Apparently, some of the kerfuffle (I love this word dearly) sprouted from a racist comment allegedly made by someone working for Breitbart. Breitbart called this a “mythological event” and shared that he’d been followed for two days by a New York Times reporter with whom he’d been discussing how the Left is able to accuse him of “anything in the world” through sites like Salon, Daily Kos and The Huffington Post. The NYT reporter, he says, even came to his defense when he was approached by convention-goers who accused him of things in which he had played no part.

Breitbart also shot down rumors that he’d been attempting to crash the event without having paid an entry fee, echoing statements he’d made to Mediaite about remaining solely in a public area of the hotel apart from where the convention was being held.

For Hannity, the incident brought to mind charges lobbed against Fox News after the Arizona shooting, when the network came under fire was criticized for using provocative rhetoric and acting in a way that was not “civil.” Where, Hannity asked, is the call for civility among those of the Left?

Watch the segment for yourselves, via Fox News:

Breitbart later referenced the incident during a speech at the Right Online conference, missing the point somewhat by criticizing Clayton’s journalism. The litany of “when did you stop beating your wife” questions was obviously intended to be some kind of meta-critique of Breitbart, but after the first few seconds, it devolved into a fig leaf for hurling insults, and an excuse to promote a smear.

Clayton accuses Breitbart of being linked to a man who allegedly harassed a pair of Muslim women on the streets of Minneapolis, saying the man “said he worked for (Breitbart).”

According to blogger Sue Wilson‘s account, though, all the man did was claim that he was calling Breitbart on the phone:

The story started the night before when two women ventured into the streets of Minneapolis wearing the traditional Hijab (headscarf.)  They were approached by John Hugh Gilmore, a 52 year attorney and self described Conservative who blogs for “Minnesota Conservatives.”   According to police, he asked the women what they thought of Ayaan Hersi Ali, a Somali who is a fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute who decries Muslims.  The women told him they weren’t exactly fans.   The inebriated Gilmore then became upset and started harassing the pair, asking what right they had to be in this country, until 60 onlookers intervened.  Police were called and arrested Gilmore, but not until Gilmore tried to reach Andrew Breitbart on his phone.

That’s a far cry from claiming that he worked for Breitbart, and anyone who knows Breitbart even a little bit knows that he’s constitutionally incapable of not answering his phone. Reached for comment this morning, Breitbart said, “The hijab story, like the Carson/Lewis n-word story, speak to the need of leftists to manufacture desperate narratives that conveniently frame conservative opposition as ‘racist’, ‘sexist’, ‘Islamaphobic’, ‘homophobic’, etc. In both cases I’m front and center exposing these tiresome and tedious reflections on the failure of the left to defend what they stand for, and instead resort to freshman year dorm orientation debate stifling PC tactics.”

As for the “tough question” about cocaine use, Breitbart did respond that he doesn’t have a cocaine habit, before questioning the relevance of whether he had ever done cocaine. Breitbart referenced President Obama‘s youthful drug use in a C-Span interview last month, in response to a question about his own college drinking, and seemed to be making the point, then, that it’s not really relevant. For what it’s worth, given his already-manic personality, it’s unlikely that the fabric of space-time could withstand Andrew Breitbart on a strong cup of coffee, let alone a coke bender.

But Clayton’s pointed questions about Breitbart’s sex life, particularly whether he had ever slept with a male prostitute, carry an ugly subtext that permeates liberal critiques of some conservatives. The suggestion that Andrew Breitbart is gay is clearly intended to get under his skin, as an insult, which undermines the notion that there’s nothing wrong with being gay, and undermines the respect that we demand for LGBT people to decide how they are identified, how they identify themselves. At its most basic, it is the equivalent of schoolyard taunts of “Oh yeah? Well, you’re gay!”

Again, for what it’s worth, Andrew Breitbart was not only at the biggest, gayest party I’ve ever been to (the GOProud party at CPAC), he threw it. As a married father, he’s an “out” heterosexual, and his spearheading of the GOProud event appears to demonstrate that he’s not insecure about it. In any case, there are legitimate criticisms to be made of the way Breitbart’s sites cover gay issues, and of GOProud, but calling Andrew Breitbart gay is illegitimate, and reprehensible.

Finally, throwing Andrew Breitbart out of the conference because he didn’t have papers was perfectly within their rights, but then following him out to chants of “Coward!” is a little bit counter-intuitive. He came to the conference prepared to face tough questions (he told Mediaite as much on Friday), and while greeting him with meta-smears and throwing him out for not having credentials might have been “clever,” it certainly wasn’t brave.

Jones seemed extremely angry at first, discussing the smear campaign against him and addressing Fox News generally:

“It’s not just immoral, it’s un-American. To abuse the airwaves and to abuse the ears of our children with your lies and your filth. We’re tired of it – we’re sick of it.”

Yet by the end of his speech, Jones said he doesn’t hate his enemies and even wants to have a battle of ideas with Beck:

“I issue a personal challenge to my beloved brother Glenn Beck. I will debate you any time, anywhere, at any point. I give you an hour, you give my five minutes and I will stand up for our values, but you will have to stop talking about us and start talking to us. You got one week left before your show goes off. My phone is ringing. Call me!”

If Jones is sincere about debating anywhere, and is willing to appear on one of Beck’s last shows, how could Beck possibly resist the opportunity to create a memorable confrontation as part of his final Fox farewell? Beck previously had a phone in his studio that he would wait by for someone from the Obama administration to call, and now it seems Jones is giving Beck some of his own dramatic medicine and waiting by his phone, waiting for Beck call.

Watch the clip below of Jones’ speech at Netroots Nation:

YouTuber “edlynnphoto” described the footage thusly:

Andrew Breitbart crashed Netroots Nation and was confronted right in front of me as I was about to get on the escalator. Let me be clear, I think Mr. Breitbart is a dishonest voice in our national discourse, but I do think he should have been shown just a little more courtesy. Still, as the old saying goes, sometimes the shepherds have to chase away the wolves. And run he did – for the nearest exit, to chants of “coward”…

Breitbart tells Mediaite that he was engaged in a civil conversation with David Weigel and others in a public area of the Hilton hotel when he was suddenly approached:

I am happy to, and have had a civil one-on-one conversation with several Netroots attendees at the Hilton, so it’s strange that this video has come out to distort the narrative of what actually happened.

Take a look at the video for yourselves:

h/t @allahpundit

If no one stops them how long do you think it will take before four or five mega corporations effectively control the flow of information in America not only on television but online…how long do you think it will take before the Fox News website loads five times faster than Daily Kos.

Or the NBC website or the ABC website. But you get the point. The value of the Internet, says Franken, “is that it is open to everyone” and if you want to protect it you are going to have to force the government to hear your thoughts over those of the corporations. Watch below.

Initially addressing the case of Lt. Dan Choi, who was recently discharged from the military under Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, he promised to work towards a future where “there are less Dan Chois who are humiliated by the system,” and about the greater struggle against inequality, noted that “the powerful and the rich continue to have a tremendous influence on our country.” He gave an extensive history of the media, from newspapers to radio to television, finally arriving at the internet: “and then you came along. You brought back the voice of real Americans,” he told the audience.

In one of the more humorous (and awkward) parts of his speech, Reid acknowledge the tension he has experienced with progressive writers in the past, telling the audience, “I know there are times, I’m told, that I get on your nerves. And I’m here to tell you, you get on my nerves sometimes. But let’s all understand this country would be in a lot more trouble if we weren’t around.” He also thanked them for their work against “the Tea Party and other myth machines, and especially the Republican Party.”

Watch Sen. Reid’s speech below– interestingly, Fox News was the only cable channel to broadcast the speech:

Most of the speech was full of the type of liberal red meat Schultz often delivers on his show, mostly directed at Fox News. Of Glenn Beck, he said, “I’m really sorry that Glenn Beck’s going blind because I think it’s a travesty he’s not gonna see the country he’s trying to destroy.” In a high-pitched voice, he mocked the White House’s relationship with the network: “How can this country get along… without Fox News?”

But the sharpest attack was about President Obama himself, and it was, specifically, for never agreeing to be on The Ed Show:

“I busted my ass for Obama. I mean, I took my radio show on the road, I did town halls, talked to people… and President Obama, you don’t come to Ed– he goes to Bret Baier on Fox News, in my time slot. Now, my show’s going to be ok, but if you were in my position, would you say, ‘what’s that all about?’ Loyalty.”

Devoting so much time to attacking President Obama– and implying that he has betrayed the people that elected him– seems a strange line of attack at a progressive conference, especially in light of the continuous assault under which the White House has been from the right, between Sherrod and the New Black Panthers and criticism for the oil spill, the economy, and, to a lesser extent, foreign affairs. The argument that Obama is a traitor because he hasn’t been on MSNBC enough isn’t really one that has risen organically among members of the left and, as Gawker’s Jim Newell explains, there is a rationale behind Obama’s “very, very rare” interview with Baier in March: “The interview with Baier… came immediately before the final health care vote in March. This was at a point when Democratic support for passage had consolidated to nearly 90% while many independents, some of whom watch Fox News, were still quite leery.”

Video of Schultz’s speech below:



[h/t]

That was how DailyKos founder Markos Moulitsas described the nearly 2000 activists gathered in Pittsburgh for the 2009 Netroots Nation convention. Billed on its website as “the most concentrated gathering of progressive bloggers to date,”  this year’s Netroots Nation is the fourth conference of its kind. It began in 2006 as the YearlyKos convention, and adopted a new name in 2008 to reflect its expanding membership and influence beyond the pages of DailyKos. The 2009 conference is the first without a cadre of primary contenders to invite and the first to deal with reality of being a movement billed as the political establishment.

The event regularly attracts progressive power players and up-and-comers alike, with former Vice President Al Gore making a surprise visit last year, while 2007 drew eight major Democratic Presidential candidates for a blogger-moderated debate. This year brought former President Bill Clinton, Governor Howard Dean and Senior Advisor to the President Valerie Jarrett as featured speakers – but while the tradition of high-profile politicos in attendance continues, the focus of the conference has definitely taken a turn from its election-driven roots.

Adam Bonin, chairman of the Netroots Nation board of directors, pinpoints the conference’s mission as the biggest change. “I think the key difference between this year’s conference and those in the past is that prior conferences centered around amassing our power to help win elections,” said Bonin, who also regularly contributes to DailyKos’ front page. “This year, there was a conscious shift in focus across our agenda — and certainly among our attendees — towards the steps we need to take to make policy change happen.”

The slate of panels available certainly reflects the change – pundits from the strategy and blogger wings of the movement appeared to instruct attendees on how best to get out the message for a progressive agenda, including a two-hour “Pundit Project” media training session hosted by ThinkProgress.

As aspiring politicos took turns taping practice interviews, Firedoglake founder Jane Hamsher warned about becoming trapped in media narratives unflattering to liberal activists. Nico Pitney – particularly well-known for his work on liveblogging the Iranian elections, and perhaps for a verbal scuffle with Dana Milbank on CNN’s Reliable Sources – instructed attendees on the importance of building a niche of expertise. ThinkProgress managing editor Amanda Terkel warned attendees about the rise of ambush journalism.  (Amanda’s hints: there’s no right strategy, but if you can’t squeak out an Olbermann-inspired ANDREA MAKRIS! then be quick with a camera, or just keep your wits about you and let cooler heads prevail.)

Later in the weekend, New York media trainer Joel Silberman offered some helpful advice as well – when talking into a camera, pretend it’s someone you want to sleep with. Media experts helped activists learn how to make the most of their fifteen minutes and notable bloggers helped hammer out the message, giving their take on the biggest policy battles of the day – Firedoglake blogger and occasional MSNBC guest Marcy Wheeler (emptywheel) gave her take on Wall Street domination, Pam’s House Blend founder Pam Spaulding talked LGBTQI rights, and on the technical side DailyKos’ Greg Dworkin (DemfromCT) moderated a panel featuring Nate Silver and Charlie Cook, among others, on getting the most out of polling data.

But while attendees learned how best to take advantage of their political punch from the best and the brightest of the blogosphere, some notable speakers faced pressing criticism from the left. Former President Bill Clinton faced tough questions from blogger Lane Hudson on Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and the Defense of Marriage Act, raising the spectre of an Administration moving too slowly on gay rights for some activists’ tastes. Governor Howard Dean took questions on advancing progressive goals in the health care debate just days before President Obama and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius stumbled over whether or not the public option was necessary. And in her conversation with pundit comedian Baratunde Thurston, Valerie Jarrett faced occasionally boisterous criticism of President Obama’s continuation of some policies of President Bush.

One attendee shouted a question about photographs of detainee abuse President Obama has declined to make public, another yelled to ask why Blackwater (now Xe) was still being paid by the State Department for overseas work, and a table near the stage hissed in frustration at her response. The incident took only a few moments of an hour long talk, but became the focus of a piece by Huffington Post article assigned the headline “Valarie [sic] Jarrett Heckled And Hissed At Netroots Nation.”

The headline raises an interesting issue: when, and how, does a scrappy, rabble-rousing political underdog turn into a gathering of heckling critics?  Moderator Baratunde Thurston of Jack and Jill Politics took issue with the headline assigned to the piece, though he called Sam Stein’s writing a “fair representation of what happened.” Beyond the misspelling of Jarrett’s first name, Thurston said “the headline implies that the only thing that happened was that Jarrett faced tremendous negative responses to being there.”

The headline was later changed to the more accurate “Valarie [sic] Jarrett Heckled By Some At Netroots Nation,” but the question remains – how critical is too critical of a Democratic President, especially for a conference full of Democratic activists?

>>>Next: “From day one, our movement has been built on the notion that we’re outside the gates, and that we have to force our way in.”