LAS VEGAS - A new political movement is taking root here this week at the first-ever YearlyKos convention, a gathering of liberal bloggers bent on revolutionizing American politics through the power of the Internet.

They believe the Washington political establishment is out of touch with everyday Americans. And they believe the mainstream news media have failed the country by swallowing White House spin.

So, "now it's our turn" to force reforms on the Washington elite, they have declared here in one united voice since the four-day convention began Thursday.

And those who refuse the demands of this "people-powered movement" of "netroot activism" will be left behind, Marcos Moulitsas, founder of the Daily Kos blog, vowed in his keynote address to his fellow netizens.

The fact that the YearlyKos convention has attracted top-tier Democrats as speakers shows they are a potent force in progressive politics, strong enough that would-be Democratic presidential nominees ignore them at their political risk.

Retired Gen. Wesley Clark headlined a "Championing Science" panel Friday, about the same time that Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico was starring in talks about "A Project for Sustainable Energy." Gov. Tom Vilsack of Iowa is slated to join a panel of "Changing Education" today.

But among the possible candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008, the full-court press of this overwhelmingly liberal convention came from the moderate former governor of Virginia, Mark Warner. In addition to getting the Saturday luncheon speaking assignment, Warner hosted a "Blogosphere at the Stratosphere" party Friday at the futuristic tower on the famed Las Vegas Strip.

In addition, Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., addressed the gathering Friday, and Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., were the scheduled speakers today.

But labor leaders and liberal interest groups also roamed the halls of the Riviera Hotel and Casino swooning over the nearly 1,000 "netroots" activists, armed with laptop computers. Moulitsas hopes these activists can be forged into a liberal political structure capable of winning national elections for progressives.

"This is to progressive politics what talk radio is to conservatives," said John Laesch, a congressional candidate from Illinois. Laesch is attempting the near impossible -- to unseat House Speaker Dennis Hastert. And without any support from the Democratic Party, he is trying to harness the energy and influence of bloggers to help.

"This is the wave of the future in politics," Laesch said. "The talk on the blogs is the same as the talk on the street corners. The issues that are important to the bloggers are the same issues that are important at the grass roots."

Bloggers have been growing in influence since 2004 when they lined up behind Howard Dean's campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. That same year, for the first time, they received media credentials to the Democratic National Convention, and they have been multiplying ever since.

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