Phew! I'm exhausted (and full) just listening to that!

But seriously, we can't wait to get back to work in DC so that we can put into practice all of the valuable lessons we've learned. I hope you've enjoyed watching our Netroots Nation Nuggets (great name or greatest name ever?) and we'll see you next week for more updates on reproductive health!

P.S. I know it's in the blog post below, but in case you missed it, check out our video of Speaker Pelosi answering a question about abstinence-only education!

Read more about the sessions we attended, and view the live streams online at the Netroots Nation homepage.

Stay tuned: Tomorrow, NARAL Pro-Choice America president Nancy Keenan has her panel titled Big Telecom: An Emerging Threat to Our Democracy?

You can read another point of view here at Real Clear Politics.

Talk at you tomorrow!

P.S. If you're at Netroots Nation and want to meet up with us, let us know in the comments section!

The first question concerned sexually graphic material on the Internet. McCain segued from that to abortion.

"I also would like to say one other thing very quickly to you-that is I am proud of my record of protecting and advocating the rights of the unborn. I believe this is also an important issue," he said. He said the noblest words every written were the rights to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

"Life means the rights of the born and the unborn," he said. "You can count on my active advocacy for the rights of the unborn."

McCain spoke of his strong support of adoption and also volunteered that he would continue to protect the rights of "the born and the unborn."

Abortion rights advocates believe that many voters mistakenly believe that McCain supports abortion rights and that they will be less inclined to vote for him once they realize he does not.

Online Organizers Chris Hughes and Judith Freeman are leading a seminar right now on how the campaign uses social networking tools to spread Barack's message of change and to bolster our field program on the local level.

Chris and Judith talked about the utility of my.barackobama.com and its capacity for spreading information and connecting with voters.  They also discussed how the campaign has used external social networks such as MySpace, Facebook, and BlackPlanet and organize in neighborhoods across the country by communicating through Facebook groups, etc.

So true. Everyone knows how impressive the Obama campaign has been with their online operation, and the social networking portion is no joke either. So it was great to hear from Chris and Judith.

A key point I took away from the session? Fancy technology is great and wonderful, especially when you can use it to bring people together... BUT! The most important thing to keep in mind is the focus on building the community and not continuously obsessing over how flashy it all looks. Sounds obvious, but with new technology breaking practically every day, it's important to keep this in mind.

Finally, to end on a pro-choice note, I'd like to report that the buttons we gave away in the official Netroots Nation registration bags, "Vote Pro-Choice" and "I <3 Pro-Choice Boys/Girls," are going over quite well. As always, I wish I brought more with me. Oh well.

In other words, campaigns don't have to dive right into the deep end -- sometimes a dipping a toe or two into the pool of Facebook and MySpace fans will be enough.

Like Lauren mentioned, we'll be writing posts and posting vlogs throughout the day, so be sure to check back frequently!

As executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice New Mexico, the political arm of the pro-choice movement in New Mexico, it's assumed that our organization is going to closely follow reproductive-health issues in the news... and let me assure you, we are. Last week, in particular, was quite the week for presumptive Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain. It all started with Carly Fiorina's much publicized gaff, and was followed by McCain's "eight second pause," the video of which is below if you need to refresh your memory:

So clearly, when NARAL Pro-Choice New Mexico found out that Sen. McCain would be in Albuquerque today for a town hall, we had five pro-choice New Mexicans attend the event to try and ask the senator some questions about birth control. They had tickets, so it shouldn't have been a problem, right?

WRONG.

Instead, hotel security escorted these pro-choice New Mexicans out of the town hall before the program even started!

So it looks like it's yet another day when we won't get a straight answer from the "straight talk express" on where Sen. McCain stands on birth control.

Check out some other blog posts on pro-choice Americans being barred from the event:

• New Mexico FBIHOP: NARAL Pro-Choice Activists Not Allowed in McCain Event
• Politico's Ben Smith: Naral: Pro-choice t-shirt-wearers barred from McCain event [UPDATED] 
• MyDD: Folks with pro-choice t-shirts not let in to see McCain  

Fortunately, Sen. McCain's 25 year voting record includes 22 votes against birth control, including consistent votes to block low-income women's access to birth control, to deny teens accurate information about birth control and condoms, to stop measures that would require insurance companies to cover birth control, and to block funds to an organization that provides family-planning services - not abortion - for the world's poorest women. So yeah, we have no doubt where he stands. Our job is to make sure the rest of the country learns about his abysmal anti-choice record.

Wanna help? Visit this page to help spread the word that John McCain is not only against abortion, he is against birth control and other prevention policies that would actually reduce the need for abortion.

NARAL Pro-Choice America is committed to making sure voters know Sen. John McCain's position on choice. For more information, please visit www.MeetTheRealMcCain.com.

The regulation would allow health-care corporations or individuals to consider birth control "abortion" and therefore to refuse to provide contraception to women who need it. The proposal has the potential to undermine hard-fought laws that ensure women's access to birth control.  In addition, the proposed regulation could affect Medicaid and the Title X family-planning program. For instance, staff at clinics or health-care plans that contract for Medicaid services could refuse to provide contraception services.

Not cool. But more importantly, it leaves me wondering: where's Sen. McCain on this issue?

The timing of the story is perfect: a week after Carly Fiorina voiced support for insurance coverage of contraception - something McCain voted against twice. Right on the heels of the epic 8-second silence when asked about that very issue. Sen. McCain, it seems, gets clammy when asked about family planning and birth control...

So, Sen. McCain - where do you stand on this proposed regulation?

[cue crickets]

It just goes to show how important it is to have a pro-choice president in the White House. We need a president who's going to protect our right to choose, and protect our right to birth control! McCain has voted against choice 125 times in the Senate - and 22 of those votes were against birth control.

We can't afford another anti-choice presidency. Please take a moment to take action.

Check out these other blog posts for more information:

• The Feminist Peace Network
• Feministing
• Christina Page at RH Reality Check
• Broadsheet
• Lazy Circles
• Viva La Feminista

UPDATE: I've added some more blog posts above (so check them out!), and wanted to add an article from Women's eNews and a post from our president, Nancy Keenan, in RH Reality Check.

UPDATE 2: Ooooh, and another one... this time from bitch magazine. The feminist blogosphere is all over this!

So, to take a well-deserved break and celebrate our endorsement of Sen. Barack Obama, friends of NARAL Pro-Choice America held quite a bash: "Change is on the Way...So Why Not Have a Drink While We Wait?"

Check out what these pro-choice, pro-Obama guests have to say about our next president in this week's Liberty Lowdown.

If you have trouble viewing this video, watch on our YouTube channel.

Although, his words are pretty fantastic:

"I certainly do not want to discuss that issue."

"I don't know what I voted."

"I don't know enough about it to give you an informed answer." (But you knew enough about it to vote against it?)

"It's something that I had not thought much about." (Yes, I always love to make important decisions about things I don't know about).

"I don't usually duck an issue, but I'm, I'll try to get back to you." (I'll be waiting by the phone).

I would love to know what McCain thinks he would say if he ever did call that reporter back. "I do remember that vote now, and I still think it's completely fair for insurance companies to cover Viagra but not prescription birth control"? "I thought about it, and covering pills for men's sex drives is way more important than providing women with basic health care"?

Let's find out for ourselves. Help us call out McCain's campaign on his choice-related votes. Since he 'doesn't duck an issue,' I'm sure he'll be glad to come clean about his anti-choice positions to the public.

And our friends over at RH Reality Check will help you do that. Their "I'm Pro-Choice and I Vote" page collects DC correspondent Dana Goldstein's election coverage to date. She'll keep you up to date on pro-choicers running in Senate races, pro-choice Republicans, and more. 

Also, don't forget that elections aren't just about voting for candidates - they can also include choice-related ballot initiatives. (Remember the attempted abortion ban in South Dakota in 2006? That was one of these puppies).

To see if your state will have an anti-choice measure on the ballot this November, check out Dana's blog post and our ballot initiative page.

To stay up to date with election-related videos, check out YouTube's YouChoose 08 channel.

• CQPolitics.com Ground Game - McCain and Pro-Choice GOP Women
• Salon.com Broadsheet - Is Carly Fiorina secretly working for Obama?
• Reno and Its Discontents - Carly Fiorina Is No Dummy, But Is She A Fool?

Just in case she missed the buzz on her flub, last night we sent Fiorina a note and copy of Sen. McCain's record on choice for a little light reading on her next flight between speaking gigs. We haven't received a thank you message yet (big surprise there), but we'll certainly let you know if we do!

"a real, live example which I've been hearing a lot about from women: There are many health insurance plans that will cover Viagra but won't cover birth-control medication. Those women would like a choice."

If that's what Fiorina really thinks, maybe she should take another look at her candidate's record. McCain actually voted against a proposal that would have required insurance companies to cover prescription contraception in the same way they pay for Viagra. [Clinton/Reid amendment to FY'06 Budget Resolution, S.Con.Res.18, 3/17/05.]

While we all know about McCain's 125 anti-choice votes (see pages 6-10 of his record), a lot of people still don't know how extreme McCain's record is. Including, apparently, one of his own senior advisors.

Read our full press release here.