Kossacks Arrive at McCormick Place

The second annual Yearly Kos has come to the Second City, in the midst of Dem disarray---no budget yet in Springfield even though the Democrats control all the levers of power---both legislative houses and a grinning governor under numerous federal investigations.

And for a little sideshow to the Kossacks at McCormick Place, we have a little mob trial going on. Click here for a little local color.

Welcome to Chicago. The city may not have seen so many foul-mouthed peaceniks since the 1968 convention, but then they were on the outside, now they're the establishment. Some Tribune coverage here. Don't know about the Sun Times, maybe they sent La Hunter over to find some stauch Republicans. Byron York, NRO kind of gloomy on the "Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy".

And a review of last year's Yearly Kos diaries from Shawn Macomber in The American Spectator:

Each essay is accompanied by a portrait of the author holding a childhood picture. Appropriate, since the vast majority of these writers appear to be holding onto political views they adopted back when snot seemed a perfectly acceptable mid-afternoon snack and they were closer in years to filling up diapers than filling out union cards.

For example:

"If I could figure out the Pledge was an unabashed violation of the Bill of Rights at age 9, why couldn't the grown-ups get the picture?" Jill Richardson muses in another bit, while Lena -- Kos handle Cosmic Debris -- describes earning her left-wings in elementary school thanks to a math teacher who taught Watergate hearings, a social studies teacher who taught industrial pollution and the teacher of an unspecified subject who had Lena's class "reenact a trial after the incidents at Wounded Knee with the FBI."

"I played an AIM leader with my blond hair in long braids," Lena writes proudly, adding, "These wonderful teachers influenced both my awareness and my core values. By the time I got to junior high I was a genuine liberal."

Like really. According to a WaPo article "Democrats tend to enjoy introspection and debate more than Republicans". So much to look forward to this year. This is what passes for wisdom in the Democrat party these days.

UPDATE: WSJ covers Kos. Dem candidates trolling for support.

UPDATE: Sun Times (Durbin sucks up to the nutroots):

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), addressing the crowd from Washington, thanked them for pushing all senators on the war in Iraq, saying, "You gave my Democratic colleagues and me the support to stand up and fight this war."

And Ellen of 10th is off with her Democat to Yearly Kos. Apparently there is some friction between Dem primary rivals, the supposed grownups challenging Mark Kirk in the 1oth. Catfight?

UPDATE: More from the Trib:

Sen. Hillary Clinton's booth, meanwhile, stood strangely empty for part of the day, as those for Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson buzzed with activity. [snip]

YearlyKos originated out of the blog run by Markos Moulitsas, 35, a former Chicago resident. The Republican National Committee calls the convention a "panderfest to liberal partisans."

Republicans have also pointed out that none of the major Democratic candidates had time to attend the annual conference of the centrist Democratic Leadership Council earlier this week, but they have time for the more liberal bloggers.

UPDATE: Illinois' other Patti, Hillary's campaign manager at Kos, WaPo:

Solis Doyle said, "We disagree with the bloggers sometimes, but we agree with them on many issues, and I take great pride that we've moved from 4 percent to 9 percent."

But she added: "I'm hoping to break into the double digits soon."