On C-Span2 Now: Campaign for America's Future Annual Conference.Howard Dean will be speaking later.

[flpoljunkie]

From NBC's First Read:

Today’s prominent speakers include Biden economic adviser Jared Bernstein, Organizing for America's Mitch Stewart, Howard Dean, and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis. And here are some of today’s more notable panels: The Economy: OMG!; Progressives in the Age of Obama; Kick Them When They’re Down? How the Right Plans to Come Back and What Can Be Done about It; and the Grand Inquest: Torture, Presidential Abuse and Accountability.

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/06/01/1948701.aspx

[flpoljunkie]

1. Campaign for America's Future website

http://www.ourfuture.org/

[SharonRB]

2. Wish I could have gone again this year

Just couldn't justify spending the money. It was great last year.

[flpoljunkie]

3. Have never been. Katrina Vanden Heuvel is speaking now.

[flpoljunkie]

4. Anna Berger, from Unity'09, lighting a fire. She's on Obama's Economic Recovery Advisory Board.

Her point is that we must push our members of Congress to pass healthcare reform and other progressive measures because the other side has not given up and is led by the Chamber of Commerce.

[flpoljunkie]

5. More on Unity '09

Unity '09: Dem groups quietly align
By: Ben Smith

March 14, 2009

A broad coalition of left-leaning groups is quietly closing ranks into a new coalition, "Unity '09," aimed at helping President Barack Obama push his agenda through Congress.

Conceived at a New York meeting before the November election, two Democrats familiar with the planning said, Unity '09 will draw together money and grassroots organizations to pressure lawmakers in their home states to back White House legislation and other progressive causes.

The online-based MoveOn.org is a central player in the nascent organization, but other groups involved in planning Unity '09 span a broad spectrum of interests, from the American Civil Liberties Union to the National Council of La Raza to Planned Parenthood, as well as labor unions and environmental groups.

The group is still in its early stages, and its organizers have adopted a secretive posture: Several of the people involved did not respond to emails over the last two days, even though one of them, former MoveOn executive director Eli Pariser, has programmed his MoveOn email account to assure correspondents that he is using the account for messages "including Unity '09 work."

People familiar with the planning said that the White House is not directly involved in the group's formation, though Unity '09's main day-to-day staffer, Aaron Pickrell, was a senior aide on Obama's presidential campaign. Aides to Obama and to Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel didn't respond to inquiries about whether they were familiar with the group.

Unity '09 comes at a time of increasing coordination on the left, including an effort this week by the Democratic National Committee, Obama's grassroots network and other groups to defend Obama's budget and attack the GOP as obstructionists.

But Unity '09 is setting a broader, and longer-term agenda, aiming to exert grassroots pressure on lawmakers in their home states over the next several years on the entire spectrum of political issues.

more...

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0309/20008.html

[flpoljunkie]

6. Ilyse Hogue, MoveOn Communications Director, very impressive. MoveOn member of Unity'09, as well.

[flpoljunkie]

7. Howard Dean will be on the 4:20PM panel: Signature Battle: Affordable Health Care for All

Complete Schedule Link: http://now2009.confabb.com/conferences/82401-americas-future-now/sessions

4:20 PM
Ends: 5:30 PM

Signature Battle: Affordable Health Care for All

Plenary - America's Future Now Regency Ballroom

Gov. Howard Dean
Roger Hickey
Dr. Salomeh Keyhani
William McNary
Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis

[flpoljunkie]

11. Healthcare Panel has begun. Hilda Solis speaking.

Go to: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/americasfuture

Look for the BlogTalk Radio player.

[JimWis]

8. I was just watching it. Very impressive. Like President Obama

said, we have to change this country from the bottom up.

[flpoljunkie]

9. Absolutely, real change comes from the bottom up. Obama cannot effect change without Congress, and

we must nudge Congress to do the right thing for the American people-putting the public interest before their special interests and their lobbyists/Congressional fundraisers.

[flpoljunkie]

10. Complete schedule link below. 3PM: Kick Them When They Are Down? How the Right Plans to Come Back

http://now2009.confabb.com/conferences/82401-americas-future-now/sessions

3:00 PM

Ends: 4:10 PM

Kick Them When they are Down? How the Right Plans to Come Back and What can be Done About It.

America's Future Now

Thomas Frank
Rick Perlstein
Sara Robinson
James Rucker

3:00 PM
Ends: 4:10 PM

Under Water: Addressing the Housing Crisis

America's Future Now Ambassador Dean Baker
Ellen Harnick
Junette Marcano
Brenda Muniz
Jean Sassine

[flpoljunkie]

12. Howard Dean is now speaking.

To hear: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/americasfuture

He's saying 'we need to hold Democrats' feet to the fire,' and there must be a public component in the health care plan.