Posted on 06/22/2011 5:03:00 AM PDT by CT Hillbilly
Paul Grimaldi Email
Journal staff and wire reports
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- More than 2,500 progressive political activists will come to Providence in June 2012 to take part in the annual Netroots Nation conference.
But the group of progressive bloggers wants no competition for attention when it comes to town. The conference's organizers have taken steps that would keep a conservative group's traditional counter-event at a distance.
Raven Brooks, Netroots Nation's executive director, said Tuesday the progressive group has a non-compete clause in its contracts with the Rhode Island Convention Center and two Providence hotels.
The conservative group RightOnline has staged its annual meeting in the same city and around the same time as Netroots Nation since 2008. Bloggers from both groups shared a hotel this year, and Brooks said some Netroots participants were harassed.
RightOnline said Tuesday it has not decided where to hold its 2012 conference.
U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse announced the group's commitment to Providence over the weekend at this year's Netroots Nation, held in Minneapolis.
Conferences of this size always infuse money into the Rhode Island economy. Netroots Nation 2012, planned for June 7-12, should be no different. The Providence Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau estimates the convention will bring at least $1.5 million in spending to Rhode Island.
Netroots Nation attracts political writers whose primary outlet is the blogosphere, rather than traditional news media. As such, it's a draw for liberal-leaning politicians trying to reach a tech-savvy electorate. Past conferences attracted appearances by Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Nancy Pelosi and Al Franken. Next year's event will come as the 2012 campaign season enters its final stages.
The conference previously shunned Providence as it honored a boycott of the Westin Providence hotel. The settling of the Westin's labor issues, evidently, cleared the way for the 2012 event to take place here.
Mayor Angel Taveras said he supported the effort to bring the event to Providence and is looking forward to playing host to the activist community.
"Blogs are the town halls of the 21st century for so many who participate in the political process," Taveras said.
The original version of this story was posted at 10:39 a.m.
What a bunch of whiners!
Why are bards opposing it? Don’t they tip well? Do they nurse their drinks? Smell up the joint?
Or bars.
Probably understand that a city full of visiting liberals will cause a strong uptick in the number of tort suits.
Providence overrun by Liberals? Who would notice?
“WHAAAA our ideas completly fall apart when challenged so we can’t have anyone making anybody think!” I’d tell all conservative groups to call the convention center and tell them they are being black listed by our much larger groups because of this stupid agreement.
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