Energized for the work ahead

This was my first year at Netroots Nation. I was one of the Netroots Nation staff photographers, and feel very privileged to be included in such a talented group. My first experience with Netroots might have been quite different if I had just bought a ticket and gone. I tend to be a little shy in those kinds of settings. I would have gone to the talks that interested me, hung with people I knew and maybe spent more time on my computer than I needed to. I would have had a great experience, but being a staff photographer enabled me to experience it in a unique way and it has inspired me to write this as a prologue to my clearer voice, my photographs.

Photos after the jump.

Desperation breeds desperation Last Friday, the Detroit Free Press published a blistering editorial condemning the Michigan Court of Appeals judges who ruled to delay a decision on the font size issue related to the petitions to put the repeal of Emergency Manager Law — Public Act 4 — on the November ballot. The editorial, titled “Stall tactics bring shame on […]

Over-achievers or show-offs? How about rock stars?! In a stunning display of the power of labor unions in Michigan, supporters of a ballot proposal to enshrine collective bargaining rights in the state constitution today turned in over twice as many signatures as they needed to but the measure on the November ballot. The group, Protect Our Jobs, needed less than […]

Hard to stop a freight train The Michigan House Republicans voted to pass one of the three anti-choice, anti-women bills that make up the omnibus package described as the most regressive legislation of its kind in the country. A deeply divided Michigan House on Wednesday approved new regulations for abortion providers after passionate floor debate on the issue. House Republicans […]

Ahhh…so that’s how it all got started Long ago (August of last year) in a galaxy far, far away (here in Ann Arbor, Michigan), I wrote a piece for another website that has since gone down the memory hole. In that piece, I interviewed a rising twitter sensation that went by the name of Pete Nicely or LOLGOP. That interview […]

We’re still watching and we still vote

As I wrote yesterday, Planned Parenthood of Michigan brought nearly 500 protestors to the state Capitol yesterday to protest a package of bills that will make Michigan the most anti-choice, forced-birth state in the country. Photos and video from the rally can be found HERE.

In the face of the noisy protest, a scheduled vote was postponed in the full House and is likely to be voted on tomorrow.

Details and a link to an online petition after the jump.

Day-um… Yesterday, during his ninth appearance before Congress regarding the “Fast and Furious” debacle (read more about that HERE), Senator John Cornyn, Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, asked Attorney General Eric Holder to resign, saying he hoped President Obama would replace him. AG Holder’s response was epic and a total smack-down of Cornyn. The transcript below is courtesy […]

It’s what we do The Netroots for the Troops 2012 went off almost entirely without a hitch. Although, due to a lack of donations this year, we were only able to pack 150 boxes, half of what we’ve done previously, it was still a wonderful thing to behold. [Photos by Anne C. Savage (with watermark) and angelajean (without watermark)] Here […]

How ya like me so far?

About a month ago, I became a beta tester of sorts for the the new Disqus commenting system. It’s a fairly substantial upgrade from the previous version and, so far, I think it’s working out well.

After the jump is a video about the newest upgrade that shows you the new features.

We’re watching and we vote

State House Republicans today tabled a vote on a package of anti-woman, anti-choice bills that is being called the most regressive legislation of its kind in the country. With hundreds of protesters filling the Capitol building and grounds, mostly women dressed in pink t-shirts sporting the phrase “Women are watching and we vote”, a vote scheduled today was tabled.

Photos and video after the jump.

Whew! That was intense!

28 hours of driving and over four days of intense networking and progressive liberal immersion later, I’m finally catching my breath from Netroots Nation 2012. This year my wife and blogging partner Anne joined me and was a staff photographer for the event. She took over 5,000 photos and we’ll have photoblogs rolling out over the next few days.

Some of the highlights for me after the jump.