An important and successful national conference was held in Chicago the weekend of November 22 and 23. Over the conference’s two days, big questions were dug into: how to sum up the political fight to drive out the Bush Regime, the impact of the Obama candidacy and election, independent mass political protest’s importance and relevance as the Bush years come to an end, the urgent need to create a broad climate of resistance and defiance, and more. Reports from Steering Committee members and other material from the conference will soon be forthcoming. Below is a speech from National Director Debra Sweet (here), Steering Committee member Jill McGlaughlin (here), and two articles by Kevin Gosztola (here and here), which provide a sense of some of the conference’s atmosphere and the challenges taken up by participants.