Looking for feedback from DailyKos users.

Represented by Adam B, myself, Matt Stoller and Duncan Black (aka "Baby Blue Cherub"), the group of us fought (alongside some allies on the Right) to preserve our independence as a medium from federal regulators and campaign finance "reformers" who tried to stifle our free speech.

One of our arguments was that political opponents would file frivolous complaints against websites in order to try and shut them down. While there's nothing that can be done about frivolous complaints, the fact that they're getting shot down so quickly gives less incentive for similar complaints.

The agency said last week it dismissed a complaint by a Hillary Clinton supporter alleging that a pro-Barack Obama blog was actually "a direct arm" of the Obama campaign, and therefore subject to campaign finance restrictions.

In its ruling, the FEC reiterated that whatever costs are incurred by running a political blog need not be disclosed as a campaign contribution. "Political blogging is exactly the type of Internet activity that the Commission exempted from the definition of 'contribution' and 'expenditure,'" the FEC stated.

The complaint was brought last October by Clinton supporter Kirk Tofte, who alleged that the blog Iowa True Blue, operated by former Iowa Democratic Party chairman Gordon Fischer, had coordinated with Obama's campaign. Tofte alleged that Fischer endorsed Obama in September, after which he began posting critical items about Clinton.

"Gordon Fischer's Web site has ceased being just another political blog," Tofte wrote in the complaint. "Since 9/24/07 it has been one hundred percent negative against Hillary Clinton."

The FEC rejected the contention that Fischer had coordinated efforts with Obama. But the agency also held that even had he done so, it would not have triggered campaign finance restrictions.

"Any coordination would have been permissible ... because the activity was specifically exempted from the definition of 'public communication,'" the FEC stated.

The author of this piece at Online Media Daily adds this line:

Still, the new rules have left room for argument.

Actually, the new rules are so crystal clear, there is zero room for argument. They are so clear, in fact, that the FEC shot down a similar complaint filed against Daily Kos last year in a shockingly fast one week from the date they received our filing (see our filing here (PDF), and the decision here (PDF)).

Anyone who knows how adjudication agencies work in the federal government can tell you that a one-week decision can only take place because there was absolutely no gray area in the new rules. They are about as crystal clear as is ever possible in the law. The fact that wankers file bullshit complaints doesn't point to uncertainty in the regulations, it just proves that wankers roam the earth.

There are serious issues at stake in this election, and serious differences between the candidates. And we will argue about them, as we should. But it should remain an argument among friends; each of us struggling to hear our conscience, and heed its demands; each of us, despite our differences, united in our great cause, and respectful of the goodness in each other.

DAILYKOS is a featured Blog for these talking points.

I enjoyed reading __'s piece about NN and BlogHer and the comments as well and made me reflect on identity and anonymity in general as well as gender anonymity. And not unusually my comment ran away with itself turned into what should be a diary...so here it is: not a diary squeezed into a comment but a comment coming out as a diary.

When I read I seem to usually hear a somewhat neutral to male voice or identity unless the content, style or name tells me otherwise. But the most basic part of identity to me before gender, race, origin, age etc. is a persons name. But I have a life-long bad habit with names and forget to make the mental steps to take note or just don't focus on them, so later I will forget them. Other people usually don't seem to have the name problem as badly as I do. I know men are worse in general on this but there a exceptions both ways all over. Brain quirk, habit, damage? I don't know the reason. Even here on dkos I start reading and habitually don't register the name even of the diarist let alone the comments... Like this one for instance...until one comment mentioned kos...

By Mitchell Aboulafia  

I was tempted to title this piece, "The Cowardice of Bloggers," but I figured that this might be needlessly inflammatory. No reason to get people angry by calling them cowards just to get a bit of attention. (READ ME because I’m too controversial for words.) I have to admit that the temptation was great, for it seems that one needs to become the Dr. Strangelove of the Blogosphere to get noticed these days.

For the record, before I begin, I should make it clear that I am not suggesting that pseudonyms be banned from web sites. Nor I am suggesting that it isn’t fun and at times useful to use a handle that hides your true identity. Everyone wants to be Clark Kent on some days of the week. And of course there are serious political reasons, for example, retaliation by employers or governments, for hiding one's true identity.  No question, there are good grounds for using "pen names." With this string of caveats in place, I now make my case.

The Blogosphere is about to be buried in junk. When exactly it will be totally buried is anyone's guess, but I see the sphere turning into the electronic equivalent of Wall-E's earth, probably before the glaciers melt.

    Shall note I am "launching" (like a rocket, you hope it doesn't explode) today my new blog Obamaism.org, which is about what the blog title denotes (plus anything else I feel like opining).
    I have various people lined up as guest commenters/interviewees at Obamaism.org already, including

    --a brainy AND artistic Southwestern state legislator;

    --a professor of sociology and African-American studies at a well-known East Coast school;

    --a proprietor of a supremely snarkily-named blog;

    --etc. (I guess everyone is interested in Barack Obama)

    Enjoy!


    You'll see some humorous content in my first post at "O.o", including some parody of Peanuts (not Jimmy Carter) vis-a-vis politics. But there will be more serious comment later, so feel free to check back frequently. Until your refresh button wears out.
    Guest posters welcome; that means you.

    Here's the link again: http://obamaism.org.

    (much more below)

Sunday's mass shooting at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church raise a difficult question for this country and, subsequently, for the progressive netroots:  Will we take a stand against violent rhetoric?

So far, the answer is 'Not really.'

We need to do better.  The progressive blogs need to emphatically condemn violent rhetoric in American politics, and we need to do it with the passionate and unified voice this urgent problem demands.

Ever put one out, just an original diary, no internet links, no internet snagged pictures.

And original piece written solely for it's own merit?

I have been absent from DKOS for some time now, busy living, we all know how that is.

More (or not) below

I like to read blogs and visit many of them daily. It's about my only form of entertainment, other than birdwatching on a pleasant afternoon. I find myself most attracted to blogs that have something of a "horror movie" aspect, kind of like watching a train wreck in slow motion, or slowing down driving to view the outcome of a wreck or a fire. Not being a fan of real horror movies, and someone who studiously avoids them, what explains my devotion to the websites that preach gloom and doom? It's because I think they're correct in their assessments.

I'd been planning to write an entry bashing Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters for her attempts to privatize our road system.

While doing some more research, I found that the Department of Transportation now has a blog, The Fast Lane.   The comment policy is disturbing, to say the least.

The Fast Lane is a moderated blog, and we expect this community to treat its members with respect.  All comments will be reviewed before posting, and a representative sample will be posted to the site.

In other words, their stated policy involves picking and choosing (i.e. censoring) comments by the public on a government-run website.

If I'm reading the pocket Constitution I got at NN correctly (thanks, ACLU), this is in violation of the First Amendment statement that "Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech ... or the right of the people to petition the government"

Such is my take, anyway, and I believe it behooves those of us in the blogosphere to get such policies addressed and rectified sooner rather than later.

I was searching through all my daily blog reading goodness today when I was caught quite off guard by a number of articles over at the Huffington Post.  Now, I'm all for dissenting ideas and whatnot, but I usually feel more or less sure that HuffPost is going to have some agreeable and often funny blogs about everything going on.  But today was a little different...

It started with Huffpost being the first to jump on Obama's apparent heckling at the Western Wall:

Before he left Israel, Barack Obama made an predawn visit to the Western Wall in Jerusalem. But his trip to the Jewish holy site was marred by heckling:

One man at the Wall began screaming: "Obama, Jerusalem is our land! Obama, Jerusalem is not for sale!"

Yeah. One guy. That's being marred by heckling? C'mooon....

I've been reading dailykos for years, and want to find similar sites that present political and campaign news from a progressive perspective. I'd appreciate your suggestions for sites that are similar in outlook and content to the main page on dailykos, and that you would recommend for reading.

(Cross-posted from Burnt Orange Report)

This is an unofficial part of our "Shattering Blogger Stereotypes" series. The myth shattered -- that bloggers hate the traditional media. The following is a report on an extensive study I completed as part of my coursework at the JFK School of Government at Harvard University.

Texas’ newspapers are adapting to the new online medium in noticeably different ways, especially when it comes to political reporting. An examination of the nearly 1,000 blog posts featured on the respective political blogs of the Houston Chronicle, Dallas Morning News, and Austin American-Statesman during the month leading up to the Texas primary shows that formal conventions of journalism often do not make their way from the paper pages to the web pages of Texas’ leading newspapers.

As we all watch the election slowly unfold, it's important to keep your eyes wide open. Kos and the diarists here are terrific, but it's a very good idea to look at some of the right wing blogs to see what "the opposition" is saying. You get a better chance of seeing whether you are or are not in an echo chamber, can occasionally find some good writing, and might even learn a thing or two.

A caveat: I voted for Bush the last two elections. This year, I finally saw how utterly bankrupt the Republicans are in terms of ideology, and I'm hanging my hopes on Obama and a better way. But that doesn't mean I erased my old bookmarks... feel free to use a convert's old tricks.

Here are they are, then: some of my favorite right-wing blogs. Some are good for "enemy research"; some are just good reading for the non-political topics that come up; and some are just nifty. Browse around. It's a big Internet. The more you listen, the more you learn.

A caveat before you good exploring The Dark Side of the Force: Don't troll. Just don't. It's not worth it, really. I'm entirely convinced that no one has ever won an argument, ever, on the Internet... and honestly, in the end, it's just tacky. Read. Don't write. Be respectful of the other guy, and treat them as you'd like to be treated.

I hate it when someone posts a middle finger aimed at a product they haven't even tried, simply because they judged it by its name and the initial press release.

I hate when folks on the left decry concern trolls telling democrats and feminists how they should behave, and then turn around and concern troll others, without actually doing all the legwork to support their position.

Here's another roundup of Netroot Nation 2008 coverage in the media and on the blogs.  There will be a special Daily Kos edition soon along with a final roundup edition when I can get them pulled together.  

Check out the previous NN08 roundups:     #1      #2

Crossposted at Reality Window

I have to admit that we have been very geeky about this whole thing.

Mrs. Lupin and I used to watch the Tour on TV when we lived in L.A.. Now, here we are, and this year, the Tour came right through our little village in the South of France!

It was obvious from looking at the schedule that was printed in the local rag that we’d have to look fast and not blink, otherwise we would miss it, but part of seeing the Tour is the experience of being there as much as seeing the racers.

[More under fold]

I'm always curious about how events like NN08 are covered so I poke around to see who's saying what.  I thought I'd pass along some of the more interesting bits I've found. It's not an exhaustive list.  Please feel free to add your finds in the comments.  

So, here's a round up of news and blog coverage of Netroots Nation through about 2pm EST on Saturday.  Check out the links including lots of video links below the fold.

Here's yesterday's edition.

Cross-posted at Reality Window