The Economy <i>Is</i> Energy, Stupid

Denver -- That's clearly the underlying message as this convention opens. The coal industry has "clean coal" billboards everywhere. Last night's Green Jobs reception by the Apollo Alliance drew an incredibly heavy crew from Congress -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow, Representatives Ed Markey, Hilda Solis, Rush Holt, and John Hall. Steelworkers President Leo Gerard was on the podium, and AFL-CIO President John Sweeney was there. My schedule is filled with forums, events, press conferences, and receptions on the issue of building a new, green-energy economy.

I'll be appearing at a forum on Wednesday with T. Boone Pickens and members of the blogging community, and already the buzz is beginning.

This morning's New York Times has a major piece on the changing picture on natural gas supplies and its potential impact on global warming and energy policy -- and, right next to it, the tale of how Louisiana's wetlands are vanishing, in part because of irresponsible offshore oil drilling.

My job this week: See if it's possible to get this convention to raise the bar and roll over the media's efforts to trivialize the issues in this year's campaign. That happened naturally last week in Las Vegas. It's going to be tougher here because the town is swarming with political reporters, who are masters of horse-race minutia. But there are also a lots of stakeholders here who understand that if we want to be a first-rate country, with a first-rate economy, and a strong middle class -- a green energy future is the only viable path.

Which will win -- vision or trivia? Stay tuned.

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