Even Bush is sick of the Iraq fiasco...he has been mumbling about pulling out troops and about a "time horizon"...yes, "HORIZON," not a timeline, for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq. Don't know about you, but I have never heard anyone talk about "time horizons" before. Makes me think of an event horizon around a black hole...which is an ominous comparison.

Remember, though, Bush's shifting to withdrawal is not by any choice of his. The Iraq government has told him in no uncertain terms that we have outlived our welcome and they do not want us there permanently.

We always hear or read about the horrible trial lawyers.  In fact, last week in the Houston Chronicle we saw another op-ed by the chairman of  Texans for Lawsuit Reform.

Barbara Ann Radnofsky, 2006 TX Dem nominee for U.S. Senate, wrote a responseto the article that has been published in the Sunday edition of the Houston Chronicle.  Barbara Ann is a Houston attorney who has been listed in "Best Lawyers in America" for each of the past 15 years.

Barbara Ann's Op-Ed:  Lawyers We Should Really Fear

For months bloggers and reporters have been digging into the truly bizarre and high profile activities one Walid Shoebat, a professed ex-Palestinian terrorist who has been presented as an expert on Islam and on terrorism at government and other high level conferences.

The problem is that his story doesn't add up, and there is not only no  independent corroboration for any of it, but there is a great deal of public skepticism, even from members of his own family.  He claims to be using a pseudonym because terrorists are out to get him, when in fact Walid Shoebat is his real name. All that, plus he is a messianic Christian Zionist and pseudoscholar who has recently claimed that Muslims are agends of the anti-Christ.

It's a pretty nice city. I've barely explored it, but had a lot of fun exploring the State Capitol and the Hyde Park Area. If you're ever anywhere near Avenue B Grocery Store, you should definitely go there. The guy sells Mexican cokes, my favorite soda, and they're the kind that doesn't have high fructose syrup in them.

Update:  Both of us will be at Nancy Pelosi's speech this morning.  Keep an eye out for us!  Thanks! And Stay Wolfy!

Hello everyone from Austin! This is my first diary since I have been a user here on KOS, so I ask kindly of you to be easy on me!

I am a local Austin resident so the thrills of Austin are everyday things for myself and my partner BlackWoof.  But I see just how excited everyone is for just being in our great city.  Austin welcomes everyone and I hope everyone attending Netroots Nation is having a great time while here.

But this diary is not about Austin per-se.  It is about Netroots Nation and how everyone from everywhere has come together in a friendly and professional, but fun-loving way.

[Cross-posted at The Left Coaster.]

07/18/08 1457.31 cst
Austin, Texas

Given a very handy 2-hour head start from the Pacific time zone I have suddenly made myself into a Night Person for Netroots Nation, staying up well past midnight, but unfortunately I still snap awake with the dawn, so I’m burning some reserves here, something I’ll likely being doing all day and night.

I’m having a wonderful time here at the Hilton, it is so very good to see all these great writers I have known in the screens all these years.  As I was waiting for this morning’s panel to start a nice woman moved past my aisle seat and settled in.  "All right, Lady," I growled jokingly as stuff was put down, pleasant smiles all around.  We chatted a few moments and then she opened her laptop, and there was The Left Coaster in the screen.

I just finished my second panel at Netroots Nation here in Austin, where I was joined by fellow veterans who are running for office this fall. It's been thrilling to meet with Texas voters, grassroots activists, and online organizers who I haven't seen since last year's exciting convention in Chicago. Last night, General Wesley Clark and DNC Chairman Howard Dean gave great speeches and fired up the troops to take our country back. Soon afterwards, over 1000 people celebrated with us at our Netroots Nation Party a few blocks away - it was a great night!

Like last year, I've met hundreds of activists from across the country who are concerned about the direction our country has taken under George W. Bush and John Cornyn's failed leadership. So I'm not sure what John Cornyn was talking about yesterday when his campaign sent out a fundraising email attacking our community, saying that "Rick Noriega and his far left-wing blogger cronies are out of touch with Texas values."

I so wanted to be with everyone at Netroots Nation and get the chance to meet and speak with so many of the wonderful folks here whom I read your posts several time daily.

My mother was in a terrible accident, so I have had to instead hit the road to go and be with her. I always feel like I am in a strange and unknown country whenever I have to leave Austin and head to other areas of Texas now.

Anyway, I hope Net Roots is a huge and wonderful success and that you enjoy our fun and beautiful blue oasis in a sea of red, even with the even hotter than usual weather. A few thoughts for leisure time below.

Although I live in Paris much of the year, I'm originally from Texas, and my "home of record" for voting is Waco, Texas.  You would be hard-pressed to find a more conservative bastion, deep in the "heart of Texas."  It's one of those places where there are churches on nearly every corner - it gives you the impression that there are almost as many churches as there are church-goers.

Our oldest daughter lives there, an ex-Marine who has voted Republican most of her adult life.  I knew there was a glimmer of hope when she and her husband (also an ex-Marine) both voted and caucused for Obama in March.

I firmly believe there's a good chance for Obama to take Texas.

"Yearly Kos" changed its name to "Netroots Nation" to, as I understand it, reflect that the many gains made for Progressives and Democrats in recent years have been greatly assisted by internet-driven activity.  Citizen journalism, online activism, lefty blogging.  Call it whatever you want, but nowhere is it more organized and I'd say, effective at the state level than here in Texas.

I look at their success and, like a little kid looking at his pal's tricked out new bicycle, find myself asking "How do I get one of those?"

(Cross Posted to UN Dispatch)

TheInternational Court of Justice (sometimes called the World Court--and not to be confused with the International Criminal Court) is a forum where United Nations member states can hash out legal disputes in a neutral setting.   The cases can range from the somewhat banal (like a dispute between Ukraine and Romania over Black Sea maritime rights) to the highly contentious (like Bosnia accusing Serbia of committing genocide in the 1990s).  

One of the more contentious cases before the court is Mexico's action against the United States to stay the execution of Mexican nationals being held on death row.

If you are in Austin for Netroots Nation, you are invited to stop by the coffee shop and hang out and participate in the fun and joy that is live blogging...

...and/or get properly sworn in as a deputized registrar as we help turn Texas blue(bluer/blue-ier) as thoroughly described in casperr's Vote for Change at Netroots Nation -- you know you want to! diary.

here are the event specs, compliments of my.barackobama.com...

We're at the Hilton Hotel Lobby Coffee Shop*,  (500 E. 4th Street) already (3PM CST) and getting geared up for deputization and training, and heading out to register new Texas Democrats!  The plan is to finish up at 6:00. If you want to join us later in the afternoon, drop a message here.

We're treating this as live news coverage! Offer support to the team! Or just give us some cheers and yays and woots woots! It's all good.

Besides, what beats live-blogging? :)

To everyone lucky enough to be in Austin this week for the convention, another event has been added to the calendar. DNC Chairman Howard Dean will begin a nationwide voter registration drive with a rally at Netroots Nation to be held Thursday at 12:00, directly across from the convention center.

This is the kickoff event for Register for Change, a cross country bus tour designed to "build on the overwhelming enthusiasm and voter turnout seen during the primaries" and is a part of "the 50-state strategy and Senator Obama's commitment to running a 50 state campaign."

From Texas, the tour heads to New Orleans - a city that experienced the failings of Republican leadership in Washington firsthand - and then to Shreveport and Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Hattiesburg and Jackson, Mississippi. The second swing, July 25-26, will make stops in North Carolina and Georgia - two untraditional battleground states where voter registration efforts will help lead Barack Obama to victory in November. The tour will hit states in every part of the country, culminating in a swing through the Midwest on its way to the Democratic Convention in Denver.

And if you have any problem finding the rally, just look for the bus...

Update: For those of you who were wondering, yes, it is a bio-diesel bus.

Hi all,

Your Netroots Nation moms caucus hostess here to remind you that our meeting is actually offsite at a family-friendly restaurant and some divine ice cream next door.

The meeting is open to everyone, including non-parents and locals not registered for the conference. I hope to see as many of you there:

When: Thursday, July 17
Time: 1:30 p.m.
Where: Phil's Ice House, 5620 Burnet Road, Austin
Who: All are invited!!!

If you are attending the conference, a group of us plan to meet in front of the convention center at 1:15 p.m. sharp to figure out rides.

See you Thursday!

Last week wind energy executive Michael Skelly (D, TX-7) announced that he has $1 million cash on hand and was ready to give incumbent John Culberson (R) a real fight for Western Harris County.

This week Skelly released his first TV ad.

Take the jump, and watch this 30 second ad.

As you probably know by now, Howard Dean kicks off a Democratic Party Voter Registration Blitz across the South starting this week in --ironically-- Crawford, Texas.

This is a great opportunity to show all naysayers that Dr. Dean's 50 State Strategy was the right prescription for Democratic Party success.

Hey, y’all. Netroots Nation is upon us, and I wanted to offer an early welcome to Austin, the Democratic capital of Texas. We’re so excited to have you all coming down to convene in this crucial election year. I hope some of this information helps you settle in and enjoy your trip!

Here’s what I’ll cover in this diary:

• Fun Parties and Events at Netroots Nation
• Food, Nightlife, and Tourism
• Airport Transportation and Getting Around Austin
• Other Austin Resources

Before you join us here in Austin, join me down below!

I take special pride in writing this post because the topic is about two organizations that I have worked for and together, have been incredibly successful. So indulge me. -kt

Democratic Senate nominee Rick Noriega passed the $1,000,000 mark yesterday in funds raised and processed online through the online fundraising powerhouse, ActBlue.com. That now makes him the #1 largest (non-presidential) online fundraiser with ActBlue since its inception. In fact, Noreiga alone is responsible for 1.75% of all funded raised through ActBlue, ever. And with 11,200 donors he has one of the most diverse and largest contributer pools of any candidate.

That's all to say, that even without many people's blessing, support, or full on assistance to take back Texas, Rick Noriega and his team are proving that a draft started by the Texas Netroots has resulted in a very real broad based effort to change the direction of our state.

That's very real and Sen. Cornyn better come to terms with it.