ChicagoTrib: Democrats court bloggers at convention

BY JEFF ZELENY
Chicago Tribune

<snip>

Former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner sought to make the best impression, hosting a "Blogosphere at the Stratosphere" party Friday night atop the famous tower on the edge of the Las Vegas Strip. The day after the party, however, a blogger from Connecticut approached him and demanded to know how much money was spent on the gala, which featured an Elvis impersonator, chocolate fondue machine and an ice sculpture.

"I don't want our guys to get used to shrimp and martinis, OK?" Edward Anderson, 40, told Warner. "A lot of us are really scared about being co-opted. It makes me uncomfortable."

"There seemed to be an awful lot of them last night who liked it," replied Warner, who seemed taken aback by criticism that he was trying to win over bloggers with an event he said cost about $50,000.

Retired Gen. Wesley Clark and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson held far smaller receptions. And Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wis., the darling of the anti-war types, sent his regrets but dispatched his top aides to mingle with members of the blogging community. "I think bloggers are a major force in American politics," Richardson said. "I see their strength increasing. That's why I'm here."

<snip>

"It's our responsibility to demand accountability from the Democratic Party and allied organizations that claim to represent our interests," said Moulitsas, 34. "If they refuse to reform, if they refuse to be more accountable, if they refuse to join this people-powered movement as it seeks to move our country forward, well, then they'll be relegated to the dustbin of history."

Among those applauding that message was Katherine Ingram. She is a 54-year-old mother of three, grandmother of two, registered nurse and software engineer who lives in the Phoenix suburb of Chandler, Ariz. "The perception is that the blogosphere is a bunch of rowdy teenagers," said Ingram, whose political activism, dormant since Robert F. Kennedy's assassination in 1968, was inspired anew by the Iraq war. "The reality is that we have a lot of gray hair and we are very educated."

"The idea that a woman from Phoenix can have an impact or a say in the political process - even in a small way - makes you feel hopeful that we are not powerless," she added. "If a candidate ignores the blogs, he or she will face severe repercussions."

http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/nation/14789926.htm