As promised, I want to make the powerpoint slides available to everyone for future reference. Here are the materials we all worked from.

My slides on monetizing your blog, including companies to work for and resources to watch:

Monetizing and Marketing Your Progressive Blog

George Nassar's (from Texas Blue) slides on analytics and search engine optimization for your blog:

Monetizing and Marketing Your Progressive Blog Part 2

Monetizing and Marketing Your Progressive Blog Part 3

Josh and my slides with tips for success on Digg and Reddit:

Using Social Media to Grow Your Blogs Community Part 2

I hope to add Cheryl Contee's (from Jack and Jill Politics) slides as soon as I get them.

To all who were able to attend, thanks for coming! I hope these slides prove a useful resource.

We've put together a video on this concept. It's funny (we think!), but the issues we're talking about are deadly serious. Check it out:

The analogy is apt. Insurance companies make up the rules as they go along, maximizing their profit along the way. As demonstrated in Melody Townsel's case, this system defies logic and leads to chaos, with hard working people left behind. This system is broken - it needs to change.

(also posted at the NOW! blog)

You heard that right. Townsel's insurance company declined to cover her daughter's hospital bills because of her daughter's "attempted suicide." Her daughter was two years old. Only after five appeals did Townsel force her insurance company to provide the coverage she deserved from the start.

It doesn't take much to realize the silliness of the insurance company's argument. These kinds of stories - more common than many realize - illustrate how badly our health care system is broken. Insurance companies have an incentive to deny coverage and boost their profits whenever they can, even if their reasoning defies logic. Though the insurance industry claims it's in the business of making people healthy, they routinely deny coverage at every turn. And it's all perfectly legal and acceptable.

This is wrong.

Hard working people in America should have a right to health care, health care that covers their illnesses and doesn't make excuses to boost profits. Quality, affordable health care should be a right in America. That's what Health Care for America Now is fighting for. With your help, we'll make stories like Townsel's a thing of the past.

(also posted at the NOW! blog)

Of course, given the power of online activists these days, the media is out in force. CSPAN even brought their bus! 

Peter Slutsky and I will be breaking out our video camera this afternoon and asking folks here to share their health care stories, just like so many of you have online. We expect to post some video for everyone to enjoy later this afternoon.

(also posted at the NOW! blog)

We've also had a chance to sample some Texas BBQ:

Looks delicious, right?

Next up on the agenda: passing out Health Care for America Now stickers, attending health care panels, and more BBQ. Stay tuned for more updates! 

(Also posted at the NOW! blog)

While down in Austin, Josh and I are speaking on a few panels:

Marketing and Monetizing Your Progressive Blog
FRI, 07/18/2008 - 3:00PM, Room 18C

Bloggers are frequently stumped by two things: how to get their blogs noticed and build a consistent readership, and how to make money from their blogs. In this panel discussion, bloggers will discuss various marketing strategies and internal marketing tools; using social networking to boost, engage and create synergy with your readership; and monetizing your blog.

PANELISTS: Karl-Thomas Musselman, George Nassar, Jason Rosenbaum, AJ Schuler, Psy D
 

…and…

Using Online Social Techniques To Build Your Blog’s Community 
SAT, 07/19/2008 - 10:30AM, Room 18D

Getting your blog in front of new visitors can be a challenge. Using new online social techniques as well as old-fashioned outreach can help! Discover hands-on techniques that allow you to join the blogosphere conversation, leverage traffic from social news sites like Digg and Reddit and put your blog in front of thousands of potential visitors. Learn how to build your own online community from a panel of bloggers who have worked on their own blogs; for non-profits; and for state, congressional and presidential campaigns.

PANELISTS: Josh Nelson, Matt Browner Hamlin, Jason Rosenbaum, Cheryl Contee

Plus, we're co-hosting a party!

GET YER AUSTIN ON: NETROOTS NATION

A book party sponsored by AlterNet, Jim Hightower & Living Liberally

Sat., 7/19: 5-8pm

Black & Tan: 405 E. 7th St @ Trinity St just 3 blocks from the Convention Center

Hosted by: Don Hazen, AlterNet * Atrios * Joshua Holland, AlterNet * Digby * Justin Krebs, LivingLiberally * Deanna Zandt * Wendy Cohen, Participant Media * Amanda Marcotte, Pandagon * Baratunde /Jack and Cheryl/Jill, Jack 'n' Jill Politics * Jeffrey Feldman, Frameshop * Calitics * Square State * Blue Jersey * The Albany Project * Jason Rosenbaum, Josh Nelson, Nirmal Mankani, The Seminal

Free local brew, blue margaritas and light snacks to be served. Meet Jim Hightower, Rory O'Connor and Steven Rosenfeld — with special guest, Donna Edwards! Plus, it'll be a big schmooze-fest!

It's going to be a ton of fun! We hope to see you all there!

Last time we tried to pass such a plan, we failed. The timeline of the 1993-1994 health care fight are instructive, and worth reading in their entirety, but these two points I feel get to the heart of the mistakes that were made, via PBS:

November 1, 1993 - Hillary Clinton launches a scathing attack against the insurance industry to counter the highly damaging "Harry and Louise" ads. She accuses the industry of greed and deliberately lying about the reform plan in order to protect its profits. She specifically denounces the ads' claim that the Clinton plan "limits choice." Rarely, if ever, has a First Lady publicly attacked any American industry or industry group — and certainly never in such strong language and in such a furious manner. Her assault makes front-page newspaper stories, network TV news shows, and calls more attention to HIAA's role and message.

The success of HIAA ads give an immense boost to the organization's fund-raising. In the space of a few weeks, the budget for the campaign expands fivefold from $4 million to $20 million. In the end, HIAA raises and spends about $30 million more than its normal annual operating budget of $20 million — a grand total of almost $50 million to the lobbying effort. The money HIAA accumulates for the fight pays not only for the Harry and Louise ads but also for a grassroots campaign that dwarfs anything the interest group has ever done. The effort produces more than four hundred fifty thousand contacts with Congress — phone calls, visits, or letters -almost a thousand to every member of the House and Senate.

…

June 1994 - HIAA brings back its "Harry and Louise" campaign for another month's run, this time targeting provisions in the Clinton plan that will impose backup controls on health care spending and require standard premiums for all those insured. At the same time, HIAA — in a blatantly cynical move — runs a print ad that appears only in Washington and is obviously intended to be conciliatory to the playmakers of the capital. The ad emphasizes HIAA's support for universal health care coverage and insurance reform. Pro-reform groups fight back but are badly out spent. The DNC, for example, announces a one-week, $150,000 ad campaign, ostensibly designed to produce phone calls to Congress demanding "the real thing" in reform. But the DNC buys time only on Washington, D.C., stations — not in the grassroots, where it counts.

Last time we fought for health care, we were out-gunned by the insurance industry.

They spent $50 million - that's almost $0.25 for every man, woman, and child living in America at the time - to protect their bottom lines. And indeed, they have been hugely successful. Since Bill Clinton's health care plan was defeated in 1994, the insurance industry has reaped tremendous and increasing profits, with profit margins and revenues increasing markedly in recent years. Insurance company CEOs earn multi-million dollar salaries. Health insurance company administrative costs are more expensive than anywhere else in the world. Americans pay over $50 billion per year to the health insurance industry to pay for their advertising, or as Ezra Klein puts it, "…in other words, we're paying more than $50 billion dollars so insurers can convince us we need care and then figure out how to deny those of us who'll actually use it. That's some added value."

The insurance industry has a huge incentive to protect these lucrative profits, even at the expense of the American people. In the years since Clinton's health care plan fizzled, health care costs have doubled and millions are either uninsured or underinsured. Yet, insurance companies keep raking in money hand over fist, and once again they are prepared to spend millions to protect their corrupt and inefficient business model.

This time, we won't be stopped.

Health Care for America Now is prepared to battle the insurance industry. We will spend $40 million to promote affordable, quality health care for all that includes a public plan, and we will make sure this time, when the insurance industry tries to persuade America that health care for all is a bad idea, we will be there to counteract their spin. 

More importantly, we've learned from past organizational mistakes, too. We will have a nation-wide grassroots presence, organizing people on the ground to pressure their elected officials to stand up for health care as a fundamental right. This will not be a Washington-centric campaign. When the insurance industry tries to target voters all over the country, we will be there, on the ground, fighting back.

The fact that Health Care for America Now has the money and the grassroots organizing capability to really tangle with the insurance industry is what makes me so excited about my new position. We're asking America, "Which side are you on?" When they tell us that they are on the side of quality, affordable health care for all - as hundreds (now thousands) already have - we'll be there to make sure their voices are heard.

This time, we're going to win.

(cross posted at the HCAN blog)

Last week we asked you if questions about John McCain's military service should be openly discussed. An overwhelming 91% said yes. I agree.

This week, we want to know if any of you will be attending Netroots Nation in Austin. Let us know if you're coming, and if you are, make sure you find one of us and introduce yourself! Voting begins now in the sidebar at the left.

"Graham has a view of government which is that government is the enemy, not a friend," Reid said in an interview this afternoon withCongressionalVideo.com. "And, obviously from his comments, he now believes the American people are not his friend either, and he has a low view of the American people. Thinks they're a bunch of whiners."

In fact, Reid said, "every segment of our economy is in deep trouble. Deep trouble. We have the housing market, which is falling apart. We have gas prices which are astronomical, people can't even afford to drive to work in many instances."

The Senate Majority Leader saved some of his powder for his colleague from Arizona. "You tie that in with what McCain has said, that he doesn't understand the economy…and he's relying on someone who says that the economy is in good shape and the Americans are a bunch of whiners. We should all worry about the Republican nominee."

Click through and watch the video, it's great! Go Reid!

Barack Obama is considering picking Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) as his vice president, in a move that could calm rocky waters with the Democratic candidate's progressive base.

Obama's campaign has asked Dodd to turn over information as part of its VP vetting process, theAssociated Press reported Friday.

"There's been some inquiries, yeah," Dodd said. "They ask for a lot of stuff. I'll leave it there."

It wouldn't excuse Obama's bad vote on FISA, and his flip-flopping on the filibuster issue, but it would be a step in the right direction. More importantly, Dodd is an upstanding Senator, someone who loudly uses his platform to fight for change right now. That's why I endorsed him for President. 

And hey, he stood in the Senate for 10 hours, speaking out against FISA. He's been a tireless champion of the issue. It would be wonderful to have a voice like that on board the ticket.

Another interesting point, Chris Dodd has a lot of experience. Now, I've argued before that Obama doesn't need experience to win in November. He's fought the change vs. experience battle with Clinton and he won. So, he has to be very careful picking someone for the VP slot "with experience," as the wrong kind of experience would undermine his entire message. Basically, Obama can't pick an "insider," a corrupt Washington politician, as his vice president.

Chris Dodd, however, might be the right kind of experience for an Obama ticket. He's been in the Senate forever, but he has a reputation - stoked during his presidential bid and after - of being a staunch advocate of his principles. That might be just the thing Obama needs.

Personally, having Dodd on the ticket would make me ecstatic. I hope it happens.