Nation Guide: Report from Chicago

Written by Matthew Filipowicz.

On a bitter cold February night, close to 100 Chicago area liberals braved the weather to attend "The Nation Guide To Living Liberally", a night of comedy, music, and guest speakers celebrating liberalism in Chicago and the release of "The Nation's Guide To The Nation".

The event, hosted by Chicago's Drinking Liberally and Laughing Liberally Local 312 took place at the fabulous No Exit Café in Roger's Park, which is featured in the Nation Guide along with it's sister establishment, the Heartland Café. Another business featured in the Nation Guide, local book store Quimby's, was on hand to sell copies of the book.

The night featured stand-up comedy from the hysterical James Fritz and Carrie Callahan. The Accountants of Homeland Security, Chicago's Laughing Liberally Local 312, performed sketches including one envisioning a paranoid George W. Bush, six months from today, having completely fallen off the wagon and fearing prosecution for his war crimes.

"Nixonland" author and historian Rick Perlstein gave a talk on Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood worthy of any stand-up comedian. Tracy Van Slyke of the Media Consortium gave an fascinating speech on the new progressive media landscape.

Songwriter Lauren Maul serenaded the crowd with hysterical songs about the Wall Street bailout and shopping at Wal-mart.

And finally, yours truly, Matthew Filipowicz, had the honor of performing and screening some of my Headzup political cartoons.

After the show, as the audience and performers drank, mingled and talked politics, author, labor lawyer and IL-5th Congressional Candidate Tom Geoghegan stopped by to chat with all of us.

All in all, the night completely accomplished what Living Liberally and "The Nation Guide To The Nation" set out to do. It provided an opportunity for liberals from different backgrounds to connect with each other. To bring politics into their everyday lives. And to have a great time while they do it. Don't believe me? Take a look at the pictures and tell me that doesn't look like fun.

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