Wednesday, May 25, 2005

Oregon House Dems launch a blog

The 27 Democrats in the Oregon House of Representatives have launched a blog.

The concept of a blog (normally a fairly free-wheeling enterprise) run by state reps (normally a tad more reined-in as a group, and for good reason) seems like an unlikely marriage. On a bad day, it might be a cheaper way for them to send out press releases; on a better day, it might open up the process in Salem more to the rest of us.Time will tell.

Meanwhile, from the inaugural post by Democratic Leader Jeff Merkley:

In today’s hot political climate, information is everything. But it’s not enough simply to read newspapers, magazines and websites, or to watch cable news. Legislators need a way to participate in a no-holds-barred exchange of ideas, opinions and views on a 24/7 basis. And the people need a way to make their voices heard. That’s what this blog provides, and it’s open to everyone who has a view to express.
As of the moment, the other posts cover these topics:

  • "Democracy for Oregon Summit Report," by Peter Buckley
  • "ALERT: Republicans Vote Down $5.4 billion for K-12 Public Schools…Again!" by Mary Nolan
  • "House Democrats Push for Rainy Day Fund," by Phil Barnhart
The comments posted so far run the full range from "attaboy" messages to some fairly serious back-and-forth on substantive issues.

It'll be interesting to see where this goes.

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