A Big, Big Round of Applause for DMI’s Annual Benefit Blogger Host Committee

Elana Levin

A Big, Big Round of Applause for DMI’s Annual Benefit Blogger Host Committee

At DMI's 2006 Annual Benefit, we honored Markos Moulitsas Zuniga with a Drum Major for Justice award. In preparation for the event, DMI Board Member and DMI Netroots Advisory Council Chair Tom Watson came up with the idea of putting together a host committee of bloggers who could help us honor Kos properly - by spreading the Benefit word through the netroots. Twenty-six bloggers signed onto the host committee, and were instrumental in letting the blogosphere know about Kos's award and DMI's party. Last year's benefit ending by gathering host committee bloggers into a single room for a unique bloggers round table discussion, where they got the opportunity to chat face-to-face (vs. computer-to-computer!) about pertinent issues in today's progressive community, and the roles that the netroots and think tanks play in it.

This year DMI is honoring Tavis Smiley and Mayor Mike Bloomberg. Worthy honorees? Yes. Prominent bloggers? Not so much.

For a minute we wondered: would bloggers want to organize to promote a benefit that wasn't specifically honoring a blogger? But then we remembered: bloggers get it. They understand that DMI is working hard to out think the Right and deliver progressive values to the conversation about progressive public policy. And they understand that there's a lot to be gained from a sturdy pipeline of conversation between think tanks like DMI and the progressive blogosphere.

To this end, more bloggers have added their name to the ranks. This year, a great group of 34 bloggers have come together to help DMI spread the word about our annual benefit. And we'd like - officially and on-line - to thank DMI's 2007 Blogger Host Committee. The list includes some of my favorite bloggers and I'm really glad we have their support. If you haven't bought your tickets to the benefit yet, do it and you'll get to hang out not only with DMI's amazing honorees and speakers (Michael Bloomberg, Tavis Smiley, Dr. Cornel West, and Rev. Dr. James Forbes), but also some of the best bloggers around.

DMI's 2007 Annual Beneit Blogger Host Committee:

Co-Chairs

Tom Watson, NewCritics.com

Lindsay Beyerstein, Majikthise

Phillip Anderson, The Albany Project

Co-Chair in memoriam

Steve Gilliard, The News Blog

Members

Aaron Naparstek, Streetsblog

Adam Bonin, DailyKos

Austin Evers, Emboldened

Barbara O'Brien, Mahablog

Cheryl Contee, Vice President, Fleishman-Hillard