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Blog Power On Display In The Annals Of Congress

A recent report on the blogging revolution in government that included a handful of footnotes to my work here reminded me that I hadn't searched the Congressional Record for blog references lately.

When I finally did a search last week on references within the first six months of this year, I was surprised by how often blogs are making it into the annals of Congress these days. Several of the references, including multiple ones by Republican Rep. Steve King of Iowa, laud blogs for their ability to serve as government watchdogs. Lawmakers also have quoted blogs to emphasize their viewpoints about the Iraq war.

Blogs most recently garnered attention when House Republicans last month criticized "pork" spending earmarks in appropriations bills and forced the Democratic leadership to change its stance on the issue. Porkbusters, a blog-inspired group whose primary mission is to curtail earmarks, created enough of a stir during debate about the fiscal 2008 homeland security bill to earn a plug on the House floor.

During floor debate on the bill, Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., quoted part of a Porkbusters petition offering to help Congress evaluate earmark requests. "[V]olunteers are now coming forward, and the American people are standing ready and they will be willing to help," Lamborn said.

Iowa's King added that "if the bloggers could see the things that are going on, they would weigh in on us, and perhaps that would be some of the regulatory function that the bloggers could perform."

Earlier in the year, lawmakers turned to the blogs for information during their debates about sending more U.S. troops to Iraq. In the Senate on Jan. 31, for example, Texas Republican John Cornyn quoted from the "Why I Joined" MySpace entry of Army Second Lt. Mark Daily, who was later killed in Iraq.

Hugh Hewitt and Michelle Malkin were among the prominent bloggers who cited Daily's words.

As the Iraq debate continued Feb. 7, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., had this admonition for senators who might be tempted to respond to pressure from bloggers: "I know what it is like. I have been through this on immigration. Once your base gets mad at you, it is not pleasant, but you can't build policies around bloggers." (Graham has been under even heavier fire from bloggers in recent weeks because of his work on an immigration bill.)

Amid House debate in February, meanwhile, Rep. Phil Gingrey, R-Ga., inserted into the Record a quote from a military blog that warned: "If the Democrats block these troops, we're screwed. We need them." And Rep. Jerry Weller, R-Ill., separately quoted from another milblog.

While the Democratic netroots get more public attention than GOP blogs for their innovation and influence in political circles, thus far they have not received as much recognition during official congressional debates.

Even on the subject of the Iraq war, the topic that most animates the netroots, an online search of the Record yielded only one hit about blogs by a Democrat -- and a noncontroversial one at that. In May, Rep. John Salazar of Colorado highlighted a comment about an "immigrant soldier" on a site created to honor fallen soldiers.

For several more blog references from the Record this year, click here.

Posted by Danny | 07:12 AM

Comments

It's a funny thing. All of the Republican Congressmen from Colorado--all, that is, except one--have revealed their earmarks. And just who is that sole Republican holdout on nondisclosure? Why, none other than Congressman Doug Lamborn! Just today, July 9, the Denver Post expressed its curiosity about Lamborn's nondisclosure saying, "Perhaps it's an oversight" on Lamborn's part. See the Post's article "Congress keeps its pets quiet" http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_6329446 It's nauseating for Lamborn to display such hypocrisy. Is he hiding his own earmarks while telling all his peers--of both parties--they are the only ones obligated to be honest and make disclosures?

What about Lamborn's pork? | 07.09.07 10:45 PM

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