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July 17, 2006BELTWAY BLOGROLL
The Courtship Of Conservative Bloggers
Conservative bloggers have been invited to an off-the-record "happy hour" with select lawmakers this evening at a private townhouse in Washington, according to an e-mail circulated from Capitol Hill on Friday and again today.
The Republican lawmakers who have been invited are Kevin Brady of Texas, Mark Kennedy of Minnesota and John Shimkus of Illinois.
Off-the-record sessions with lawmakers are perfectly acceptable in both journalism and blogging. But bloggers should be just as cautious as journalists of such attempts to woo them for the reasons I noted earlier this year in a column titled "The Courtship Of The Blogosphere."
Also keep in mind what folks like Rob Bluey of Right Angle and Tim Chapman wrote back in March about a chat with Senate Republicans. Remember, too, the warning that Steve Clemons of The Washington Note issued about blogger conference calls. And recall the outcry that surrounded the lavish party that former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner, D-Va., threw last month at the YearlyKos convention.
Whether fair or not, credibility is hard to earn in the blogosphere but is easily lost.
Posted by Danny | 10:04 AM
Comments
For anyone going, here is a potential conversation starter:
http://redstate.com/story/2006/7/17/185051/585
"Just in case you thought that House Leadership and Chairman Davis play fair, consider this…"
http://redstate.com/story/2006/7/17/19446/5124
"The Davis earmark just passed 242 to 120, receiving the necessary two-thirds vote of those present on a suspension bill--barely. The bill was carried largely by Democrats. Nice work Boehner.
Jim,MtnViewCA,USA | 07.17.06 08:29 PM
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I sure hope that each bloger invited will ask these guys, each one, about their earmarks. Do the research and ask them to justify the projects. Then find out when the vote to build the fence will come to the floor.
charley | 07.18.06 01:36 AM
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