F E D E R A L E L E C T I O N S

Most excellent news the Baron Hill and Mike Sodrel debates will happen. In case you are wondering, I believe in Baron Hill 100% (maybe 200%). Ever wonder if there isn't something wrong with someone being a millionaire (in their own right, of course -- nothing wrong with that), but being a Congressman with a contract to carry the United States mail? Yeah, somehow that doesn't sit well with me. Maybe he disavowed himself of his company and named a shadow person to take over, but still -- gotta admit, it bothers me.

Mike Sodrel's views and votes on Energy Bills in the House REALLY bothers me. It will be interesting debates as the votes and his views will be brought to the political table for public discourse.

Baron Hill was one of about six (6) fiscally conservative Democrats (a Bluedog). This man has walked from one end of southern Indiana to the other. Best of all, he keeps his promises. Imagine that! He may not be a millionaire Congressional candidate, but he is a man of his word and I can't ask for anything more. He admitted publicly at a public forum he was misled about the War in Iraq and all of the "mass destructions weapons Colin Powell" showed. Not sure how he feels about this issue -- maybe the same way I do. Wrong war; wrong people. Now just where were those hijackers (murderers) from? Oh yeah.

Enough thoughts for today. That was fun. Yes, and please don't forget -- any disagreements I'll be happy to publish, as long as there is a civil tongue held. Thanks.

THE BELL HAS TOLLED; ROUND 1 (ONE)

We are going to take this slow and easy. County elections, some State elections and Federal elections are now underway. There are people in town wanting to start early, it seems, on City elections (NOW).

As I want this to be a responsible blog and let both sides respond in kind, I will take my time in coming up with the first REAL posting about politics in this fair city of New Albania.

It's interesting as to where I could start. Mayor Bob Real I've only spoken with by telephone. He seems to be a decent kind of gent. Mayor Hunter and I know each other well, through the sewer board (and he was gracious enough to dance with me at Garner's Inaugural Ball). Mayor England and I know each other and have recently shared a beer and a warm talk. Mayor Overton and I conversed and knew each other extremely well. Mayor Garner and I have a lot of personal things going on which cross each others' lives. My brother-in-law knows him well and I really like his wife and his in-laws, Dr. and Mrs. Irvine.

Council members are another story, in and of their selves. Some I have know a long time, others only a short period. This blog will allow me to express my opinions, and yea, you surely probably will disagree with some of them. If you keep them from being "nasty" or "name-calling" in tone, I'll be happy to publish your disagreements. Yes, Politics are and can be an ugly, ugly thing, but a necessary one; I for one am proud to be an American and able to participate in the process in this manner, and plan to continue.

Now, back to thinking exactly where to start at..................

Greater focus on blog politics

This article originally appeared in the Boston Globe as an editorial and republished today in the Courier-Journal, July 18, 2006. This information became available to me through the State of Indiana representatives. State politicians knew last year how powerful blogging was going to become in politics.

There are several new political blogs, some of which I have visited and others which I plan to do soon. The Re-Elect Baron Hill blog is excellent and I understand Evan Bayh has undertaken a blog to see about his chances for election as president.

This article hits chords within me about the power of blogs and how they can and will be used in the future of politics; so, without further ado, here goes:

Politicians out to control the Internet will surely suffer rude surprises.

It's the age of the virtual soap box. Just as self-proclaimed orators once stood on hand crates to pontificate, political bloggers sound off on Web sites. They post photographs and videos. They check facts, amplify fallacies and hit with the force of a wrecking ball.

Howard Dean tapped the raw power of the Internet. When Sen. John Kerry ran for president, he hired blogger Peter Daou to manage the campaign's Web communications. Last month, Hillary Clinton hired Daou for her 2006 reelection campaign, a bid to be reelected as New York's junior Democratic senator that could be a test run for the presidency in 2008.

On Daou's own blog, the Daou Report, he says he wants to expand Clinton's "relationship with the netroots," the grassroots community of bloggers. It's part of a larger effort to close the triangle between the political establishment, the mainstream media and bloggers. Daou has useful experience in building common ground: His blog post commentary from the left and right to establish a comprehensive conversation in one place.

But it'll take more than Daou's work for Clinton to close the triangle.

An early battle has been won: Bloggers have become a force to be reckoned with. Many mainstream journalists and readers are paying attention. The next step is harder: focusing blog content where it can help define the future. In both mainstream news and blogs, scandal gets attention: Just type Ann Coulter's name into Google's search engine...

One lesson of American politics is that opponents have to find common ground. Beating the other side into submission doesn't work; neither does waiting for the opposition to see the light.

Another lesson is that politics lags. It can take years for good ideas to become practiced policies. Blogs could do great good by pushing the establishment to shorten this wearing time-table.

The blogosphere has rough neighborhoods full of singeing criticsm and fiction masquerading as fact. But, for the most part, blogs are a new frontier for public discourse. They matter. And they could matter even more.

An excellent article, wouldn't you say?