December 06, 2007

Just Another Blog Regurgitating the White House Talking Points

Actually, I do get a list of talking points from the White House. Daily.

So, tell me again how we "regurgitate exactly and put up on [our] blogs what you said to [us]"?

Ace points out that he, too, gets some press releases but:

I doubt I've ever actually used a WH thing for a post.

To be honest, I don't see much difference between a few well know bloggers and the Administration's line on many things. I don't read those blogs. I know what they're going to say on any particular issue, so why read them when I can watch Fox News and hear the same things about the same stories?

Oh, right, I don't watch Fox News either. Sorry to disappoint.

The blogs I read either don't get the daily talking points, do get them and don't care, or, like me, have them directly diverted into a spam folder. I'm simply not interested in what the White House is interested in and could care less if I furthered their cause.

I gave up on the Bush administration long ago. I can name exactly one thing they've done that's pleased me since Bush was reelected: the surge in Iraq. And that four years late.

Dan Riehl is spot on with this:

In my opinion, simply regurgitating what professionals give you isn't blogging, not blogging I respect, anyway. And the best bloggers just don't do it.

If anything, though, right-of-center bloggers are far less partisan than those on the left. Take a peak over at the left's largest blog, Markos Moulitsa's Daily Kos, and what you get are story after story about eevil Republicans. As of this writing Kos is featuring two stories about American Taliban right-winger Mike Huckabee juxstaposed with criminal adulterer Giuliani. All Republican bashing politics all the time.

Now take a look at the right's largest blog, Instapundit, a small "l" libertarian who is constantly at odds with the White House and which at least half the posts are apolitical at best. Or the three runner ups for second place: LGF--a war on terror blog, rarely interested in the political priorities of the WH; Michelle Malkin, who can be counted on to be opposed to most of Bush's stupid policies, which are many; and Hot Air--hardly a bastion of "compassionate conservatism" and admittedly not on the White House's PR list anyway.

Sure, there are a few reliable right-of-center bloggers, but one of them, Hugh Hewitt, as Captain Ed observes, is a nationally syndicated talk show host who is a "blogger" only on the side.

Anyway, the only caveat I'll add is that I would willingly shill for the Bush White House, but they haven't offered me any money yet. I'm not interested in their political agenda, but money talks Bush & co. So why not have someone from Haliburton drop some cash and we'll chat?

Flattering me with a conference call ala the McCain model, as Joyner suggests, might be nice. But money talks and bullshit walks.

As the saying goes, it's not so much a disagreement about what we bloggers are, it's simply a matter of negotiating the right price.