One of the perks of being in person at an event like the Big Tent and the DNC Convention in general is getting access to some really cool events you can't get to anywhere else.  No, I'm not talking about the after-parties; those actually tend to be fairly lame, imho.  I'm talking about the really informative morning and afternoon sessions where activists have the opportunity to learn things you can't get elsewhere.

Today, the New Leaders Council (not in any way affiliated with the odious DLC) put together a lunch meeting where a pollster from DemocracyCorps (Greenberg) presented for the first time their latest Mountain West polling data, just made available here on their site (PDF only).  It's an awesome wealth of material that confirms what most of us DFH bloggers have been saying for a long time: Obama is our best candidate with great coattails; there is no "Hispanic" problem; the best way to win swing voters is to play to progressive strengths; and John McCain has a serious uphill road to hew in the Mountain West.

There's more...

Enough is enough. In my short political life, I have gained an incredible amount of enlightenment. There are entities that will do everything in order to maintain their power, even at the expense of democracy. Why?

It is quite simple: the string pullers think they have the intellectual corner on what is best for our country, my country. They will block funding, media, and do what ever they can to keep our voices silent. One area they have not controlled is here in the blogoshere.

Like many of you, I am mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it any more! I made a pledge in Washington less than a week ago, a pledge to back my band of brothers. I will not try to talk Maj. Hackett back to political life, but I will share my experience in how the party works in recruiting and dismissing possible candidates.

There's more...