National Conference of Independents in NYC

Independent Voting is hosting a National Conference of Independents today in New York City, which I'm currently attending.  Nancy Hanks is streaming the whole thing live at The Hankster if you want to tune in.  Full report to follow in the next day or so.  Here are some highlights from the program:

New Documentary    

Watch the premier of the latest political documentary by Jackie Salit, the President and Founder of IndependentVoting.org.  This multimedia presentation covers the impact of the independent movement on the Obama White House, on Congress, on the political parties and on a cross section of political forces.  This cutting edge documentary is a great introduction to independent politics.  It explains the relevance of the independent movement to urgent social, economic and cultural problems in America.

Talk/Talk

Hear a "Talk/Talk" conversation with Jackie Salit and Dr. Fred Newman, the Stanford-trained philosopher, playwright, author and pioneer of independent politics. Talk/Talk is a Newman/Salit specialty - think Charlie Rose, Oprah and Aristotle all rolled up into one!

Panel Discussion
Moderated by Jackie Salit and IndependentVoting.org General Counsel, Harry Kresky with:

• Theresa Amato, Ralph Nader’s Presidential Campaign Manager in 2004;
• John Avlon, Senior Political Consultant, TheDailyBeast.com; Founder, No Labels
• Lenora Fulani, Co-founder, IndependentVoting.org
• Michael Hardy, General Counsel, National Action Network
• Douglas Schoen, pollster and author
• James Mangia, Executive Director, St. John's Well Child & Family Center and Founding Secretary, National Reform Party
• Cathy Stewart, Chair, New York County Independence Party
• Bradley Tusk, Founder, Tusk Strategies; Campaign Manager Bloomberg 2009

Mock Trial 
Are you a fan of Law and Order, The Good Wife, or even Judge Judy?  If so, you don't want to miss this.  We will be staging a mock trial to explore a fictional (but not improbable) "people vs. the parties" controversy. A cast of prominent civil rights and election lawyers, actors, elected officials, and a famous "surprise witness" will stage a courtroom trial and in the process shed light on the growing conflict between parties' rights and voters' rights.

Dispatches from the Movement
Get the inside scoop from IndependentVoting.org’s leaders on what's happening on the ground, behind the scenes, in the hallways of power and on the street corners, as independents intensify their efforts to enact structural political reforms like open primaries across the country.  This is independent politics straight from the source.

Discussion and Dialogue
Conference attendees will have the opportunity to discuss the days’ proceedings in an open mic session, not to mention the chance to meet and mingle throughout the day.