All of us are excited that the famous Pink Lady, Eileen Smith, Editor of In the Pink Texas, will be joining the Social Media Club of Austin to discuss the impact of social media on politics and public policy. A couple of years ago, I googled a topic that I was sure would take me to the Washington Post or one of the many political journals now on line. Instead of finding something, well, that was the usual and boring, I was directed to the Pink Lady and In the Pink Texas, one of the smartest political blogs being written today. I have been an avid reader ever since.

I’ve come to find that the influence of In the Pink Texas is growing on our state and local politicians, maybe even beyond that. Eileen regularly calls out the politicians when they have wandered into policy areas and political maneuvers that would leave them at the mercy of Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, if they were based in Austin. She, and her team of brilliant contributing writers, cover every topic of interest to the politically minded - including subjects that don’t seem very political, but are highly entertaining to political junkies. Even as I write this, I wonder if they’ll make fun of it, and would probably laugh if they did.

I know, from many conversations, that the policy makers read the blog. I’ve seen Eileen effectively use YouTube and other innovative social media techniques, and I fully expect the influence of the blog to continue to grow. She has staff experience at the State Capitol, is a trained journalist, and has a whole lot of insight into politics at the national level, regularly commenting humorously and effectively on Presidential, U.S. Senate and other prominent campaigns. New posts appear daily that are filled with keen political and cultural insight, and with an irreverence that catches attention. It certainly caught mine.

If you’re reading this, you’re invited to hear her, and our panel, discuss the impact of social media, including In The Pink Texas, on politics and policy. The information is on this page. I hope to see you there.