Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) is probably the last person you’d expect to see courting the affections of the Netroots. The freshly minted Democrat has long been one of the progressive movement’s most reviled betes noir. But next month, he’ll address a large crowd of activists and bloggers at the annual Netroots Nation…at a forum that will also feature his rival–and burgeoning Netroots star–Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA).
Each participant will be featured on stage separately and sit with the moderators for a question and answer session. The participants will be offered an opportunity to make brief opening remarks after which the moderators will engage them in questions of their sole choosing. The forum will solicit questions online in advance, from Pennsylvania voters and other interested citizens, and the moderators will exercise editorial judgment and discretion in selecting official topics and questions for the event. In addition, there may be some questions will be taken live from the audience at the forum, time permitting. Participants will then be given the opportunity to make closing remarks.
The two men have rallied voters at the same event before–but this is the first time the two will be courting a national progressive base. In June, the two addressed a crowd of union organizers in Pennsylvania, and, later the same month, a crowd of Pennsylvania-based health care and union organizers in Washington, DC.
