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January 20, 2006BELTWAY BLOGROLL
Members Who Blog
Reprinted with permission of National Journal magazine, as published in the Jan. 21, 2006, edition.
By K. Daniel Glover
Politicians are rarely on the cutting edge of technology, and that is as true with blogs as it has been with Web sites, e-mail newsletters, and other recent online innovations. Three years after blogs helped force Mississippi Republican Trent Lott out of the Senate majority leader's office, fewer than 1 percent of his colleagues in Congress have created blogs.
But last year may have been a turning point. House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., were among the 17 lawmakers who created blogs in 2005.
"It seems like every time I go online, or get an e-mail, or read a story," said Nicole Folk, the technology analyst for the Congressional Management Foundation, "there's another [congressional blog].... It's spreading, and it's definitely becoming more of an option than a couple of years ago."
Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., is easily the most prolific blogger in Congress. He started ConyersBlog in February at his campaign site, a move that freed the online journal from some restrictions governing congressional Web sites. Conyers writes the content himself and regularly "cross-posts" at other blogs, including Daily Kos and The Huffington Post.
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., has had a blog longer than any other lawmaker, since October 2003. He is also the only lawmaker with two blogs on his congressional site: More from the Floor, which recaps Senate floor action, and Heard at the Hearing, a topical blog focused on Supreme Court confirmation hearings.
Leahy's staff writes the content for his blogs, which is a fairly common practice. Other lawmakers give aides the task of maintaining their blogs, but also contribute some copy themselves.
Although blogging has soared in popularity because of its use of feedback and other interactive features, few lawmakers enable those features. Those who do, including Conyers and Frist, have received hundreds to thousands of comments on some entries.
Folk said that one obstacle to congressional blogging is the amount of time required of lawmakers or their aides to do the job right. "Their budget and staffing levels have remained relatively stationary for a very long time," she said, "yet their incoming communications have increased four times."
Lawmakers who want to blog but who cannot dedicate enough time or staff to the task have tried two other options: temporary blogs that focus on the lawmakers' travels, and guest posts at group blogs. The latter practice is "a great way to get involved and get a feel for the blogs," Folk said, and it "really shows the power of the blog."
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