Conference Agenda

THURSDAY, JANUARY 19
6:30PM-7:30PM Welcome Cocktail Reception
Jennifer Granholm, Former Governor, Michigan
Philip Levine, Mayor, Miami Beach
Magnolia Courtyard
7:30PM-9:00PM DINNER
Remarks by Keith Olbermann, host of GQ.coms, The Resistance
Magnolia Courtyard

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20
7:30AM-8:30AM BREAKFAST
Ballroom South Foyer
8:30AM-9:00AM Welcome & Introductory Remarks
David Brock, Founder, Media Matters, American Bridge, Shareblue
Ballroom III
9:00AM-10:00AM What the Hell Just Happened?
Top progressive strategists look back at the 2016 election, discuss what led to the
shocking results, and look ahead at how Democrats can set themselves up to win
elections moving forward.
James Carville, Veteran Democratic Operative
Jon Cowan, President, Third Way
Ilyse Hogue, President, NARAL Pro-Choice America
Mike Podhorzer, Chair, Analyst Institute; Political Director, AFL-CIO
Ballroom III
10:00AM-10:15AM BREAK
10:15AM-11:15AM Breakouts (CHOOSE ONE)
Option 1) Learning from 2016: Democratic Messages That Win
We will discuss the key lessons from 2016, and how we can craft a Democratic
message that can help us build a big tent coalition to win.
Harold Ford, Jr., Former US Representative & Political Pundit for MSNBC and CNBC
Doug Hattaway, President, Hattaway Communications
John Neffinger, President, Franklin Forum; Author of NYT best-seller Compelling People
Stephanie Schriock, President, EMILYs List
Ballroom I
Option 2) Learning from 2016: Leveraging Tools and Tactics to Win
From polling, digital strategies, field operations, advertising, and other tactical elements,
we will look at what went wrong and what went right to inform future campaigns.
Jill Alper, Principal, Dewey Square Group
John Anzalone, Partner, Anzalone Lizst Grove
Donnie Fowler, CEO, Tech4America
Tim Lim, Partner, Bully Pulpit Interactive
Ballroom II
11:15PM-12:00PM The Road to Fascism?
Donald Trumps ties to Russia, his public criticism of his opposition, and his constant bullying of
the press suggest the tactics of a fascist leader. What can we learn from looking at other countries
with strongman leaders and what factors led to American voters electing such a leader?
Masha Gessen, Journalist, author, and activist noted for her opposition to Vladimir Putin
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Former Lieutenant Governor, Maryland
Gara LaMarche, President, Democracy Alliance
Yascha Mounk, Lecturer at Harvard University focused on the crisis of liberal democracy
Ballroom III
Democracy Matters | 9
 12:00PM-12:30PM BREAK (Guests go through lunch buffet)
Ballroom South Foyer
12:30PM-1:45PM LUNCH: Trumps First 100 Days
After winning the Electoral College, Trump has the legal authority, but his opposition has the
moral authorityand the moral responsibilityto resist his policies, corrupt deals and bad
actor nominees at every turn. We will look at the actions that Trump may take in his first 100
days in office and how we can resist these regressive and dangerous policies at every turn.
Rahm Emanuel, Mayor, Chicago; Former Chief of Staff to President Obama
Maya Harris, Senior Policy Advisor, Hillary for America; Former Vice President for
Democracy, Rights, and Justice, Ford Foundation
Ron Klain, Former Chief of Staff to Vice President Biden and Vice President Gore
Jessica Mackler, President, American Bridge
Jessica Mackler discusses American Bridge Strategic Plan
Ballroom III
1:45PM-2:00PM BREAK
2:00PM-3:15PM Impact Litigation, Ethics and Holding Trump Accountable Through the Courts
The Trump administration is on track for unprecedented conflicts of interest and
unethical and possibly illegal behavior. We will discuss how the right-wing organization
Judicial Watch operated successfully as a thorn in the side of the Obama administration
and the Clinton campaign, and how the Trump administration presents opportunities for
impact litigation to hold the President accountable to the law.
Noah Bookbinder, Executive Director, CREW
Norm Eisen, Chairman of the Board, CREW, Fmr. Ambassador to the Czech Republic,
and Special Counsel for Ethics Reform to Obama Administration
Roberta Kaplan, Partner, Paul, Weiss, argued United States v. Windsor,
landmark case in fight for marriage equality
Brina Milikowsky, Chief Strategy Officer, Everytown for Gun Safety
Norm Eisen discusses CREW Strategic Plan
Ballroom III
3:15PM-3:30PM BREAK
3:30PM-4:30PM Winning Women & Winning Elections
Hillary Clinton nearly shattered the highest glass ceiling to become the first female
president of the United States. Yet her campaign was plagued with pervasive strains
of misogyny, including in how it was covered by the media. Donald Trump ran the
most hateful, anti-woman campaign in modern history and his presidency poses a
clear and present danger to womens overall empowerment, including their economic
freedom and reproductive health. This did not keep voters, including women, from
voting for Trumpmany stating that while his comments were distasteful, they
werent disqualifying. What needs to happen to get voters to care about preserving
womens rights at the ballot? How should reproductive rights and womens
empowerment be used as a wedge in the upcoming issue and confirmation fights?
What can be done to address the unique challenges that women candidates face?
Wade Davis, Former NFL Player, thoughtleader on gender, race & orientation equality
Alexis McGill Johnson, Executive Director & Co-Founder, The Perception Institute
Maria Teresa Kumar, Executive Director, Voto Latino
Barbara Lee, Founder & President of the Barbara Lee Political Office
and Barbara Lee Family Foundation
Cecile Richards, President, Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Tracy Weitz, Director, US Programs, Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation
Ballroom III

10 | Private & Confidential

4:30PM-7:00PM BREAK
7:00PM-8:00PM Cocktails
Bourbon Steak
8:00PM-9:30PM DINNER: States Stand Up
Republicans control all levels of federal power and 33 governors mansions across the
country. However, progressive champions in Democratic controlled states are standing
up for our values and vowing to fight back against Trumps regressive agenda. Over
dinner, we will hear from three attorneys general as to how they are ensuring that their
states remain bastions of equality and inclusivity, and how we can use these examples
as models to emulate throughout the country.
Hector Balderas, Attorney General of New Mexico
Maura Healey, Attorney General of Massachusetts
Jennifer Granholm, Former Governor, Michigan
Eric Schneiderman, Attorney General of New York
Bourbon Steak
9:30PM-11:00PM Dance Party!
Bourbon Steak
SATURDAY, JANUARY 21
7:30AM-8:30AM BREAKFAST
Ballroom South Foyer
8:30AM-9:15 AM A View from the Hill: A Conversation with Senator Merkley
As Donald Trump and Republican leaders in Congress prepare to roll back progressive
policies, install a corrupt cabinet, and rework the federal judiciary, Democrats are
organizing to fight. We will get perspective from the Democratic opposition in the
Senate about the work they are doing to stand up to the Trump agenda.
Jeff Merkley, US Senator, Oregon
Ballroom III
9:15AM-9:40AM Fake News: The Human Impact
James Alefantis, chef owner Comet Ping Pong and target of Pizzagate
Fake News Conspiracy
Ballroom III
9:40AM-10:00AM BREAK
10:00AM-10:45AM Breakouts (CHOOSE ONE)
Option 1) Fake News: What Is It? What Can We Do About It?
The right-wing has led a decades-long campaign to discredit the mainstream media and push
disinformation on the American public. Now, with an increasingly fragmented media and new
tools to promote falsehoods quickly and directly to the public, Fake News has become a very
real problem. We will discuss the origins of Fake News, its implications in fomenting anger and
violence, and how we can stop its dissemination in a world where the media is no longer a
trusted entity.
Angelo Carusone, President, Media Matters
Todd Gitlin, Chair, Ph.D. Program at Columbia Journalism School
Jonathan Taplin, Director Emeritus, Annenberg Innovation Lab at
USCs Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
Ballroom I

Democracy Matters | 11
 Option 2) Covering Trump, What the Press Got Wrong and How to Get it Right
It cannot be denied that the media helped give rise to Donald Trump, giving him over
$1 billion dollars in free air time and refusing to hold him to the same standard as previous
candidates. Now it appears that Trump, with the bully pulpit of the White House, may
circumvent traditional media altogether through social media, stonewalling, and bullying.
We will discuss how media can hold the Trump administration accountable and keep
citizens informed.
David Cay Johnston, Pulitzer Prize winning investigative journalist
Katie Paris, Senior Advisor, Shareblue
Michael Tomasky, Editor in Chief, Democracy, Special Correspondent, Newsweek,
The Daily Beast
Ballroom II
10:45AM-11:00AM BREAK
11:00AM-11:30AM How We Fight Fake News and Hold the Press Accountable
Angelo Carusone discusses Media Matters Strategic Plan
Ballroom III
11:30AM-12:15PM Disruptive Technology and How to Apply Them to Politics
Two technology innovators will show how Democrats can utilize technology to build
platforms to bring people together around key issues. They will discuss how disruptive
technologies can be used to engage communities online, the unexpected consequences of
building these platforms, and what it can mean for future electoral and issue campaigns.
Reid Hoffman, Partner, Greylock Partners, Co-Founder of LinkedIn
Mark Pincus, Chairman and CEO, Zynga
Ballroom III
12:15PM-12:45PM BREAK (Guests go through lunch buffet)
12:45PM-1:15PM LUNCH: Winning in the States: A Conversation with Attorney General Eric Holder
and Governor Steve Bullock
We will discuss how Democrats can build momentum from the ground up, starting
in the states, to advance progressive policy and defend voting rights. We will look at
legislative opportunities in governors races in 2018 and how we can impact the big
prize of redistricting in 2020.
Steve Bullock, Governor, Montana
Jennifer Granholm, Former Governor, Michigan
Eric Holder, Former Attorney General of the United States
Ballroom III
1:15PM-2:30 PM A Vision for the Future: Forum with DNC Chair Candidates
Charlie Baker, President & Co-Founder of Dewey Square Group
David Brock, Founder, Media Matters, American Bridge, Shareblue
Andrew Gillum will lead a conversation about the future of the Democratic Party and the
progressive movement with the announced candidates for DNC Chair.
Ray Buckley, Chair, New Hampshire Democratic Party
Keith Ellison, Congressman, Minnesota
Andrew Gillum, Mayor, Tallahassee, Florida
Jaime Harrison, Chair, South Carolina Democratic Party
Tom Perez, Former Secretary of Labor
Ballroom III
2:30PM-3:00PM Our ChallengeAnd Yours
Mary Pat Bonner, President, Bonner Group
David Brock, Founder, Media Matters, American Bridge, Shareblue
Ballroom III
4:00PM-6:00PM Community Building