The Austin American-Statesman's Lily Rockwell reports on Al Gore's surprise appearance at the "Netroots Convention" held in Austin.

The Statesman's Rockwell reports:

... when Gore took the stage, the crowd went wild, standing and cheering enthusiastically for the global warming champion. Gore came across more folksy and charming than he is remembered for being during his campaign for presidency.

Rockwell reports that Gore told the audience of 'progressives':

"You are at the cutting edge of a new era of history.... You will tell your grandchildren about the first two meetings of Netroots Nation…an effort that was historic to retain the integrity of American democracy.”

Gore also told the audience, "the North Polar ice cap is at risk of melting completely during the summer months..."

Gore's appearance with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi came complete with the silliness expected at such gatherings of 'progressives,' including, according to the report: a question about whether meat added to global warming; the obligatory interruption from anti-war group Code Pink; and one questioner who yelled, "Where is our (expletive) impeachment?" -- a question ignored by both Pelosi and Gore.

Update: Rockewell summed up Pelosi's and Gore's appearance thusly:

Global warming must be stopped. President Bush is bad. Presidential candidate Barack Obama is good. The troops should come home. Keep Democrats in Congress.

That’s a simple version of the main points former Vice President Al Gore and U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi touched on during their lengthy keynote Saturday morning. It ran nearly two hours long, and each took dozens of questions from the audience.