February 2009

Making Reporter-Source Love Connections

by Chip Griffin on February 16, 2009

Peter Shankman, founder of Help A Reporter Out, talked about why he started a simple email list that turned into a blossoming enterprise. He explains who uses HARO and why and even discusses some upcoming feature enhancements he has up his sleeve.

What Happened to Hope?

by Chip Griffin on February 11, 2009

It seems that Hope really is just a town in Arkansas. It would be imprudent to suggest that President Obama make everything seem like it is coming up roses. Clearly, it is not. But it would be reassuring for him to deploy his considerable oratorical skills to paint a picture of hope and optimism instead of extolling the politics of gloom and doom.

RNC to Host Open Meeting on Tech Ideas

by Chip Griffin on February 9, 2009

The Republican National Committee will be hosting a technology summit on Friday where activists and experts will be given 5 minute blocks of time to express their own ideas about how the GOP should take advantage of high-tech tools to move forward.

Tips for Pitching Your Advocacy Campaign to Bloggers

by Chip Griffin on February 9, 2009

Over at K Street Cafe, Chris Moody of the Cato Institute offers up some tips on getting your advocacy campaign covered by bloggers. The post includes examples from a recent effort that included basics on etiquette as well as ideas for the best formats and approaches to use.

Update on Obama's Pledged Legislative Transparency

by Chip Griffin on February 9, 2009

Patrick Ruffini draws attention to President Obama’s election pledge to shed some light on the legislative process by posting legislation to the White House web site and permitting 5 days of public comment before signing.

Are Obama's Early Virtual Grassroots Efforts Working?

by Chip Griffin on February 8, 2009

Now the Obama campaign has a massive list of supporters and donors with disparate motivations and desires. It is likely that not all of them support the stimulus package currently on the table, and it is even more likely that support for future policy battles will steadily erode as details emerge and divergent viewpoints resurface.
Nevertheless, Obama has an important resource and even partial success could translate into legislative victories in Washington, DC.

Think Before You Tweet

by Chip Griffin on February 8, 2009

The good news is that Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) is using Twitter. The bad news is that the Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee slipped up and Tweeted a few details about a Congressional delegation trip to Iraq that was supposed to be kept quiet until it was over, likely for security reasons.

House GOP Seeking Technology Edge

by Chip Griffin on February 7, 2009

Are House Republicans getting ahead of the game when it comes to technology? Nancy Scola at TechPresident seems to think so. She writes that “Again and again, Hill Republicans are proving themselves more creative, more ambitious, and more forward-looking than Hill Democrats when it comes to the web.” Scola specifically points to the recent announcement [...]

Building Obama's Presidential Grassroots Organization

by Chip Griffin on February 7, 2009

Usually when a presidential election concludes, the campaign goes dormant for a few years while much of the party-building and other grassroots activities switches to the national party committee and state and local campaigns. Not the Obama campaign. They have decided — probably wisely — to try to continue to harness the energy of its [...]

Help Shape the Politics Online Conference

by Chip Griffin on February 7, 2009

Colin Delany over at e.politics points to a survey being conducted by the Politics Online conference to help determine what sessions will be held this April in Washington, DC. He suggests a few that he is involved in, but when you visit the survey you will find a wealth of panel and presentation titles from [...]