I'm writing this diary to drum up bids for our Netroots Nation Online Auction (which you should all go click on and bid on every item).
But I wanted to use this diary to talk about two people who have presented at Netroots Nation, that announced their candidacy for elected office this week. Join me over the jump!
If you were in Las Vegas last year for NN10, you probably saw Elizabeth Warren give one of the best talks of the weekend, she shared with us her Progressive Economic Vision for the US (video here). And unless you've been under a rock this week, you know that she is going to take that progressive economic vision for our country to the United States Senate! Her vision is one that we attempt to elevate as part of the work of Netroots Nation -- a vision of the United States where consumers are protected from being outwitted by unscrupulous corporations and where our government fights to level the playing field for working people, not for the rich and powerful.
And if you were in Las Vegas in 2006 for YearlyKos, you might have attended a training given by Jefferson Smith, who at the time was founding a brilliant Portland-based organization, The Bus Project. The Bus Project is a political organization that engages young people and, since it's founding, has been a model of organizing youth across the country (and has spread beyond Oregon to Washington state, Montana, Colorado). We were lucky to have him back again in 2009, sitting on a panel about organizing and reaching young people.
And he joined us again in 2010 and 2011, this time he as Oregon State Representative Jefferson Smith (D-Portland). And this week Jefferson Smith announced he's running for mayor of Portland next year. If you're not familiar with Jefferson Smith, I encourage you to watch his recent TEDx talk on democracy, which is brilliant, entertaining and insightful. And if you want to see a great leader fire up big crowd, check out his opening remarks at a rally to elect Oregon Gov Kitzhaber, which was headlined by President Obama. Jefferson is smart, progressive and effective.
I'm very proud that we count these great leaders as members of our Netroots Nation family. We put on a convention and do work throughout the year, but the point of it all is to help move our country toward a more fair system and one based on respect and equal opportunity. Rep. Smith and Professor Warren embody those ideals and we hope they continue to do so in the future.
And now on to (just some of) the auction items:
Get your hands on a copy of the new book We Are Wisconsin autographed by the editor Erica Sagrans. The book documents all the great actions in Wisconsin this year and has sections authored by lots of great Netroots voices, including Chris Bowers.
Here's something you might not know: Rep. Raul Grijalva doodles when he concentrates. Sometimes, he shares his doodles with us. And this doodle can be yours!
How about a nice leather ipad case?
And my Pub Quiz team - Shock and Awesome - even put together a donation, which is a home beer making kit!
Maybe you're yearning for the heady times of 2009 when Rep. Sestak challenged Sen. Specter in the Democratic primary? I sense you probably are. You should go bid on this combo pack including both a Specter t-shirt and Sestak t-shirt.
Maybe you would prefer to spend your time in the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party, why not bid on lunch with Gov. Howard Dean?
So come on over and bid on all the great stuff and support Netroots Nation while you're doing it!