It's Wednesday morning, and I have packed my bags for a long flight to Pittsburgh to attend Netroots Nation.  It will be my third year going as a blogger from Beyond Chron - but my first as a speaker.  Evan Coren, who parlayed his blog activism to win a seat on the City Council in Columbia, Maryland has recruited me for a panel discussion on Friday afternoon called Local Blogs: Covering City and County Government and Empowering Activism.  We will be joined by panelists from Philadelphia, Chicago and New Orleans - for a superb line-up of bloggers who play a key role in their local governments.  The following is my story about covering San Francisco politics ...

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There are a growing number of grassroots blogs around the country by Edwards supporters dedicated to generating support for and connecting supporters of John Edwards.  I happen to partcipate in one, along with a number of other Democrats in Boston.

I know I probably am not even aware of many of them but I took a sampling of the ones I found (made easy thanks to Google reader) After the break here's some of the best stuff I found from the last week.

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Aftertig of Blue Mass Group wants to organize a group of MA bloggers to become delegates at the Democratic National Convention next year.  

From Afterig's Diary:

When I think of all the MA netroots have done in the past few years, I'm amazed. Blue Mass Group, sco, TER, Left in Lowell, LeftAhead, Dick Howe, beyond495, and so many others have been a vital part of the political conversation here in Massachusetts. Together, we were a force in getting Governor Patrick elected; we've done fantastic analysis that you cannot get in the mainstream media; we've paid attention to races that have gone unnoticed; we've had strong and vigorous debates on almost every public policy issue; and we've liveblogged everything from committee hearings to rallies to canvasses. The Editors of BMG and the creators of other blogs have made spaces where ordinary citizens can have their voices heard. Even more important than that (I think) is that everybody who posts and comments -- the regulars and the new comers--make up a real community. We maintain our spaces and thrive.

This proposal is ambitious but that's what I like about it.  Community Blogs are a perfect opportunity for progressives to organize and have an impact on politics from their local precinct all the way up to the DNC.  Ever since YearlyKos I've made the effort to read local blogs from other states more often.  I see the amount of organizing and mobilizing that goes on and I can understand why Republicans are so afraid of us, and so keen to marginalize State and local sites.  

How are bloggers organizing in your state?  And what's the next step?

Lately I've been thinking about information and it's relationship to political activism on the Internet.  Fifteen years after first logging on I am still amazed by how much information is available to me on the the Internet and how well organized most of it is.  But what really blows my mind are how many ways I have to share information with others and organize around it.  Usenet, blogs, YouTube, Wiki, podcasts, listserv; there are so many tools available to users and the potential within each one seems endless.

The vast array of tools can also present a problem for political activists.  Try as we might no one can utilize everything.  At the same time everyone has their own preferred way of receiving information.  I often run into this hurdle when I want to get the word out about an issue or campaign locally.  My first instinct is of course to blog, but not everyone I know reads the blogs.  Some people will read a link if you email it to them, others will want text.  And I have a few people who rarely check their email but will happily read anything printed out and passed around at a meeting.  While I recognize the importance of getting the word out to as many people as possible after awhile the effort can become tiresome.

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Thanks to Chris Bowers for giving me this opportunity and to the MyDD community for being so welcoming. Some of you may know me as CGG which was my old name here for commenting.

Yesterday was one of the craziest days I've experienced in Connecticut Politics, and believe me with last year's Senate race I've witnessed some serious political craziness.  First, Lou DeLuca The Republican State Senate minority leader, was arrested, and charged with conspiracy to commit threatening.  The arrest was the result of a longtime investigation into mob influence on the State's trash hauling industry.  Then, late last night, after two years of essentially doing nothing about energy, the CT House overwhelmingly passed an energy bill compromise that probably won't do anything to lower our sky high electric rates.

As I'm following both of these stories, my new gig here at MyDD is always on my mind.  What should my first post be about? How do I balence work at both blogs, especially when so much is going on here at home?

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