newspoodle’s posterous

The Year of the Political Blogger

The New York Times is running a story about how political blogging has arrived as a widely-accepted form of reporting during this election year. In addition to the nationwide TV and radio audiences, the candidates are making efforts to get their message onto the increasingly popular blog network. In doing so, they've elevated bloggers to the level of traditional media reporters at the national conventions. "The major political parties first gave credentials to bloggers in 2004. The Republicans allowed a dozen bloggers to attend their convention in New York, while the Democrats gave bloggers 35 seats in the nosebleed section of the Fleet Center in Boston. This year, the R.N.C. gave credentials to 200 bloggers as a means to 'get Senator McCain's message out to more people,' said Joanna Burgos, the press secretary of the convention. For bloggers attending the Democratic convention at the Pepsi Center in Denver, two types of credentials are offered. The first is a national credential, which offers the same access granted to members of traditional news media organizations. The second, more coveted credential is the state blogger credential. It allows one blogger per state to cover the convention alongside its state delegation, with unlimited floor access." Of course, political blogs are abuzz today with the news of Obama's selection of Senator Joe Biden as a running mate.

Will Joe Scarborough Finally Drop The "Latte Sipping Liberal" Garbage Now?

GOP hack Joe Scarborough hasn't been on the air for nearly two weeks thanks to the Olympics and a lot has happened in that time.  He and the Morning Joe crew will have a lot of ground to cover when they return to the airwaves, but unfortunately for Joe, one of his favorite wingnut memes has been blown to smithereens while he was away — the stereotypical, elitist, latte sipping liberals.

Now that we've learned from the LA Times that John McCain ditched reporters and dragged a 9 car motorcade to Starbucks to snag a large cappuccino on Friday, I think it's time for Joe to let it go.  Hell, McCain was probably wearing his $500 Italian loafers at the time (I bet he has more than one pair) and probably had a hard time deciding which home to return to.

It's time to give it up, Joe. I think we all know who the real latte-sipping elitist is now.

Shawn Johnson is Golden

She wins on the balance beam, but I just love those "peace" earrings. You go Shawn.

Nastia Liukin was really Golden too…Yes, I love woman's gymnastics…

Looks like China are a bunch of  crooks and liars on top of everything else.

Video: Taekwondo Athlete Kicks Ref in Head

24/7 Wall St. Most Overpaid CEO Of The Day: Ford (F) CEO Alan Mulally

Ford (F) came within a nickel of its 52-week low yesterday, hitting $4.35. News also came out that the US car companies will urge Congress to support funding up to $50 billion in low-interest loans over three years. Perhaps the Big Three should go into the banking business. The federal support would be forthcoming more quickly.

Alan Mulally was to be Ford's savior, replacing Bill Ford who could not get from the front door of the Ford headquarters to his Lincoln in the parking lot without a guide.

According to the last Ford proxy, Mulally has a base salary of $2 million. In 2007, his total compensation was over $21 million.

Ford's defense of Mulally's pay is likely to be that the entire industry is in trouble. The logic for that is thin. CEO compensation rarely ignores outside forces, even if those forces are overwhelming. Pay for performance is just that. Ford's stock is down 40% over the last two years. Another year of Mulally making $20 million would be inappropriate.

It would also cost Ford shareholders money that the company does not have. Unless, that is, the government gets them that $50 billion.