The Daddy of All Netroots? Well…
July 19th, 2008 at 8:23 am
The buzz at Saturday morning’s Netroots Convention had attendees stacked up outside Exhibit Hall 4 like sheep in the chute. The 8:30 time slot was scheduled for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s “Ask the Speaker” presentation, but rumors of a “special guest” had been circulating since check-in. Is it Al Gore? Are Netrooters in for an inevitably self-deprecating “My name is Al Gore and I invented the Internet” joke? Almost half an hour past the session’s scheduled start, there was still no clue on the empty stage.
At ten after 9 a moderator came on stage to explain the event, and to announce that any disruptions of the forum would be dealt with harshly and immediately, with removal from the hall and confiscation of badges. Then she congratulated Pelosi for embracing a new technology “so she could be closer to her people.” (What an unfortunate choice of words).
Texas Congressman Lloyd Doggett introduces Pelosi. Doggett salutes the netrooters for providing inspiration and for demanding accountability, for their role not just as participants in the debate, but as actors and drivers of that debate. Doggett gets in a good line namechecking former Texas Congressman Maury Maverick, “a genuine Teas maverick, not the strange sort of pseudo-maverick running for president this year,” before checking off Pelosi’s relatively modest accomplishments.
And then Pelosi comes on stage to well-warned applause. Acknowledging that the relationship is sometimes stormy, she says “I hope that spirit continues throughout this program.” We shall see.
