"We were teenagers, and now we're the man." 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. (more...)