Hillary Not Popular at YearlyKos

The YearlyKos convention of bloggers in Las Vegas got lots of press in today's papers. The New York Times had a lengthy article and the convention was the subject of Maureen Dowd's column. Here's some excerpts from today's
Austin American-Statesman.

Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., addressed the gathering Friday, and Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., were the scheduled speakers today.

"This is to progressive politics what talk radio is to conservatives," said John Laesch, a congressional candidate from Illinois.

"This is the wave of the future in politics," Laesch said. "The talk on the blogs is the same as the talk on the street corners. The issues that are important to the bloggers are the same issues that are important at the grass-roots."

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Democrat of New York, widely viewed as a leading candidate for her party's presidential nomination, declined an invitation to attend. Her spokeswoman, Lorraine Voles, said Mrs. Clinton had obligations in New York this weekend. Mrs. Clinton is highly unpopular with this crowd, in no small part because she supported going to war in Iraq.
"Oh my God, no way!" Mr. Moulitsas said when asked whether Mrs. Clinton was popular here.