Roxanne on the Rec List

Roxanne on the Rec List

Chuck Grassley tried today to slap a "special interest" label on the netroots activists meeting in Las Vegas this week. But Roxanne Conlin's jimping right in, liveblogging at Daily Kos in a chat that's currently on the front page "rec list."

"Can you believe this? Senator Grassley attacked me yesterday for going to Netroots Nation while he's hosting a $2,500 a plate PAC breakfast fundraiser in Washington," Conlin begins (there's a press release version for the old media types.

"The sponsors of Netroots Nation are special interest groups committed to electing liberals and it’s to them that Roxanne Conlin would be beholden," blasts Grassley staffer Eric Woolson, who says that like it's a bad thing.

Conlin chatted with Kos readers, including some Iowans, for about 45 minutes. In one especially strongly worded section, she wrote:

(Grassley's) grave concern about deficits is pretty sudden after he presided over the Finance Committee that passed two huge tax cuts, mainly for the very wealthy, fought two wars off the books and engineered a $400 Billion giveaway to big Pharma. We believe Iowans will not send such a hypocrite back to the U.S. Senate.

For him to pretend that he has even modicum of fiscal responsibility is ridiculous. this is Charles Grassley's deficit and i intend to make sure the people of Iowa know it.

While at Netroots Nation, Conlin will participate in a panel Friday on "Why Women are the Key to the Future of Progressive Victories," no doubt hoping that future includes her own. The topic came up during the chat as a reader wrote: "What's really great about this election cycle is that it's the 'year of the Women' again. But not for Republicans like its been touted, but for Democrats again. You, (NC Senate candidate Elaine Marshall NY Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, and Alex Sink, running for Florida governor)"

"Tell that to the national media - so I'm not the only one saying it," replied Conlin. "On the night I won a three way primary with 78%, they focused on Haley, Fiorina, and other anti-women women. They are simply overlooking the great successes that progressive women are having around the country."

Touching on techie issues with the tech-savvy audience, the Microsoft lawsuit of course came up: "I directed $60 million into our schools to close the digital divide and make sure Iowa's kids are the leaders of the next generation."

But it wouldn't be a live chat without a true moment of geek: after Conlin noted that Grassley first ran for office in 1958 - "When Bonanza was the top watched TV show" - a reply, complete with Wikipedia link, came back noting that Gunsmoke was actually the top show of '58.