I’m starting to write a weekly political/Washington column for the magazine website entitled “Capital Commentary,” playing off my section, Capital Comment. The first column deals with the Netroots Nation convention in Austin, Texas, where I spent the last week. It’s certainly come a long way since the first convention two years ago in Las Vegas.

The blogger convention in Las Vegas, then called YearlyKos, was fiery and filled with the tensions of a new power base emerging in the party. Columnists like Maureen Dowd trooped out to the Riviera Hotel, on the seedy end of the Las Vegas strip, and Democratic leaders like Harry Reid spoke, albeit warily at times.
The environment this past weekend bespoke a new level of maturity and acceptance among the blogging crowd. This year