Why Are We Back In Iraq?

UPDATED 11/4/04

Yes.

I do believe that there - regrettably - should be legislated regulations to prevent political parties from abusing the Internet (although I'm not sure I agree with the proposed bill as written...must do more research).

I wish that the blogosphere could do it themselves but neither side seems to see the dangers of no limits blogging (and if you spent enough time digging into GOPUSA.com and its ilk you might see where I'm coming from).

The Associated Press listed the roll call for the failed House vote on excluding "blogs, e-mails and other Internet communications from regulation by the Federal Election Commission."

Perhaps when Atrios and Markos write their angry posts about the vote results they can explain to their readers why 179 Republicans agree with their "no limits" position and 143 Democrats don't.

(As one would expect, Congressman Conyers voted "yes." I still love him, anyway.)

UPDATE

Markos did indeed write a post called "Friends," which more than implies that the 143 Democrats that voted "no" aren't. The only nay-voters singled out (all the yeas are listed) are those running for higher office or thinking about it such as Vermont's Bernie Sanders and New Jersey's Frank Pallone.

Markos writes:

"...it was definitely one of those days when we in the netroots got a chance to see who believed and supported our medium and who didn't."

That's netroots as opposed to blogosphere or citizen journalists.

Yet, a couple of paragraphs later, Markos sums up the netroots' position:

"In short, we just want the same protections afforded to Fox News, Bob Novak, the Washington Times, and the Weekly Standard."

That just doesn't make any logical sense. If the Weekly Standard collects money for Republican candidates and acts as "roots" for the Republican Party I'd sure like to read all about it.

It's just inconsistant (and insincere) to want to hide behind journalistic protections whenever it's convenient.

I'm damn sure that the majority of the truly liberal diarists and commenters at Daily Kos don't consider themselves the "netroots." They just want to get the truth out. Sure...they don't like Bush...or the GOP in general...but a helluva lot of them are smart enough to know that the Democratic Party isn't that much different.

I think that there needs to be more of a line drawn between purely partisan blogs and ones that are just ideological.

But that's the thing. Daily Kos is named after its owner and if the owner says it's a "netroots" blog than that's what it is.

Daily Kos gets like a million hits a day (though probably a good amount are repeat hits) but, in truth, it's what the man behind it thinks and says that allows it to be defined.

There's so many great diaries on that site. So many brilliant investigative bloggers.

If Markos really wanted to do something worthy for progressive causes he'd do his best to make sure the greatest and best diaries that provide information that no one else has (or will report even if they do) were promoted to the front page. Even the recommended diaries don't get read as much as the front pages of that Website.

But, instead, for all intensive purposes...Markos would rather use his Website to further some kind of a "netsroot" movement but one that backs "fighting Democrats" rather than the most liberal ones out there (which...come on...that's what liberals really base their votes on more than anything...electability only comes into play once in a blue moon).

I'm certainly not against a "netroots" for either side (or any of the sides inbetween) but hell yeah I think it should be regulated.

Because "netsroots" blogs are not the same as independent truth-seeking blogs.

And independent truth-seeking blogs do deserve the same protection as the traditional media..."netsroots" don't.

Sooner or later, all bloggers are going to have to make a choice.

Who do you blog for?

Party or truth.

Incidentally, Netroots.com was registered to Jerome Armstrong in May of 2003 (I guess back when it was okay to call Markos and Jerome "business partners" without being called a liar or a troll, as some bloggers I know have been), though he hasn't done anything with it, yet. All that's there is a logo and the promise, "Launching Soon."

# posted by Ron Brynaert : 11/02/2005 10:22:00 PM