Mark Leno Talks to Bloggers

This morning, Assemblymember Mark Leno California was the guest of the premiere episode of the Politics Chat Show with Brian Leubitz of Calitics and Frank Russo of the California Progress Report.

You can listen to the show here.

Blogosphere Day: Candidate’s Perspective

On Blogosphere Day, I would like to discuss blogs from the view of an elected official and candidate for higher office. When I first announced I was challenging State Senator Carole Migden in the 2008 Democratic Primary, I knew that there would be serious resistance. That is why it was so gratifying for me to be added to the Calitics ActBlue page within hours of my announcement.

But when I think of the blogs, I don’t think of an ATM. And my race has already proven why.

Within 48 hours of my announcement, there was an outrageous blog post using Fox News talking points against me.

Yet the self correcting blogosphere pushed back hard. The post was condemned online to the point it made the papers and ten days later my opponent called upon her close confidant to take down the post.

A short time later, billboards using my opponents campaign website art began appearing on Clear Channel billboards across the district – without a disclaimer. Again, the blogs called upon her to do the right thing and it made the papers and just yesterday the San Francisco Bay Guardian editorialized against the “Billboard Sleaze”.

And now, yet another emerging scandal about my opponent having three times as much unitemized expenditures as Joe Lieberman began moving on Calitics and was picked up by liberal radio yesterday morning.

So yes, win or lose I’ll always be proud that my campaign raised more on ActBlue than any non-federal campaign last quarter. But I’m prouder still that the blogs are fighting to ensure we have a clean race, because that is what every Democrat deserves in a primary campaign.

Please celebrate Blogosphere Day and Act Blue.

 

Marriage as a Fundamental Right

Dan Chmielewski writes:

My wife and I are about six weeks away from our 24th wedding anniversary; I don’t see how allowing gays and lesbians to marry will damage our marriage or our family. The only people who matter in a marriage are the two people in it.

Or, as the Washington Post recently editorialized: The Sky Isn’t Falling.

Beth Spotswood on Mark Leno

Best Spotswood writes about Saturday night with Mark Leno. It is worth a read, it is really funny.