Live Streaming Now from Netroots Nation; Wesley Clark followed by Howard Dean

[Tom Rinaldo]

This is the opening night, and it is streaming live from Austin Texas. Brandon Freidman from VotVets.Org is on now, and he's about to introduce General Clark. Here is the link:

http://www.netrootsnation.org/

[Tom Rinaldo]

1. Clark is on now. n/t

[Adelante]

2. "You have been an important part of my life"

:cry:

[Tom Rinaldo]

3. Some of what he is saying

"I'll tell you my story. It's a long sad story of saying things that get taken and used by other people.

The times of London called and they asked me to publish an Op-Ed piece on whether Hussein is a threat. My wife came in and sbe asked my what I was doing and I said, I'm working on this Op-Ed piece about Iraq, and she said "please don't do this. If you go up against the Pentagon the Democrats will want to use it and you will get drawn into partisan politics. Do you really have to do that? And I said yes."

"You've given me hope and encouragement. You made it possible for me to run for President, and I'm not saying it was the greateest run, but we accomplished something. We even won a state...

...but that gave me a voice and it went on from there, and we started "StopIranWar.com" and it's still there and now President Bush has a representative meeting with Iranians, and you helped make that happen..."

[Tom Rinaldo]

4. About the "controversy" over his comments on McCain:

"A blogger told me that it was all a media set up to take you down, but you stood up for me, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart".

[Adelante]

5. Netroots Nation

He uses "we" as a netroots nation.

[Tom Rinaldo]

9. Now he is asking the teachers in the audiance, and the health care workiers

...and now the public defence lawyers, and the police and the fire fighters, and now the community organizers in the room, will you stand up and be acknowledged. And now I want to ackknowledge the veterans and the active military, stand up please....

Finally about the netroots activists and bloggers:

"You are like the keel on the ship of state, you are like the compass on the bridge. You are our moral compass speaking out. We have needed you for so long, and we need you now."

[Tom Rinaldo]

6. About the economy

"You understand about the economy that it isn't about giving more pay and perks to CEO's, but about helping the people who make America work". It isn't about giving tax breaks to the richest corporation in America...

...every American has a right to Healtgh Care, and we are united in demanding that it be provided...


...you understand that the most powerful elements of our power are our values, and what we believe in, and you understand that we can not succeed in the world if we compromise our values by torturing people and denying them rights in Gitmo..."




Now he is asking all those in the Netroots Nation audiance who are running for office this year to stand up and be acknowledged, and he salutes them.

[Adelante]

7. Asks teachers to stand up and be recognized

Teachers, medical workers, lawyers, police and fire fighters, community organizers.

[Adelante]

8. We needed you for so long in this country

To activists.

[Tom Rinaldo]

10. I know he really means it too. n/t

[Adelante]

11. You have been given voices - you're on the Internet

People read across party lines.

[Tom Rinaldo]

12. "What you say is very important. People read it, and believe it or not...

...people read it across party lines. Someone came up to me at a fundraiser the other day, a Republican who was switching parties, and he did it because there are different ideas in the Democratic PArty. And you provide those ideas..."


...You are our moral compass. Our cpountry needs you, we need you now, more than at any other time in our history. We need change. We have a candidate for President who I believe can make that change"

[NCarolinawoman]

13. Thanks.

Why is this making me sad?
:(

[Adelante]

14. OMG, I've been crying the whole time nt

[Tom Rinaldo]

17. Yeah. He honestly and truly believes in us. US.

He believes in what we are doing, right here right now on places like Democratic Underground. He's gone to these conferences three years in a row because he thinks WE are critical to democracy. We need more leaders like Wes Clark.

[grantcart]

15. did I miss him?

[Tom Rinaldo]

16. Yes, but Howard Dean is being introduced right now n/t

[Tom Rinaldo]

18. Theme of Dean intro: "Empowered by Howard" n/t

[Tom Rinaldo]

19. Both Clark and Dean were VERY warmly welcomed to the podium by the crowd n/t

[Tom Rinaldo]

20. "Crawford Texas is going to be seeing some changes..."

It's going to become a retirement community".

[Adelante]

23. Are you having trouble with the sound?

I've been straining to hear.

[Tom Rinaldo]

27. Yes. It is horrible

I'm missing a lot. Now he is talking about the importance of the Presidential race. Harkens back to JFK's victory which was a wave of the future won through a very close race. Thinks this will be close also, but Obama is the man to change 30 years of devisiveness in America and bring healing and bring change.

[Adelante]

21. Crawford a retirement community for Dick Cheney

Howard :D

[Tom Rinaldo]

22. Yeah, and he suggested McCain could retire there too. n/t

[Tom Rinaldo]

24. "If it were not for Netroots Nation w e would not have a majority in the House of Representatives"

And Dean thanks the netroots for our support of him becoming DNC Chari also.

[Adelante]

25. America needs to heal again nt

[Adelante]

26. Compares to 1960s

JFK v Nixon

[Dinger]

28. K & R

[Tom Rinaldo]

29. Dean: "I want to thank Senator Obama"

"He has fully embraced the 50 state strategy. And he took everything that we did with the internet and increased it ten fold. "

[Adelante]

30. woOT

Barack Obama is owned by nobody but the American people. $68 a donor.

[Tom Rinaldo]

32. I have to log off now to attend to our sick cat :( n/t

[Adelante]

33. Good night, Tom nt

[Tom Rinaldo]

31. Dean thanks both Obama and Clinton for the participation they inspired

"More Democrats voted in the Texas Primary than voted in the 2004 Genereal Election. Texas is back"

Now he is praising the younger generation and what they are doing to take back our nation.

[Fleshdancer]

34. must resist urge to stalklikeacrazywoman!!!!

My lovely town just got a little sexier tonight. :D

[Tinksrival]

37. Why Gloria, what ever do you mean?

I do declare! Someone is smitten with our progressive duo.


...

Wish I was there!

[Adelante]

35. Barack Obama will restore the moral authority of the US nt

[Adelante]

36. A live blogger

LIVE from Austin: Opening keynote

UPDATE II: Brandon Friedman, filling in for Jon Soltz, has just taken the stage to introduce General Wesley Clark.

"I know I speak for thousands of other veterans when I say that General Clark has truly led the way," Brandon said, adding, "General Clark can go toe to toe with anyone when it comes to foreign policy."

UPDATE III: General Clark is now speaking.

"You've been a major force in my life," Clark said, praising attendees. Recounting how he became involved in opposing the invasion of Iraq, he credited the netroots with getting him involved and drawing him in, adding later, "You've given me hope and inspiration in this complex and difficult American political system. You've done that. You made it possible for me to run for office."

"This is a great community because it stands for principles," Clark declared, noting the netroots is also diverse. "You're united by your passion for good government that takes America in the direction it must go."

"If you want to see how significant we are, look at how many members of this community are running for office," Clark noted, asking all candidates present to stand and be recognized. He went on to recognize teachers, healthcare workers, public service defenders, first responders, service members, and veterans.

"You are the guiding compass for America. It's a very serious responsibility," Clark said solemnly to attendees. "Our country needs you. Needs you now. More, probably, than at any other time in recent history."

Donations, votes, and entertainments, are all important, Clark said, but in the end, most important of all in the fight to restore America is ideas - which the netroots community can ably articulate. "You're leaders, so let's move America forward together," Clark said, concluding his remarks.

http://www.nwprogressive.org/weblog/2008/07/live-from-austin-opening-keynote.html

Also, apparently, Wes had a gathering in his room beforehand :)

We watched the sun set over Texas Hill Country with retired Gen. Wesley Clark, in his top-floor hotel suite, and discussed Afghanistan.

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/204544.php

[Overseas]

38. I can't even get it to stream live. So sad.