Yes, the base matters: Pelosi to speak at Netroots Nation

[Enrique]

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2010/07/yes_the_base_matters_pelosi_to.html

Yes, the base matters: Pelosi to speak at Netroots Nation

Good news: I'm told that Nancy Pelosi will be heading out to Las Vegas to speak at Netroots Nation next week.

Here's why this is important: Now that Harry Reid has also agreed to attend, for the first time, the leaders of both the House and Senate Dems will be making the pilgrimage together to the netroots gathering in the same year.

There's been a ton of chatter, much of it justified, that the Dem establishment in D.C. and the White House has largely taken the Dem base for granted since 2008. But the fact that Pelosi and Reid are attending Netroots Nation at the same time signals a recognition that the online Dem base will play a critical role in Dem efforts to hold the House and Senate.

Also: In another sign the Dem establishment is taking steps to demonstrate seriousness about the base, the executive directors of the DNC (Jennifer O'Malley Dillon), the DCCC (Jon Vogel) and the DSCC (J.B. Poersch) will also attend a Netroots Nation panel discussion.

There have been some pretty severe tensions between the Beltway Dem establishment and the netroots of late, most visibily in the wake of the Pennsylvania and Arkansas Senate primaries. One can only hope that the trip of high profile establishment Dems to Netroots Nation is more than a mere gesture and signals a serious and sustained effort to patch things up and to speak to the base in advance of this fall's elections.

[northoftheborder]

1. Pelosi/netroots

Pelosi spoke two years (or was it three, my how time flies) ago at the Netroots Nation conference. She was very deft at not answering questions. Back then, questions about impeachment, and investigations of the Bush Adm. were at the top of the list of questions.

[T Wolf]

2. I anticipate no more than pretty words and no action from these "leaders." They are hoping

that a photo op flyover will placate "the base" enough to open the checkbooks and engage the ground troops in another election cycle.

Let them prove their intentions by actually doing something.

Then they can ask for support from the people they have ignored, cursed at, and abused for the last umpteen years.

Until I see some real progress in the liberal direction, mere words will not change my mind about them or their intentions.

[xchrom]

3. Attending and making the legislative process matter or

Window dressing.

Proof is in the pudding.

Both in the voting booth and in the bills passed
in the house and senate.

[Enrique]

4. gotta be fair to the House

they passed some good shit this session. Robust public option, remember that? It passed the House. The House version of the stimulus had $100 billion more than the one that passed, and more of it was in stimulus spending instead of tax cuts.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

5. The US Senate, where good ideas go to die. nt

[xchrom]

6. Yeah - I can't disagree with that. Nt

[no limit]

7. The netroots only matter during an election year. The rest of the time they are pissed on

[Enrique]

8. kick

for Pelosi and Reid, who need support as well.

[GOTV]

9. THey're showing to give y'all an ego boost - don't expect better legislation though

Attending is easy. Passing legislation which benefits the nation over wealthy contributors is hard.