(I added the picture. – promoted by Brian Leubitz)

It’s a great turnout at the California/Hawaii netroots caucus at YearlyKos Chicago, with about 200 bloggers gathering to get to know each other beyond our blogging screen names. We have some higher profile people here too, including Rick Jacobs of the Courage Campaign and George Lakoff from the Rockridge Institute.

Julia Rosen, Matt Ortega and David Dayen are doing a great job leading the discussion, which began with an applause-filled round of introductions around the room.

A stand-out moment came when Jose, a student from Southern California who is organizing around the DREAM Act, talked about his own story of being undocumented and trying to get an education. The crowd cheered him in support as he broke down telling his story. The DREAM Act came up today in the Latino caucus, as well, and I hope it will become an issue that the blogosphere will champion more. In California, the DREAM Act was vetoed by Gov. Schwarzenegger last year, and died this cycle in committee. There is an effort underway to bring it back, however, and I will be blogging more about that soon.

Now we are talking about how difficult California is to organize, and David and Julia and Brian are updating folks about their various efforts in California politics and expanding Calitics.

Charlie Brown, one of our favorite California candidates, in CA-04, is speaking now. He’s talking about how security has to include energy policy. “Even the military is worried about global warming, why can’t Bush and Cheney do anything?”

Steve Young speaking now, about his race in Orange County. He’s running in the reddest district in California, but still fighting the good fight with a grass-roots campaign.

I’ve got to run to another meeting, but I want to give major props to the Calitics crew for putting together such an awesome meeting!