Net-Savvy Democrats Aim to Pack a Digital Punch

"I clearly think this may be one of the most important parts of the future of Democratic politics in this country," said Warner.

Reid, who has courted Internet activists since becoming Senate minority leader last year, was equally emphatic.

"I don't think we know today" where its impact will end up, Reid said. "But it's not going to be less, and it's going to be greater."

Reid demonstrated his belief in the group's significance by using a Saturday-night speech at the conference to announce that he would introduce legislation to sharpen congressional oversight of the intelligence information Bush is using to make decisions about Iran.

Reid said his legislation would require a new "national intelligence estimate" on Iran and establish procedures to check the accuracy of claims from senior officials about the country's nuclear weapons program.

Daily Kos has become a huge online gathering place for Democrats to debate issues, vent spleen, and promote causes and candidates. Moulitsas estimates the site receives at least 500,000 visits a day. Though many of those may be repeat visitors, that's enough to place him at the forefront of politically oriented websites.

The rise of sites like Daily Kos has stirred concerns among Democratic centrists who fear that the new activists are pressuring the party toward liberal positions that will impede its ability to build a national electoral majority.

Moulitsas and other speakers at the conference contested the idea that they were trying to impose a liberal orthodoxy on the party.

But the conference, like the discussions on the website, was marked by an unwavering call for Democrats to fight more forcefully against Bush, the conservative movement, and mainstream media institutions they believe favor the GOP.

The conference drew four Democrats considered possible contenders for the party's 2008 presidential nomination: Govs. Bill Richardson of New Mexico and Tom Vilsack of Iowa, retired Army Gen. Wesley K. Clark and Warner.

Warner was by far the most visible of the four. He received a prime speaking slot to address the group Saturday afternoon, and he hosted a lavish party for conference-goers Friday night at the Stratosphere Hotel.

Still, 2008 did not seem the principal focus for most of those attending. Much more discussion, from the podium and among attendees, focused on two 2006 candidates: Jon Tester, who won the Democratic Senate nomination in Montana last week with help from online activists, and Ned Lamont, the Connecticut businessman who is challenging Sen. Joe Lieberman for the Democratic Senate nomination largely by focusing on Lieberman's support for the Iraq war.