Things are about to get very uncomfortable for Idaho Republicans as the Idaho Democratic Party announced this evening to Idaho bloggers that Markos Moulitsas Zúniga, founder of the Daily Kos website, will be the keynote speaker at the Frank Church Banquet in Boise to be held March 1, 2008.
This is HUGE news for the Idaho blogosphere and progressives all over Idaho. In a conference call, Markos discussed the civil war that is taking place within the Republican Party as the neo-cons and corp-cons attempt to dissolve the campaign of theo-con and former governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee. He also expressed his excitement for visiting one of the reddest states in the nation and said that, yes, he might make a "wide stance" joke or two.
Markos was asked why the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, after ignoring Idaho's 1st Congressional District in 2006 when we had an open race, has now placed the 1st CD on its Top 40 list of targeted seats. "You were able to prove that the district could be contested," he said. Daily Kos made Larry Grant one of its netroots-endorsed candidates in 2006, and Grant came within 5 percent of beating Bill Sali in a district George W. Bush won by 40 percent in 2004.
It is definitely going to be a Frank Church banquet to remember! John Foster, executive director of the Idaho Democratic Party and the brilliant mind who thought to bring Markos for the event, says invitations should be going out soon. Get your seats while the getting is good!
(*Cross-posted at The Political Game)
Great news! Thanks for the coverage, Tara.
Markos, we look forward to seeing you in our state - and we thank you and mcjoan for everything Daily Kos did in 2006 to help put Idaho on the D-trip map.
Posted by: Julie in Boise | January 10, 2008 at 08:01 PM
I can't wait.
Seeing how Markos is one of the people who inspired me to start blogging (along with Idahoans Julie and Serephin,) I'm pretty damned excited.
It's going to be a fun next couple of months.
Posted by: chris | January 10, 2008 at 08:38 PM
It's going to be a fun YEAR.
Posted by: Julie in Boise | January 10, 2008 at 09:18 PM
Very true Julie, very true.
Posted by: Chris | January 11, 2008 at 08:18 AM
Hey Kos, welcome to "frickin' Idaho". We look forward to a fine platter of red meat. We also look forward to you elevating the profile of the Idaho blogosphere a little. You'll find an older crowd at the banquet who've yet to be enlightened on the fabulous tool the computer is for networking in this vast state. This is very exciting news. You also inspired me to raise my humble voice.
Excellent move Mr. Foster. It epitomizes the word rejuvenation. Just what we need. And to you McJoan. Thanks for keeping Idaho in the loop.
Posted by: Sisyphus | January 11, 2008 at 10:08 AM
I'm really looking forward to it, and am glad you guys are all so psyched about it.
We are going to have to have a bloggers bash before it. There are so many of you I haven't meant, and need to, and of course Markos wants to hang out with you all. That's his favorite part about doing these things.
Posted by: mcjoan | January 11, 2008 at 05:10 PM
Great choice.
Posted by: sharon fisher | January 11, 2008 at 10:04 PM