton

U.S. Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Fort Washington)

On Saturday, July 19, U.S. Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Fort Washington) traveled to Austin, Texas to finally speak in person with those who were among the first to listen to her and a message that would oust an entrenched incumbent less than two years later.

Edwards was the keynote speaker at ‘Netroots Nation,’ a gathering formerly known as YearlyKos, based off the popular progressive blog, DailyKos.com. Netroots Nation is an annual gathering of the left-of-center online political community and attracts a ‘who’s who’ of Democratic politics. Former Vice President Al Gore and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) also addressed the gathering in person, while U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) addressed the conference by a taped message.

But few Party leaders have the stature Edwards maintains in that community. Like 2004 presidential candidate Howard Dean and 2006 U.S. Senate candidate Ned Lamont before her, she became an online icon for her ability to channel the power of the Internet into boots-on-the-ground action.

State Sen. John Boccieri (D-New Middletown) is speaking today at Netroots Nation, in a forum on "How Veterans are Changing the Face of Military Policy." Here is the Live Feed of the event.

Fourth district U.S. Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Fort Washington), the newest member of Congress, will deliver the keynote address at the 'Netroots Nation' conference in Austin, Texas on the evening of July 19.

Netroots Nation, formerly known as 'Yearly Kos,' began in 2006 as a conference for left-of-center political activists, many of whom frequented the website DailyKos.com. It's sponsor list reads as a 'who's who' of progressive interests and organizations.

The event will include dozens of caucuses and workshops for activists. Other speakers include House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean, blogger Markos Moulitsas, activist Van Jones and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman.