Now, I’ve been living in a cave in Connecticut recently, but news of this did manage to penetrate my cave walls and I think the New York Post owes the American public a real apology and some real action to show regret for an irresponsible – if not racist and quite mal-intentioned – editorial decision.

ColorOfChange.org makes an important point in highlighting rising hate crime rates and assassination threats against Obama in their new campaign against the cartoon and NewsCorp’s ever-growing history of discrimination.   But the Stimulus Bill was already becoming a racially charged issue after House Majority Whip James Clyburn’s (D-SC) reference on Tuesdsay to GOP governors refusing stimulus money as a “slap in the face” to African Americans living in these governors’ states (eg, Louisiana).  It sort of feels like the whole political field is getting more racially dividied, or the ground is being set for the furtherance of negative stereotypes and hatred, especially by the GOP’s new leadership, Michael Steele.

By the way, what cave do you think the NY Post editorial staff were living in during and after the 2003 global uproar over Danish cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammed?  Uh, sorry fellas.  Not only is it asinine for a major and controversial media outlet to suggest that “sometimes, a cartoon is just a cartoon,” it’s intentionally deceitful.  Unless their cave didn’t have wi-fi like mine does.

Rootscamp 2008 was an open conference for progressive online and offline organizers who worked on the 2008 election cycle, held at Trinity College in Washington, DC.

A note first on the conference format:  This was the first time I had been to an Open Space event with more than 10 people in attendance (600+!), and I feel the format worked out quite well.  Perhaps the most important outcome of this format, was the genuine promise for collaboration that came out of each session.  One could be confident that session leaders were passionate about their topics and were seeking out partnerships, not just responding to the interests of conference organizers.  It was an exciting weekend, all around.

Highlights included sessions led by Obama campaign Western Regional Field Director Buffy Wicks and Professor Marshall Ganz, father of the teams model of organizing implemented nation-wide by the Obama campaign.

More highlights:

• A ‘What should we do now?’ session run by Rootscamp sponsor MoveOn,
• A volunteer-management workshop led by Jefferson Smith of the Bus Project and now a member of the Oregon State House,
• Sessions on testing, data, and new best practices by folks from VAN (yes, the VAN), Catalist and the Analyst Institute, and
• Video 101 and 202 led by Max Glass of the Obama campaign’s New Media Team.

High on everyone’s agenda: How do we professionalize progressive organizing and create a nation-wide infrastructure of local, sustainable, progressive organizers?  And, of course, what’s next?