At the event, Lux pointed out that even the sheer idea of a democracy was a progressive movement for our country. Shifting away from the established political norm is always a scary idea for some, but it is leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. that take us on a path to abandon outdated views and strive for a bright future.

The most interested part of the evening for me was Lux’s discussion about the important role blogs play in the political process. With back-door deals and vote trading serving as common practices for politicians, it is essential our representatives are held accountable for every vote they cast while in office. Blogs are able to create a 24/7 news cycle, assuring that a story doesn’t die after the newspapers are recycled.

“Two things that I feel are vital to moving politics forward and government into the 21st century are accountability and transparency,” said Chad Manspeaker, who serves as Treasurer and Labor Caucus chair for the Kansas Young Democrats and attended the event. “We need to know what our representatives are up to and have open lines of communication with them. Those that believe that new media is a passing fad will soon find this fad passing right by them.”

Living in Kansas, I am fortunate enough to have a superb example of this in the blog Kansas Jackass. While I wish all politicians would work with the utmost transparency, this is not the case. Kansas Jackass works to assure that our elected officials can’t hide anything from their constituents.

Lux also delivered promising news for the attendees of the event, who, for the majority, were under 30. Obama’s Office of Public Affiras has appointed David Washington to serve as a liaison for young people and foundations. By making this selection, the administration is showing that they recognize the youth population is ready to be an active part of our nation’s recovery.

Further Lux said that they consider young people a critical part of the issues narrative. As such each agency will have young people within them that can give a youth perspective to issues. While these individuals may not know the ins and outs of the youth agenda, hopefully their prospective will provide something new past administrations have not tapped into.

Also discussed at the event was the importance for elected officials to embrace new social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter. Two State Senators were present at the media, but neither are tweeting. However, Rep. Milack Talia is among those who are utilizing the micro-blogging service to update followers about votes being cast in the House. I would encourage all others to follow his lead and incorporate these sites into their communication strategies.

It was very inspiring for me to hear a seasoned political veteran talk about our country’s need to continue on a progressive path. When Mike Connery returns from his honeymoon, he will posting a full review of the book The Progressive Revolution, which can be purchased here.