VIRTUALLY DEMOCRATIC

As it turns out, the Democratic Party's policy positions on national security cannot be modified; they may, however, be put up for sale or given away.  This would be crucial news, as the party of FDR returns to power, but as far as we know, these facts only hold true in Second Life, where George Miller, a leading Democratic Congressman (and senior majority party member of the Committe on Education and the Workforce) appeared in-world today as an avatar known as Geo Milner Justin Cannonball.   I know this because a press secretary from that Committee e-mailed me the news, with word on Nancy Pelosi's interest in Second Life, as well:  "The Speaker is very excited about the promise and possibilities of working in the Second Life environment," reads the statement. "Major American corporations and prestigious learning institutions like Harvard and MIT have all found ways to use second life [sic] to open up new opportunities for business, education and collaboration. We hope to do the same for public policy."   

Noting the first hundred hours of the new Congress-- and the death of President Ford

While Nancy Pelosi didn't appear in-world today as hoped (by speakerphone, at least), "Congressman Miller stuck around for awhile and was very informative," NWN contributor Rik Riel tells me.  (Read his write-up here.)

As part of Congressman Miller's appearance, a virtual Capitol Hill has been created [direct teleport here], and walking along the pathways, you can stop at several domed kiosks to pick up handy briefers on Democratic policies for major issues of the day.  The notecards' permission rights are set to No Modify and Resell/Give Away-- meaning you can sell your copy or hand it to someone else, but you can't go changing it on the fly.  So if, say, Al Qaeda insurgents suddenly threatened to overwhelm Baghdad, and the Democratic plan to "begin the phased redeployment of US forces from Iraq in 2006" started to seem like an untenable promise, the owners of Capitol Hill would have to change the Modification rights on their National Security notecard, and add some kind of qualification.  Or perhaps more efficiently, just scrap the policy card and start again.  Or not change the notecard at all, and hope no one noticed the defunct plan as documented in Second Life.

I was a touch skeptical that Speaker Pelosi would invest any attention in Second Life at all, what with just being sworn in as leader of the 110th Congress, an ongoing war, and all that to worry about.  But Kiwini Oe, a Resident with the marketing firm which created the Capitol Hill island and coordinated Represenative Miller's appearance there, insists that is the case.

"George Miller has been spending a lot of time with her these past few weeks," he tells me near the SL replica of the Speaker's podium. "That's how she knows what's going on with Second Life and this whole thing was done with her knowledge and understanding."

But it's unclear if she's aware of her previous appearance there. 

"Does the Speaker know there's a half dozen Nancy Pelosi clone avatars engaged in a light saber battle with a Stephen Colbert avatar officiated by a bikini-clad Soledad O'Brien from Jabba's sail barge?" I ask.

"I'm not sure she's seen that," says Oe, grinning, "but we all have!  I'll ask around."

Update, 11:05pm:  Rik Riel has a great on-the-scene report of Rep. Miller's appearance here.

Comments

[Linda Zimmer]

Just to clarify (I attended the event), Rep George Miller had his own avatar (named for him) and was not in the personage of Justin Cannonball. I did not arrive early enough to determine exactly who Cannonball is, however he did act as spokesperson for Miller. I'd love to know if he's telling his real life ID.

Congressman Miller was in attendance for the interview only, but Justin was indeed helpful and full of information. Rep. Miller also indicated Pelosi did indeed have full knowledge - and had given permission for this in-world event.

My write up is here, if interested: http://freshtakes.typepad.com/sl_communicators/2007/01/united_states_c.html

[Hamlet Au]

Thanks! A marketing staffer corrected me that it was Geo Milner, and I've changed accordingly.

[rikomatic]

Rocketboom has posted their video blog of the briefing. Nicely done!