Some Advice For Christine Quinn's Blog

It is always nice to see more and more public officials blogging these days. When Congressmembers, Senators and ex-Presidents come around DailyKos, things get interesting to say the least. On the local level, the Governor drops by The Albany Project and many other officials give interviews to blogs and even create one for themselves. Last week the controversial Speaker Christine Quinn came up with the aptly named Red Room Blog hosted at the Council's website. Almost immediately, there were ideas thrown out to her.

From Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum:

In my opinion, it's only a matter of time before elected officials blogging will be the rule, not the exception, and I am glad to see more of my colleagues joining me in the blogosphere. The Public Advocates Corner has already helped me let more people know what I’m working on, and what I care about, and hear more from New Yorkers about issues that concern them.

I hope the Red Room blog also serves to create an online conversation around legislative happenings and other council news (can we expect to see a space for comments?), and I look forward to reading it over the coming months.

Yeah, my first thought was about the comment section as well when I saw the blog. It was apparently and dare I say, intentionally missing. See Betsy, Speaker Quinn doesn't generally like to get feedback on what she does. I remember during the term limits extension "public forum" time, she didn't even bother to show up to the chambers to hear citizens' grievances. Instead she went to small events around town that suited her interests.

Public officials that blog can be divided into two categories. Most politicians write online in order to spread their message, as if they were giving a speech and everyone in the room is honored just to listen. Then there is a smaller group that comes to participate, not only presenting a vision but responding to people's comments, concerns and suggestions. Quinn is clearly in the former.

With that said, I wish her goodluck in her blog. I do hope she follows that advice to open a comment section. And of course that she reads it from time to time, or at least has an intern or staffer that can read it to her when she isn't busy kissing Bloomberg's behind.

Blogger Battles NYPD And Wins, Sorta

It has always been an uphill struggle for bloggers in this town, this state and this country for that matter. The establishment did not take the online community seriously for a long time and now, things are beginning to change. Politicos realize that we've helped elect candidates and win battles with the supposed conventional wisdom. Well that struggle is an ongoing process, including right here in New York. Today however, we won another battle, thanks to Norman Siegel and blogger Rafael Martinez-Alequin.

From The Daily Politics:

Maverick City Hall blogger Rafael Martinez-Alequin has won his battle to get the NYPD to give him an official press card, the DN's Frank Lombardi reports.[...]

One wrinkle: The crendentials are "identification" cards, which offer less access than those issued to "working press." The latter allow the bearer to cross police lines.

Martinez-Alequin and Siegel said the three would continue their federal suit despite being granted press credentials.

"This is an important first step, but only a first step," Siegel said. We still need to address the constitutional problems in the system of granting press crednetials in new York City that has run amok and needs to be changed immediately, so the lawsuit continues."

Siegel said he would prefer to see the city Department of Consumer Affairs handle press credentials, calling it inappropriate for a high-profile agency like the police department to have the final word on who is a journalist.

So Martinez-Alequin has his press pass, or at least something that looks like it. The NYPD didn't give all the way, but with that lawsuit pending, hopefully they'll be irrelevant to the process in due time. Your Free Press is now one step closer to the rest of the traditional media's position inside City Hall.

Bloggers Against Sweatshops

You may have seen that piece in the news about how hard bloggers are worked in this incessant nonstop age of news and information. While the Times forgot that bloggers might just be human, Barely Political took it a step farther to mock the traditional media's attempt at profiling the blogger community:

Blogging The Lord's Work?

I've heard that cleanliness is close to godliness, but can blogging bring you closer to the lord? Apparently if you are supporting Huckabee by blogging articles for him then you are doing HIS work. I know Huckabee has theological training, but come on, political blogging has nothing to do with God. It is a shame that he sinks this low to win votes, but then again, he is a Republican.

From ThinkProgress:

Calling them his “secret weapon,” Huckabee urged the bloggers to “clog” up the wireless system in Des Moines so that reporters couldn’t file any more “bad” stories about him. He added that by blocking the free press from doing their jobs, bloggers were “doing the Lord’s work”:

Mr. Huckabee had a rough time yesterday at the hands of the media when he announced he was canceling a negative ad against Mitt Romney and then showed the ad to the assembled reporters, who burst out laughing. Today, he turned the tables. He noted that the mainstream media might be “filing a bad story” right now, and if the bloggers were relying on the same wireless system at the hotel, they might be “clogging up the lines” and preventing them from filing.

If that’s the case, “thank you,” he said. “You’re doing the Lord’s work.”

Huckabee has repeatedly made baseless claims that his conservative causes are sanctioned by God. At a Republican Governors Association Dinner speech in 2004, Huckabee had a mock three-minute telephone conversation with God. During that time, Huckabee said that “we kind of think you’d hang in there with us, Lord, we really do.”

That may have been a mock phone call, but Huckabee probably thought he had the real thing before the dinner.

By the way, why is blocking the press the lord's work? What if the press were blocked from filing bad stories about McCain or Romney. Would that be the devil's work by chance?

The Prince Of Darkness Anticipates His After-Life

The Prince of Darkness, technically named Robert Novak, reporter and pundit extraordinaire is getting older and wants to pontificate on his life in politics. He has been on Washington like white on rice for quite some time, often too close and lately playing the fool for the powers that be. Still, he has some interesting things to say now.

From The Examiner:

» On blogs: “I’m 76 years old, and pretty soon I’m going to a place where there are no blogs.”
» He said LBJ and JFK were the only Democrats he’s voted for, “but I regret Johnson.”
» On George W. Bush: “All presidents look better after they’re dead, and George W. Bush can count on that.”
» On Gerald Ford: “Fox News got me out of bed to talk about Gerry Ford [when he died]. I said how incompetent I thought he was. They got me out of that studio so fast …”

There was more of the same at Georgetown University on Wednesday night. He called CNN founder Ted Turner a “classic example of a madman” and said he’d turn Keith Olbermann down if the MSNBC anchor ever asked to meet him.

When someone asked how he got his sources, he replied: “How I developed them? I’m so charming.”

Charming is the last word that comes to mind when I think of the pundit-turned-puppet of the neo-conservative powers in the Bush Administration. Since Bob isn't going where there are any harpsicords or cherubs, he might see bloggers typing truth in his face for the rest of eternity while Keith Olbermann attacks George Bush's unconstitutional moves in the background. Have fun crossing the river Styx Mr. Novak.

Remember This Guy?

At last night's National Press Club's bash against bloggers, none other than Jeff Gannon (to the left of the man with the camera) showed up to hear Tony Snow et al to hear the complaints against the blogosphere. Our incessant attacks on their lack of journalistic ethics has really gotten to the D.C. establishment. Gannon certainly has his gripes against us, especially after he was outed as a White House shill and operator of several gay porn sites. Welcome back to the D.C. cocktail circuit Jeff.

This One's For You MSM

Considering the Edwards-blogger brouhaha, I believe this TT sketch from last year covers the unfair practices that the so-called liberal media commit on a routine basis.

John Edwards Gets It Done

From his blog:

The tone and the sentiment of some of Amanda Marcotte's and Melissa McEwan's posts personally offended me. It's not how I talk to people, and it's not how I expect the people who work for me to talk to people. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but that kind of intolerant language will not be permitted from anyone on my campaign, whether it's intended as satire, humor, or anything else. But I also believe in giving everyone a fair shake. I've talked to Amanda and Melissa; they have both assured me that it was never their intention to malign anyone's faith, and I take them at their word. We're beginning a great debate about the future of our country, and we can't let it be hijacked. It will take discipline, focus, and courage to build the America we believe in.

Well said, the story should be over now. Never let wingers spread a deceitful message and allow them to get away with it.