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More blogging legislators?

Bill Hobbs points to a site called VolPols which is set up to:

Coming soon to the blogosphere near you: VolPols.com, a nonpartisan central clearinghouse for news releases from Tennessee state legislators and state government, and a free hosting service for legislators’ weblogs. VolPols.com will handle all design and technical issues for legislators’ blogs.

Sounds like a good idea. In case that’s not good enough, here’s my offer: Any and all Tennessee legislators or other politicos (regardless of political affiliation) are welcome to blog here or forward me releases. I will post anything sent, without editing, provided it comes from a local politico (and that can be verified). I will attribute the post to the politico. And it’s free.

We need more blogging legislators.

Update: Bubba reports (in comments) that Bill Hobbs owns the site. Wonder why the Hobbster was being, uhm, less than forthright about that? Bill has stated it’s his site in the comments section at his site. There’s nothing wrong with him doing that (in fact, I think it’s a great idea) but it would have been nice of him to disclose the fact he owns instead of linking to it and calling it interesting.

Bubba also says that he got notified of the new site via email. I didn’t. Bummer. Guess I’m not one of the cool bloggers. Heh.

15 Responses to “More blogging legislators?”

  1. skb Says:

    I could tell from the template and banner design, but just to make sure:

    Registrant:
    Hobbs Blog Strategies
    3** ******* Drive
    Franklin, TN 37064
    US

    Domain name: VOLPOLS.COM

    Not that there’s anything wrong with that…

  2. skb Says:

    P.S. I guess what is, in fact, wrong with it is that I got a similar e-mail from Hobbs with no disclosure of that fact. And you have to wonder how “non-partisan” it will actually be.

  3. skb Says:

    P.P.S. Go look at the post about it on his website. Why is it so “interesting” to him and why is he acting like it’s such big news to him? Why is he being so coy about it? It’s his site. (I would ask there, but apparently I’m not allowed to comment over there.)

    I guess my question is, why not just tell politicians to go to blogspot.com? Oh, wait, I probably know the answer to that.

  4. SayUncle Says:

    I thought the same thing based on the design layout but didn’t run a whois. now that is interesting.

  5. countertop Says:

    Got to agree with Bubba on this one.

  6. Justin Says:

    same here. “Non partisian” my ass.

  7. Bill Hobbs Says:

    I was just being coy, that’s all. Giving as little info as possible, so that folks would click the link.

    Yes, the site is non-partisan. It will have no content on it other than that generated by the politicians (and commenters of course).

    I won’t be writing for the site.

    SKB, you’re a liar. You have posted comments recently on my site. So why do you say you are not “allowed” to post comments?

    The email I sent Bubba, by the way, was simply a reply to his RTB membership update, and I think I said “check out volpols.com” or something like that.

    It was always my intention to do what I did today – put out a “teaser” and then come back a few hours later with some more information. Nothing wrong with that. It’s very normal PR and marketing. Even the TV news does it.

  8. Bill Hobbs Says:

    By the way, the reason to have as many legislators as possible on one site, rather than just having them all go to blogspot, is that having them all on one site makes for a very useful and deep database of content collected in one very useful, searchable, cross-referencable, archivable database.

  9. skb Says:

    SKB, you’re a liar.

    Uhh, right. I posted a comment. It came back to a page without my comment. I reloaded several times. No commment.

    I posted about it here. Suddenly my comment appeared.

    Who’s the liar?

  10. skb Says:

    P.S. Want to debate your “liar” libel in court? Bring it on. I need a new fish-‘n-ski boat.

  11. Justin Says:

    your not gonna bring in your “unelected liberal judges” to the fight are you SKB? 🙂

  12. skb Says:

    your not gonna bring in your “unelected liberal judges” to the fight are you SKB?

    Hell, yeah. Especially if I can find one who’ll give me a new fish-‘n-ski boat.

    Heh. Indeed.

  13. Chris Wage Says:

    Personally I think the best way to get more legislators blogging is simply by electing more bloggers to legislation. Like me! Vote for me in .. uh .. how old do you have to be to run for state congress again?

  14. Bill Hobbs Says:

    Bubba, you know full well that I post your comments. My blog has the anti-spam MT-Blacklist program installed, and comments are held in limbo until I approve them, so I can delete spam. I have always accepted your comments for publication on my blog. I approved yours today as soon as I saw that it had come in, probably within an hour of you posting it. I didn’t see this post at SayUncle’s blog until a few hours after that.

    So, yes, if you are telling people that I don’t publish your comments on my blog, you are lying – and knowingly so. That’s my opinion and I’m sticking with it. Opinions are not actionable under libel law.

  15. Bill Hobbs Says:

    Bubba, your comment was posted at 12:34 pm central time. I would have approved it no later than 1 p.m., given that I was working on my PC at that time and keep my blog interface open and regularly check comments to approve them (and reject the spam comments). I first posted a comment here at 6:06 pm central time. Your comment had been published on my blog for FIVE hours before I came here and posted a comment, so you know it’s just asinine for you to suggest – as you did at 7:35 p.m. Eastern time, that I posted your comment only because you had posted it here.

    In addition, your comment was “live” on my blog for at least a half hour before you posted your comment over here accusing me of not publishing your comments.

Remember, I do this to entertain me, not you.

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