Watch CBS News

Al Franken to Liberals: Don't Check Out Now

Al Franken
AP

LAS VEGAS -- The liberal base is dissatisfied with the Democratic establishment, but Sen. Al Franken told them at the closing of the Netroots Nation conference: "No matter how frustrated you are, you can't check out now."

"It only took a few years for progressives to establish a foothold in Congress, but it's going to take a little further" to enact a progressive agenda, he said.

Throughout the Netroots conference, the year's largest gathering of progressive activists and bloggers, attendees lamented the lack of a public option in health care reform, the prospect of watching Democrats scale back Social Security and other liberal let downs.

But what's worse, Franken said, is that "Republicans have been making plans to take back the things we did get. They'll implement a truly dangerous agenda."

One of the most important fights progressives should take up, Franken said, is Net Neutrality, the principle that Internet Service Providers should be prohibited from favoring certain content on the Internet.

"Net neutrality is the First Amendment issue of our time," he said.

Speculating on what the Internet could morph into under the Republicans' preferred lack of regulation, Franken asked the audience of bloggers how long it would take before the Fox News website loads significantly more quickly than the Daily Kos website.

"If you want to protect the free flow of information in this country, you have to help me fight this," he said.

More Hotsheet Coverage from Las Vegas:

Reid Makes a Promise to Dan Choi for Gay Rights
Conservatives to GOP: Don't Support Any Energy Bill
Sharron Angle: Nevadans Are Telling Harry Reid to "Stop Doing More"
Pelosi: Obama was Happier about Health Care than Getting Elected
Pelosi Opposed to Raising Retirement Age
Governors' Races are 2010's Main Event, Strategists Say
Labor Leader: GOP Has Declared War on Latinos
In 2010, Will Democrats Offer More Than Anti-Tea Party?
Brian Schweitzer: Sometimes Lucky is Better than Good
Are Liberals Too Concerned with Being "Colorblind?"

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.