Netroots Nation Friday: Young Turks, Specter & Sestak, Shepard Fairey, Howard Dean, & More (PHOTOS)

[Hissyspit]

Friday at the Netroots Nation conference and the highlight was the fun, informal talk with Cenk Uygur of Young Turks that eventing, but I began the day with the keynote talks with Sen. Arlen Specter and Congressman Joe Sestak. After that, we took a break to visit the Andy Warhol Museum across the river. Artist Shepard Fairey, who created the iconic Obama 'Hope' image, and his crew have been creating murals around Pittsburgh. Here they are seen putting the finishing touches on one across the street from the Warhol museum in Pittsburgh. More about this can be read here.



C-Span has apparently been covering the keynote addresses pretty well on one of their channels. You might check for when they are being repeated.



The panels with Specter and Sestak (who is challenging Specter in Pennsylvania for the senatorial seat) were moderated by Susie Madrak of Suburban Guerilla. She speaks here with the Wall Street Journal's John Fund.



Arlen Specter hangs up the phone after leaving a message for Sen. Chuck Grassley concerning Grassley's misrepresentations (lies) about health care reform. The whole story is in this previous thread.



Joe Sestak speaks about health care reform and his daughter, who had a tumor, the treatment of which is covered by Tricare because of his military service. "I want all Americans to have" this kind of coverage, he told the audience. He made an impassioned plea to get rid of Don't Ask Don't Tell, saying we need to end it this year.



Media and audience at the keynote addresses.



The view of downtown Pittsburgh from my hotel room. I believe the railway station in the center, now an Amtrak station?, was built in the 1950s. I to tend to like the look of cities that aren't laid out in a perpendicularly grid fashion.



The ACLU in the house for the convention exhibit hall, set up between the Democracy For America and Media Matters booth.



DUer Proud2bLibKansan speaks with Sam Seder at the DFA Howard Dean reception Friday evening.



Firedoglake founder and activist Jane Hamsher helps to introduce former Vermont governor and presidential candidate Howard Dean at the reception.



Dean spoke to the gathered DFA members at the reception. He said "the public option IS the compromise. We've already compromised."

"The public option is the last shred of reform in this bill. Don't give us a phony bill." Who's fault is it if health care reform does not pass, he asked the crowd. Ours. "Why are we phonebanking all the time, why aren't we knocking on doors? That's how we got Obama elected. We have power."

In his book 'Howard Dean's Prescription for Real Healthcare Reform' there is a section on myths concerning health care reform. He told us the one myth they didn't address is the myth of "death panels" "because we couldn't image they would go this far.



Cenk Uygur of Young Turks spoke informally to a crowd of fifty of us Friday evening. I will post more about what he said later today.



Edited by Admin t remove a picture at Hissyspit's request -- EarlG

[gblady]

1. great pics...

love the one of Cenk...
looking forward to the rest of the story.

[PatSeg]

2. K&R

[starroute]

3. That railroad station is way older than the 1950's, though

The 50's were the triumph of modernism. Nothing that ornate could possibly have been built then...

On checking Wikipedia, it turns out to have been built in 1898-1903 by Daniel Burnham, considered the leading architect of the day. That makes a lot more sense.

[Hissyspit]

4. Thanks. I meant to say it was renovated in 1950 as they put the interstate.

YouR info is a lot more interesting, though!

[ihavenobias]

5. K & R, thanks for the updates!

I haven't been to one of those since it was here in Chicago a couple of years ago. Figures it came to Austin a couple of months after I visited last year.

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. There was dirt in those pots today when I walked by

Remind me to throw some at you for picking such a great picture of me to post here in your thread. :(

[babylonsister]

7. Rec'd. Thanks, Hissy! Great of you, too, to keep us informed!

:thumbsup:

[MagickMuffin]

8. I checked the C-Span schedule, it is not airing, but if you want to catch RW convention

they are airing it a few times :puke:

[bleever]

9. Jane Hamsher looks good in that picture.

I hope she's doing well.

Have a great time!

[Hissyspit]

10. She's really nice. I didn't get a chance to ask her how she's doing.

[krkaufman]

11. Thanks for posting this.

Tweaks my envy gene.