The AP skims the surface of Iowa blogs

Over the weekend, this piece from AP reporter Henry C. Jackson ran in several papers, I saw it in the Mason City Globe Gazette along with the Register, it probably ran in other papers as well.

The piece mentions a handful of Iowa bloggers specifically, with some hits and some misses. State 29 appears miffed that he wasn't listed, and he also lists me among the blogs he thinks should've been noticed.

I think the story did a pretty good job, for the most part, of catching the blogs of most public interest. Chris and Krusty are probably the most read blogs on the left and right, respectively, and Gordon and Ted Sporer are both newsworthy because of their past or current affiliations with their respective parties. Here's where I think the reporter missed the boat.

The blogosphere isn't just about the caucuses. In fact, I'd rather write about state issues. I think there are a ton of people out there with more time on their hands who cover national politics and perhaps do it better than I would. And I think I can make more of a difference on the local level. That's the reason I don't report on boring interviews, like the one I had with Bill Richardson. I could tell you that Bill Richardson seems nice and is capable of going skin-deep on four issues, but I feel like there are bigger things I could tell you about with a bit more relevance.

I don't know Henry Jackson, but my guess is he's not from Iowa. Saying the Iowa blogosphere is only about the caucuses is like saying the state of Iowa is only about RAGBRAI and the State Fair.

KL