It has become fashionable on the Left to feign a world-weary cynicism. The “Audacity of Hope” is often considered a utopian conceit, and a New Fatalism has descended upon the Left. We must not be afraid of the inspiration that we got from the Audacity of Hope, even if our prophet seems to have feet of clay.

Video highlights from the Netroots Nation panel, Undoing Citizens United: A Comprehensive Plan to Prevent Corporations from Buying Elections.

The “DREAM Now Series: Letters to Barack Obama” is a social media campaign that launched Monday, July 19, to underscore the urgent need to pass the DREAM Act. The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, S. 729, would help tens of thousands of young people, American in all but paperwork, to earn legal status, provided they graduate from U.S. high schools, have good moral character, and complete either two years of college or military service.  With broader comprehensive immigration reform stuck in partisan gridlock, the time is now for the White House and Congress to step up and pass the DREAM Act!

Today marks the completion of the second week of the DREAM Now series. I am sorry I was not able to get a letter out on Wednesday.  Too much travel and not enough sleep led me to come down with a soar throat and a fever on Tuesday.  Thankfully, I’m starting to recover, today.  If you’re not getting enough of your DREAM Now fix I recommend reading Matias Ramos’ post on why he stood up during Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-NV) speech at Netroots Nation.

At Netroots Nation 2010 in Las Vegas, Firedoglake blogger Jon Walker participated in a panel with drug policy reformers called “Marijuana Policy and Politics.” I liveblogged a good amount of the discussion at our FDL Elections blog, but if you want to relive the glory, this is your chance! Below is the entire 94 minute discussion on marijuana legalization.

In a respectful act of the type of mutual annoyance that was admitted by all at Netroots Nation, I joined three other undocumented people in challenging Majority Leader to help us get the votes for the DREAM Act.

Major Neill Franklin, the Executive Director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, talks with us about the panel on marijuana policy at Netroots Nation, California’s Proposition 19, and the prohibition of cannabis.

Over the weekend, Sen. Al Franken made the corporate takeover of our media, and the government’s acquiescence to these corporations, frighteningly clear. Our media system is at risk everywhere we turn — from our free speech online to the growing power of companies who own a massive number of media outlets.

Can common ground be found with people like Sharron Angle? Reproductive rights experts answer these questions and explain why the ground is erroding beneath us in the abortion debate.

Written by Robin Marty for RHRealityCheck.org – News, commentary and community for reproductive health and justice.

ICE agents surprise Netroots Nation attendees with a checkpoint to search for illegal European immigrants.

*button courtesy of Emptywheel devotee Rosalind (photo: G Levine).