Their clout rising, blogs are courted by Washington's elite

[Ian David]

USA > Domestic Politics
from the October 27, 2005 edition

Their clout rising, blogs are courted by Washington's elite
By Gail Russell Chaddock | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
WASHINGTON – Beltway politicos, famously slow to adopt technology, are wooing blogs - all but Trent Lott.

"Bloggers claim I was their first pelt, and I believe that. I'll never read a blog," says the former Senate majority leader, who forfeited that title after bloggers Joshua Micah Marshall and Glenn Reynolds picked up a racially charged remark, drawing the attention of mainstream media (MSM) and his Senate colleagues.

<snip>

Last week, House Republicans convened the first ever "Capitol Hill Blog Row." In a small committee room in the Capitol, a dozen bloggers, selected by an informal poll of GOP staff, were provided soft drinks, a high-speed Net connection, and access to top Republican figures for half a day. Issues discussed ranged from how to cut government spending to the future of the GOP.

As a follow-up, Speaker Hastert is launching his own blog. "Blogging is the new talk radio," says Hastert spokesman Ron Bonjean. "People listen to talk radio because the mainstream media is too liberal for them. It makes sense for the Speaker to get the Republican message out to them."

<snip>

But activists on both sides of the aisle expect the Miers hearings to draw much more blog interest. "On the Roberts fight, the blogs didn't add much to the debate. But on this one, they're vital," says Manuel Miranda, a conservative activist who is leading a coalition opposing the nomination.

EDITED BY ADMIN: COPYRIGHT

http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1027/p01s03-uspo.html

[pauldp]

1. Hastert "People listen to talk radio because the mainstream media..."

is too liberal for them."

Translation: some people prefer their propaganda force fed to them rather than on a cracker with a spritzer.

[displacedtexan]

2. Too bad their deadline caused them to botch the last graph.

Tee hee.