Netroots Nation organizers announced today that White House Senior
Advisor Valerie Jarrett will participate in a moderated keynote to be
held August 15 in Pittsburgh, PA.
A Conversation With Valerie
Jarrett, scheduled for Saturday morning at 9 a.m., will give
progressives across the country a chance to engage in substantive
conversation with one of the president's most trusted advisors.
In the latest New York Times
Sunday Magazine, President Barack Obama said of Jarrett, "She's
family-she combines the closeness of a family member with the savvy and
objectivity of a professional businesswoman and public-policy expert."
Jarrett serves as Senior Adviser and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Relations and Public Engagement.
"We
welcome an opportunity to hear from one of President Obama's closest
advisors just as the administration has embraced this chance to hear
from the Netroots," said Netroots Nation Executive Director Raven
Brooks. "This session will allow us to build on an open line of
communication started by this president and fostered by Jarrett."
The
session will be moderated by blogger, commentator and comic Baratunde
Thurston. Thurston, who has been featured on the main stage at every
Netroots Nation convention, blogs as Jack Turner at Jack & Jill
Politics and is host of the new Science Channel series, Popular
Science's Future Of, debuting in August 2009.
As The New York Times reported, Netroots Nation is "becoming as much a part of the Democratic political circuit as the Iowa State Fair."
In
addition to the keynote with Jarrett, the convention will feature an
interactive session with Sen. Arlen Specter and Rep. Joe Sestak, as
well as a town hall plenary on health care with Gov. Howard Dean.
Netroots
Nation will take place August 13-16 at the David Lawrence Convention
Center in Pittsburgh, PA. The fourth annual gathering of the Netroots
will include panels led by national and international experts;
prominent political, issue and policy-oriented speakers; 20 training
sessions; and a progressive film screening series.
The keynote and convention are open to media coverage. For more information about the Netroots Nation or for credentials, visit www.netrootsnation.org/press.
