Daily Kos cleared

In a little-noticed ruling yesterday, the Federal Election Commission decided that blogs--even those that actively advocate the election of the most wonderful, thoughtful and outstanding candidate you can imagine from this party, or the ones that denigrate the corrupt, two-faced, Neanderthal losers from the other party--are actually media entities that are not required to meet federal campaign finance regulations.

That's a relief for Daily Kos, the widely read website that's an electronic bible for many liberals. It's operated by Markos Moulitsas Zuniga. In an FEC complaint last month, a conservative blogger named John C.A. Bambenek argued that the site should comply with finance laws because it amounts to "a gift of free advertising and candidate media services."

The FEC said nope. "While the complaint asserts that Daily Kos advocates for the election of Democrats for federal office," the commission ruled, "the commission has repeatedly stated that an entity that would otherwise qualify for the media exemption does not lose its eligibility because it features news or commentary lacking objectivity or expressly advocates in its editorial the election or defeat of a federal candidate."

Try writing a blog in that style and your reader numbers might soar into the double digits.

The commission also threw out a complaint by Rep. Mary Bono, a California Republican, who charged that her Democratic opponent last fall collaborated with a blogger to advocate her defeat. The FEC called the blogger a volunteer.

Bono won anyway. Which shows how influential bloggers can be.

--Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[John Law]

if blogging is so stupid, why do you do it?

Oh wait, that's because your newspaper is losing readers because um, well, you don't report much news anymore....all commentary and "beat on the internet."

Hope that you like your new owner. I hear he's even dumber than most people in the "business"

(Ans: Who said it's stupid? You need to get a pillow to pound.-AM)

[john Law]

Clever retort. Did you get a master's degree to figure that one out?
You said: "The commission also threw out a complaint by Rep. Mary Bono, a California Republican, who charged that her Democratic opponent last fall collaborated with a blogger to advocate her defeat. The FEC called the blogger a volunteer.

Bono won anyway. Which shows how influential bloggers can be."

Implying that bloggers are stupid. You can play word games and whatnot, but that was the implication. Once again, arrogant reporters dodge and weave, and don't play it straight. Good job!

(O.K., you don't need a diploma to get this. So I'll explain it again real slowly for you. It says, "Which shows how influential bloggers can be." And who is writing those words, John? Not a reporter. Another blogger is writing those words. The headline on that blog page says "Our Bloggers" and there's my name right there. The same name as came right after the quote from the blog item. In other words, someone who is a blogger is making fun of himself and saying he has no influence.--AM)

[john Law]

Um, ok lemme read it out for you...you should reply in the comments, under your own name, not append your remarks to mine, that's basic blogger etiquette and common sense.

More to the point - you , like most "reporters" are using the blog form, but do not embrace its essence - one part of which is give and take. Instead you always get the last word in on my posts, and use your smart-ass comments to make me look stupid.

That "Pillow to punch" line? Silly and stupid. For someone with your alleged background, you sure don't get it. But then again this IS the paper that had your beloved Mr. Hitzlick sock-puppetting the comments to make him look good when people not of his ideological view challenged him.

Just stop now. This "blog" is way less informative than Daily Kos, and not nearly as pretentious, which is saying a lot given how Dkos can be...well, pretentious.

But I won't hold my breath....people like you are just like every other arrogant journalist, desperately trying to keep a readership free of the constraints of a handful of outlets and people telling us what to do. I know it's tough, you've got to compete! Funny how the free market works, especially in the marketplace of ideas!

Say hi to Mr. Zell for me....I'm sure he cares a lot about your pedigree and all...his long term experience in the trailer park biz makes him a perfect fit, dontchathink?

. (and if you can figure that last one out without your trademark faux snark, you get a cookie, little man!)

(Ans: Why stop the exchange? For someone who's so fed up with newspapers you sure do keep coming back a lot. Thanks for reading.-AM)

[kos]

Why do you say it was a "relief" to me? I don't recall you interviewing me and I haven't made any quotes to that effect. Is this what "journalism" is at the LA Times? Making stuff up?

In truth, "relief" would suggest that I was worried to begin with. But having been in the middle of the rule-making process the past two years, I know exactly what my boundaries are. In other words, I knew Bambenek's claim has no chance in hell of passing. And the fact that a bipartisan US government agency arrived at a unanimous decision in a shockingly-fast 2 weeks is pretty indicative of that.

But yes, bloggers have zero power because Mary Bono won her race as an incumbent in a district Bush won by 13 points in 2004. (Rolls eyes...)

(Ans: Because you'd have to be an idiot to not be concerned about any such threats to free expression and you're reputed to be very intelligent. So it's a relief to everyone. Thanks for reading.-AM)