Bill Clinton gestures during a speech. Bill: 'New era of progressive politics'

PITTSBURGH - Former President Bill Clinton told an audience of liberal online activists Thursday evening that the nation has “entered a new era of progressive politics” that could last for decades if Democrats can pass ambitious measures such as health care reform and climate change.

In a nearly hour-long keynote address to the fourth annual Netroots Nation convention in Pittsburgh, a gathering of roughly 1,500 progressive bloggers and activists, Clinton said the nation—and public opinion—has dramatically changed in the 16 years since he took office. But he noted that President Barack Obama and the Democratic-controlled Congress needed the support of the online community to achieve their agenda.


“We have entered a new era of progressive politics which, if we do it right, can last 30 or 40 years,” Clinton said. “America has rapidly moved to another place on a lot of these issues.”

“The president needs your help,” he said, “and the cause needs your help.”

Clinton warned against the dangers of failing to compromise on some elements of health care reform, calling for agreement on a plan that includes a handful of elements that have widespread public support and perhaps conceding on those that have little support among voters.

“I want us to be mindful we may need to take less than a full loaf,” he said. “We can’t be in the peanut gallery. We have to be actors. We can’t ask the President to go it alone. We can’t ask Congress to go it alone."

Clinton had a similar message on climate change legislation.

“The President stuck his neck out here and the Congress stuck its neck out,” he said, “but we have to have a bill.”

Clinton, who has met several times over the past year with bloggers to discuss a range of topics, told the audience that he is an avid reader of blogs who supplements his research with material gleaned from them.

“I read a lot of your blogs on health care,” he said.

The speech, which was otherwise warmly received, was interrupted several times by shouts from the audience referring to his administration’s sanctioning of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy regarding gays in the military and the former president’s signing of the “Defense of Marriage Act.”

Clinton responded with an impassioned defense of his actions and expressed regret.

“Nobody regrets how this was implemented any more than I do,” he said. “I hated what happened.”