LeftyBlogs.com: News & Announcements

As someone who had a recent Kos post appear on Leftyblogs/Indiana as well, I am in favor. It can be difficult to sift through all of the content on a site like Kos for Indiana related items and it gives more casual blog readers access to posts that they may not see unless they really sat and waded through Kos or like sites. I am sure that a busy blogger like Barry Welsh would agree; candidates like himself and my man Joe Donnelly can use the exposure.

Definitely include state-specific content from national blogs. It would be a real service to all of us trying to focus on state issues and state politics.

Georgia always appears on political maps as a "red" state, though our cities went "blue" in the last Presidential election. As more and more grassroots Republicans become angered by the Bush administration's corruption, violation of the Constitution, incompetence, and all around dis-regard for traditional Republican values (like keeping the government out of people's lives and fiscal responsibility), every bit of state info we can use to encourage those voters to move Democratic is valuable. Once they are willing to acknowledge Bush is destroying our nation's future, they are also more open to seeing he isn't (and CAN'T) do it alone.

State-specific info from blogs will help show that Republican leadership at ALL levels must be swept out of office. State-specific information will demonstrate the reasonable alternative for those concerned voters is our progressive Democratic Party.

It is critical that all of us concerned about our nation help build the numbers of voters. For years, political "wisdom" has been to use negative ads to energize the base while turning off other voters. The fewer voters to hit the polls, the smaller number it takes to win.

I don't want disillutioned Republicans to walk away from the voting booth! I want them to vote AGAINST the hijackers of their party by voting for Democrats.

State-specific blogs, as a centralized and convenient source of information, can help.

I'm one that doesn't care for the KoS content. I put lefty blogs on my site because it features local blogs rather than a national blog that might happen to have local content. REason is that what I read lefty blogs for is to read blogs that normally do NOT get a lot of attention and traffic-I have an RSS reader so I can easily get KOS if I want, as well as well-known Walmart-type blogs-I prefer not to see them here. I will still continue to read lefty blogs if you include KOS but I will take the box off my site.

I'm with salon on this.

Kos isn't the kind of local politics blog I am looking for from LeftyBlogs. In Pennsylvania, at least on federal issues what I find is that most of the bloggers who diary are not FROM Pennsylvania.

Frankly, I've had it with Schumer-types telling Pennsylvania Democrats what we should think, how we should vote. If I want Kos I can go there.

What I love about LeftyBlogs is that it gives me the other blogs in the state who have the same issues I do, who wakke up with the same Governor I do and share a perspective. I find much more diversity and originality there than I do at Kos, which rewards group-think and punishes originality.

I hate the idea. Most of the state content on dkos is generated from the local blogs anyway - so it isnt adding anything new. It also drowns out the good local content.

If folks dont know where to go to get kos content then I dont know what to say.

I like it, I think it's great. Our state only shows up on kos rarely (a couple articles a week maybe), and the stories can easily be missed on such a big site. But a lot of people who write on kos don't know about the smaller state-specific sites, so content only shows up on kos.

I could see how it'd be a problem for some of the states with hot races - like CT or OH maybe. Perhaps it's something that should be decided on a state-by-state basis.

I think it's a terrible idea. I want Ohio content, from people who live, work, and vote in Ohio, not Kos folks (some who do live in Ohio, many who don't).

Recently example: a Kos poster from GERMANY told Ohioans (and the Kos universe that bothered to read it) that the state 27th senate district was a good pick-up chance. I live in that district and can tell you, there's no shot in hell that seat is flipping. Why? B/c I know the candidates, how they'll campaign, and what will work. The D challenger has no shot.

As for the blog wire, I've already removed it.

I'm not crazy about the Kos inclusion either. I'd rather see Lefty Blogs be individual blogs because that to me is one of the great things about it is finding bloggers that I might not have known about before.

:-)

Yea, dKos is a great site, I visit there often, good partnership.

In an article on Daily Kos, Massive Abramoff document dump = BIG Trouble for the GOP, dengre writes that the documents implicate members of the Ehrlich administration:

There are some Republicans who will have nightmares as citizens, prosecutors, journalists and the netroots use them to connect the dots back to their bad behavior and deep ties to Jack Abramoff.

One who should be sweating is Maryland's Governor Bob Ehrlich. His deputy chief of staff, Edward Miller is deeply involved with the Abramoff Scandal, as the former head of GrassRoots Interactive. Erhlich should be forced to explain his involvement with Abramoff. Some of the new docs related to GRI may help to connect those dots.

Oops...hit post not preview.

The article that I just posted is definitely relavant to Maryland, but may be overshadowed by Duncan dropping out of the race. I haven't seen it on any of the local blogs yet.

QUESTION: How would you tag a dkos posting that is relevant to Maryland?

Just have "national" as the 51st state. And possibly have regions have their own page too. That would clear all of this up.

I'm seriously considering removing your blogwire thing from my site because the kos stuff along with your advertising is blowing away the Nevada local blogs.

I'm not going to remove my tag, but I'm not crazy about the big nationals being included. dkos can easily be found by anyone who wants to read it. I like the idea of a national page. They would fit better on a national page.

I like to cruise LeftyBlogs for new and interesting sites, even outside my own state. I don't want to have to wade through a ton of posts from a national site to find a new and interesting site.

definitely, definitely include daily kos state-related diaries on lefty blogs. I do not have my own blog, but post arizona content there sometimes as well. I know of at least 10 posters who post arizona-related diaries on dkos. - and I absolutely love the idea of coming here to have a one-click place to view those diaries as well as other AZ posts.

This is a great service. Some people dont like the idea of overwhelm - I say wait and see. perhaps local blogs could be more prominently placed, but definitely include it somehow.

Follow-up question: OK, I'm getting the impression that this is a state-by-state issue.

Can you - one more time - tell me whether are in favor or opposed to including state-specific content from Kos on each state's lefty feed AND be sure to include what state you're talking about.

I doubt it's a state by state issue. I don't want KOS in a box on my page (and have already removed the blogbox) but you would undoubtedly find others from Texas who DO want it on. How about this? Would it be possible for you to do 2 different versions of the blogbox? One that includes state content from KOs (and any other big Walmart-type blogs) and the other sans it? I assume you must have some way of filtering the content since you already have local posts versus all posts, by state. That way, I could have a choice and so could anyone, regardless of state.

I think you'll find that the volume of state-specific diaries on dKos is pretty small, so you won't have a problem. It seems to me that the vast majority of dKos diaries are national, international or otherwise state-neutral.

I guess I'm not for it, I think Maryland was doing fine without it, now the thing is swamped with +/- anonymous-seeming posts. I think this service ought to be tied to whether the blogger is from the state as much as whether the content is; that's how this service adds value and local credibility. It's possible DailyKos writers on the Maryland local blogs generally are Marylanders, but it's not the given it is with non-supersites.

If Daily Kos writers are to be included, maybe list them by writer with a "(DKos-MD)", so there's a way to select which ones to follow.

Indiana here. I would welcome Indiana related Kos pieces simply because those who do not regularly cruise the blogs may like to have access to those articles posted on Kos that may not be noticed otherwise. Having access to articles posted on different blogs in one easy site is the reason behind Leftyblogs, isn't it?

Maybe have the Kos diaries on the combined feeds for the states, but not on blogwire? Soudns like most of the objection (not all, but most) is from people who want their blogwire to be free of clutter, and be all local blogs.

in MA, we barely see a Kos diary, maybe one every couple of days if that. I don't see it as good or bad...if we were inundated I suppose I would feel my own and my fellow MA bloggers were getting drowned out, though.

OK folks -- is this a solution from Lynne?

Maybe have the Kos diaries on the combined feeds for the states, but not on blogwire?

I like Thomas's idea, but that would take some substantial re-engineering (which we may be undertaking this summer) -- but Lynne's is easy.

Is that a solution?

It's strange enough when I write something about Toledo and it doesn't end up being considered "local" yet this blog about a candidate in California on Kos made it on the Ohio all posts section....

http://www.leftyblogs.com/cgi-bin/go.cgi?http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/6/29/19390/3141

I think Lisa point is well worth considering. If everytime one posts on the 2004 election or voting reform, it is given a Ohio or Florida tag then that can be problematic.

What I'd like is a way to stop double posts. If a local blogger posts and then it shows up on Kos, it can get irritating.

Is there a way to have a state category, but also make sure its a state pertinent post. In other words, it would show up on the state feed but not all posts. This would include local bloggers who post on Kos on local issues, but exclude those going a little berzerk on state categories.

Stick to local blogs. KoS already has too much hype, and too many posts. Best coverage of local issues is truly local, not from national blogs. I may have to remove my link to you if national blogs stay. DRP, Daniel's News & Views, Tucson AZ

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

An open letter from the Florida Black Republicans to Carol Jean Jordan

Carole Jean Jordan, Chairman
Republican Party of Florida
George Bush Republican Center
420 E. Jefferson Street
Tallahassee, FL 32301

To the Honorable Carole Jean Jordan,

Why blacks will always be the buffoons of the Republican Party.

Because the RPOF refuses to acknowledge that there are creditable blacks in the party not just window dressing.
Because the RPOF refuses to seek out the best and the brightest instead the RPOF continues to seek those blacks that will not speak up and will allow the RPOF to exude total control over their thought process.
Because the RPOF refuses to engage in an open and honest dialogue with black republicans in the state of Florida
Because the RPOF refuses to acknowledge the contribution that black republicans have made and are making to the Party.
Because the RPOF refuses to continually engage black republicans in the RPOF.
Because the RPOF has persistently shown continued hostility to any black that is a republican that refuses to just be a window dressing.
Because the RPOF has continued to create an environment of hostility toward black republicans

Where by the RPOF having persistently and continuously shown utter disregard to blacks in the RPOF.
We hereby challenge the RPOF to engage in open and honest dialogue with black republicans.
We hereby again challenge the RPOF to engage in open and honest continuous dialogue with black republicans not only during election cycles.
We challenge the RPOF not to just hear us but to listen to our concerns.
We challenge the RPOF to stop acting like the Democrats and GROW UP.
We challenge the RPOF to stop trying to put black republicans in their place and open a seat at the table.
We challenge the RPOF to stop approaching black republicans only when you need a black face in the room.
We challenge the RPOF to allow black republicans to not have to carry around a label of black republican to get respect.
We challenge RPOF Chairman Carol Jean Jordan to begin to treat black republicans like human beings not chattel
We challenge RPOF Chairman Carol Jean Jordan and all RPOF leadership to begin to openly and honestly communicate with black republicans.
We challenge RPOF Chairman Carol Jean Jordan and all RPOF leadership to stop only engaging us in the process as a mire afterthought
We challenge RPOF Chairman Carol Jean Jordan and all RPOF leadership to begin to look past the color of our skin.
We challenge RPOF Chairman Carol Jean Jordan and all RPOF leadership to begin to treat us as equals.

Cordially,

Florida Black Republicans
Tired of being put in our place.

It may be too much. I like your idea of state-based, state-produced news; although maybe the LINKS to state-releated issues on national blogs might be nice (if that is in any way different from what you're considering).

I work, in the real-world, on state issues here in Arizona; I also had web pages dedicated to the Arizona elections; but, like Most of the Nation, I am also sick and frustrated with the Iraq War.

This gives me an idea. -- I'm gonna send an email about it to you and Carrrie: I THINK A FORUM FOR YOUR BLOGGERS AND READERS WOULD BE GREAT!

I have made a new one you can use - having Total Administrative Control to yourself, if you want.

It has a catagory for each State...and 3 or 4 other catagories for national issues and ideas.

Sound good?

I think it's suppose to happen. Or maybe it's something you would want to do yourself...but really, the more I think about it, if your Bloggers and Readers could have a forum to talk to each other -- that would even be A Lot Better -- that just getting more info passively stuck down our brains - with no opportunity to have many and extensive discussions among various States and various topics.

I hope it sounds good. 'Cause I got blisters on my fingers.

It is disgusting when the Flip-Flop game starts. Then again, there are good Flip-Flops and bad ones. Think: If Bush would have Flip-Floped on the Iraq War, we would not have that costly, deadly war.

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