Liveblogging: "Ask the Speaker" with Nancy Pelosi

[UPDATE: Al Gore is in the house!]

I'm sitting in the big hall here at the Austin convention center with several hundred of my fellow progressives and the Speaker of the House. You can stream the video live here: http://www.netrootsnation.org/node/982

Nancy Pelosi is taking questions - moderated by Netroots Nation organizer Gina Cooper and one of my favorite writers, Jeffrey Feldman. Pelosi was introduced by Congressman Lloyd Doggett.

First question was about inherent contempt; short version of the answer is that she trusts Congressman Conyers' judgment, and that he is taking the lead on the strategy of dealing with contempt.

Throughout her answers, she's doing a good job of talking about what the House has been able to accomplish - something that really gets overlooked in the talk of what they haven't done.

Second question was about FISA; she argued that the House version was forced by the Senate vote, and elaborated on this theme. She made a powerful case as to why the House version was better, but most people in the crowd weren't buying it. Most interesting was that she argued that even court proceedings wouldn't have allowed any more of the facts about the White House's spying programs to come to light.

I am really impressed by the way Pelosi seems to be able to connect issues - she definitely has a larger, strategic vision of the country that doesn't get a chance to come through in sound bites.

Abstinence Only

Pelosi makes one of my favorite points, being that contraception and education are the only way to really reduce the number of abortions. Abstinence only is a complete failure. Pelosi says unequivocally: we need more pro-choice legislators.

Universal Broadband

Pelosi's making me look good. In the interview I just gave to KVUE, I talked about how Pelosi is uniquely situated to address some of these issues. Her office keeps a blog, and she has a real understanding and appreciation of technological issues, especially regarding infrastructure. Again, she's doing a great job connecting it to other issues: economy, healthcare, good government, education, etc. She brings up net neutrality, too!

Taking care of troops

Question was about why the troops have to rely on care packages for basic necessities like toothpaste and tampons. Pelosi talks about how this is just one tiny slice that shows how much more the government needs to be doing to take care of the troops - while they're overseas, and when they come home.

A few hecklers here and there are making comments, but there's being silenced by everyone else in the crowd. The Code Pink folks are holding a slient witness in the back. I think that's a powerful way to get their message across.

Feldman pushes on the basic necessities for the troops, and Pelosi answers by tying it into the body armor issue.

Renewable Energy

Gina asks about Gore's 100% renewable challenge, and a little staged play ensues. While talking about an email she received, Al Gore's voice can be heard over the speakers. He emerges from behind the stage, and greets Pelosi. He receives a huge standing ovation. (There were lots of rumors of a special guest, but it was only this morning that I heard it was Gore. Other rumors included Elizabeth Edwards and Michelle Obama.)

Gore's talking about the necessity of reason and science, and of the increasing speed of climate change as seen in the nothern ice caps. Wow. Gore has a way of pulling all sorts of ideas together, and he's making a tremendous case for the need for immediate changes. The real gift that he brings to this issue is vision - he can picture the changes that we must make, and can articulate that vision very clearly.

The attitude and tone from the crowd shifted tremendously the moment Gore walked on stage. He's received multiple standing ovations during his comments, and even most of the Code Pink folks have taken their seats again. The energy in the room definitely went up a few notches.

Gore is promoting the Alliance for Climate Protection's plan to mobilize 10 million - yes, 10,000,000 - grassroots activists to address the issue of climate change: wecansolveit.org

"Lightning round" questions

Questions from the audience include: whether Gore would accept a position in the Obama administration, how to address the CO2 emissions from the meat industry, mountaintop removal mining, and increasing accountability.

Gore says "it's not the best thing for me to do" to the first question. He says he's trying to enlarge the space in which public figures can act, and he seems very committed to the Alliance for Climate Protection.

As to the question of meat, Gore acknowledges that it's an issue, and it needs more attention. He thinks it might be part of the solution eventually.

No surprises here, Gore calls mountaintop removal an "atrocity", and references a recent documentary about the subject. He says it's symptomatic of the "moral blindness" to the impacts on the ecosystem and our climate.
He also trashes liquid coal technology, calling instead for renewable sources.

Pelosi acknowledges Gore's visionary ideas - just like I did a few moments ago - both in terms of environmental issues, and on the technological infrastructure that makes Netroots Nation possible. Gore jokes that he won't say anything to take credit for that.

Pelosi briefly mentions Congress' accomplishments and steps toward greater accountability.

"Lightning round" part 2

Questions include: using existing infrastructure to build wind power, science education & NCLB, whether Pelosi and Congress will accept Gore's challenge, and how to deal with technological waste.

Gore says that wind is a key element, but that we have to use modern technology to go where the wind actually blows. Gore is very comfortable talking about the ins & outs of energy policies, and mentions strategies to combine technologies to address the drawbacks of wind and solar.

Gore defers to Pelosi on NCLB, but mentions the need for increasing arts education as well.

As far as technological waste, Gore says the companies deserve credit for understanding this is a challenge. There has been progress, but there needs to be a lot more.

Pelosi says it's "absolutely possible" to accomplish Gore's challenge. She talks about what a big accomplishment the new energy standards bill was, including renewable electricity standards. Unfortunately, the Senate mustered only 59 votes in support. She pledges to bring up renewable standards again before the end of the session. This will be much easier with increased Democratic majorities and a President named Obama.

NCLB reform will be revisited, according to Pelosi, but that it's necessary to have a new President to do so.

"Lightning round" part 3

Questions include: battery storage, use of nuclear energy , timeline for withdrawal from Iraq, effects of climate change on Africa.

Gore sidetracks to praise Pelosi's leadership, calling attention to her commitment to key issues. Gore says even with President Obama, the challenge is overcoming special interests, the old ways of thinking, etc., and that the Netroots is crucial to addressing that challenge. (Hard to go wrong applauding the home crowd.)

Gore talks about different ways of storing electricity beyond batteries, including thermal storage. Again, he's not afraid to get technical and include numbers - he knows his stuff inside and out.

As for nuclear, Gore acknowledges his previous support for nuclear but expresses skepticism. He says it will play a small role, but that even solving the storage problem, there's still huge problems left: security, supplies of plutonium and uranium, economics. Due to uncertainty about demand for electricity, the cost of nuclear will be prohibitive. The details in support of his argument keep coming, and it's astonishing.

Gore says that climate change is a global problems - CO2 emissions anywhere affects people everywhere. Addressing these problems in developing countries will also allow us to address related issues like disease and extreme poverty.

Pelosi says the administration's position on Iraq is nonsensical - things are better, but troops can't come home. She says Iraq has not made enough progress, but that we need to take seriously the Iraqi Prime Minister's request to leave. There's a need for "high level" talks, and it again underlines the necessity for Obama to become President AND to work in a bipartisan way.