Netroots is a totally unique conference. This is an organized by big political players like the Democratic Party or by industry. This is organized by progressives. It is an outshoot of progressive blogs. I went last year when I was in Austin, Texas. This year it is in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it this year.

In the clip below, Digby explains how conservatives are using deficits to limit the possibilities that are available to progressives. If there is a lot of money around, progressives may do foolish things like investing in green energy, enacting universal health care and rebuilding our crumbling schools. Conservatives don't really want to do any of those things. Those are all anti-free market. So, over the last 30 years, conservatives have run up huge deficits and George W. Bush was no exception. There was very little discussion about the deficit while we were invading Iraq. As the war dragged on into its third and fourth year, there was a little grumbling about deficits from progressives but not much from conservatives. Now we're in the midst of the worst recession since the Great Depression and conservatives are howling about the deficit. Very ironic.