Plunderbund

I think bloggers should be able to cover the Obama speech.

I never hesitate to attend public meetings and those running the meetings typically know that I am going to be highly critical.I just don’t partake of their food and drink, even it it is only coffee.

But what’s this “cement” a relationship by giving bloggers a $150 dinner ticket? That I can’t understand. I find that reprehensible.
Are you guys saying you’re cheerleaders and pay us for our cheers?

Roldo - campaigns offer good will all the time. as for the dinner - it’s probably $20 - consider it gas money for the drive.

Roldo,

I think you are missing the point. We are not journalists. Don’t claim to be, don’t want to be. We are activists and it would be smart of the ODP to absolutely “cement relationships” with us. If you pay close - or even cursory - attention, you’ll realize that doesn’t mean we’ll be cheerleaders or non-critical.

Nobody is asking to get paid. We’re asking to be included and simple comps to things like this is really pretty minor for what we do in the long run.

You are missing the point.

I can kind of understand this one, giving free tickets to a select few bloggers creates the next situation of which bloggers get to attend and then possible bad feelings because so and so got free tickets yet so and so didn’t.

If it is a paid event, it’s a paid event. Kerry’s coming to Toledo on May 20th, there is a private reception being held first. I already know my chances as a blogger of getting in are nil and I would expect that, despite the online activism that some do that does benefit the party, if volunteers that spend hours working for candidates or for causes would have to pay then bloggers should too. They contribute just as much as not more than some of us.

I’m not missing the point at all.

You want something for nothing.

You are trying to throw your weight around.

That damages credibility, the base rock of freedom of speech, which I believe is the point of these blogs.

roldo, please don’t lecture on free speech, it’s annoying. and it’s not what this is about.

ODP has a blog problem. that is a fact. their last big soiree had nothing but terrible blog stories come out of it because of the behavior of one US Senate candidate. they should be looking for ways to smooth it over, not exacerbate it.

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I have to agree with Roldo & Lisa Renee on this one. IIRC, even candidates and Democratic elected folks have to buy tickets to it.

Shalom Y’all,

TNSTAAFL. Show up. Sit down on the sidelines (not at table), cover the speech. Bring your own bottle of water.

I’ve done it for 20+ years and never been denied entrance.

Better to eat a cheese sandwich afterwards than to owe anything to the people you’re covering.

B’shalom,

Jeff Hess

Tim: That’s no excuse for asking for a handout.

Bloggers can’t have it both ways.You can’t be part of the team when it’s convenient, critical of msm by setting your own rules of what is right and what is wrong and expect hugs and kisses.

Political bloggers are going to have to take the next step in establishing some rules of engagement with an ethical foundation.

You want to call that lecturing, I’ll simply label it advice backed by some 50 years of reporting, most of it as independently as the bloggers I hope I’m addressing.

To be honest, I don’t care. If they want to give me a comp, give me a comp. If not, don’t. If it’s something that I want to see bad enough, I’ll pay.

I don’t want the ODP to feel like they owe me anything. Accept what I have to say, or don’t. This isn’t about me. All I want to see is them hauling ass, winning elections. If stepping on one of my feet would help, I’d gladly extend one.

I cover the state races that I want to cover. Since I could care less about a Barak Obama fundraiser for the ODP, I won’t be covering it. Whoop de doo! My half dozen readers will be missing out.

I refuse to be a victim to any political Party. If they fuck up, they fuck up. It’s got shit to do with me. That’s never what I’m about.

“You want something for nothing.”

That misses the point ENTIRELY. I don’t want anything. “I” merely support the idea of the ODP inviting some bloggers to go to the event on them. “I” don’t even care if I am one.

Weight? I got weight? LOL.

I can understand your freedom of speech argument. However, what you don’t get is that if I changed my take on things without reason, I’d be called on it. Hell, many of my blog friends would be the first to call me out on it.

I think you are working from an old school journalism model.

Eric: Old school, new school, basic ethical behavior has to rule.

I don’t mean to prolong this but I believe this is a much larger issue than you think. It’s important for bloggers to understand that they also have responsibilities.

To even appear to be asking for gratuities at this time - given the abundant news of political chicanery - puts one in a poor position to judge others and we need voices that do judge others on issues.

Clever folks.

I told both Pounder and Plunderbund that we do not comp tickets to major fundraisers.

I also told them both (conveniently omitted) that I had not yet dealt with press credentials. The working press does not accept meals at such events as a matter of journalistic ethics.

Since, it appears that in your view you are an activist, I would have to say you would not qualify for press credentials — or else where is the line for press credentials drawn.

ODP has a lot of activists that do a lot of work. Comping activists is a slippery slope to navigate. Should I comp a blogger because he has an audience and ignore the guy that pounded pavement? Or the lady that phoned for three weeks straight? In fact, that is why we made a contest of activists for a few of the tickets for volunteers.

In effect, you have clarified for me the issue of press credentials and the blogosphere. If you want to be considered an activist there is no issue of press credentialing.

As for public meetings (not private fundraisers) bloggers are as are any activist welcome to attend public events. This, however, is not a public event.

I will work with the campaigns and ODP to provide a blog rundown of the event that should meet your need for those unable to buy a ticket and attend which should satisfy Pounders argument regarding that those who cannot attend should have a rundown of the event.

Finally, if bloggers want the credibility of journalists they really should develop standards like journalists. Freebies are what led the Ohio GOP to the Culture of Corruption we are trying to overturn.

Brian

Roldo,

Come on man. This is no gratuity. What service am I giving in exchange? What deal would be implied? I’m a lefty blogger. I’m gonna keep doing that regardless.

asking for gratuities? “at this time”? “political chicanery?” are you kidding? what planet are you living on roldo? it’s a fundraiser. you have to pay to get in, unless you are comped. that’s how it works.

i’ve been comped, as have hundreds of other people, to a lot of ODP dinners, it isn’t some big deal, rothenberg saying there aren’t any comps because it’s a fundraiser is laughable. that’s why they’re called comps. duh.

as for reporters getting fed, if a reporter showed up for a dinner event and wasn’t fed at least a ham sandwich, the belly aching would last for weeks and effect every story the guy wrote….but he wouldn’t admit it. he’d just cop an attitude.

Brian,

You can call me Eric, btw. I think you lay out the ODP position well, which also is the problem as I see it. Maybe I’m wrong. Quite possible in fact. I still sense the contempt is alive and well for the indy lefty bloggers and the message is fully under control. Congrats!

Brian,

Times are changing. I don’t think you can say bloggers are press or they are activists - it’s one bucket or the other.

It’s both and it’s neither.

Once you accept this then you realize that perhaps you need to come up with new approaches to things.

Some people get it, other don’t.

Tim & Eric: A value of $150 is a gratuity no matter how you slice it.

More important is the perception you are projecting in demanding the privilege.

Comparing yourself to reporters who take free stuff is too low a standard to set.

talk to the senator, roldo.

[…] The yes and debate is here on Buckeye State Blog. More debate is here at Plunderbund. And more commentary here at Democracy Guy. […]

I wish that the ODP had the vision and imagination to make an exception to their own rules and give bloggers a table at their “private event.” But since they didn’t, I’m thrilled with Obama’s gesture in buying a table, and I don’t see any ethical or moral dilemma in accepting it.

I disagree, he is basically contributing $150.00 for each one of you who attends. Here in Toledo, Tom Noe gave people money to donate to George Bush, so perhaps I’m a bit more “funny” about these types of things. Realistically Obama is giving his own money to those of you who attend as a donation to the Ohio Democratic Party since that is the purpose of this fundraiser.

So legally who has to claim this? And not to be bitchy but seriously, there are ethical implications at least to me as well as moral ones. I have no idea how a political party handles the ticket aspect legally for tickets they give as comp but in this situation Obama is the speaker not the organizer of the event.

This is slightly off topic, however it adds a different perspective to a reason for why the ODP acts so confused regarding how to deal with grassroots activists and bloggers.

Why should we even begin to somewhat desire a comp dinner and such from the ODP? Where was the Ohio Democratic Party when we were calling out for their support in late 2004 and 2005 regarding the recount and the botched Reform Ohio Now amendments campaign? The ODP was no where to be found.

We should strive to be as objective as possible without forgetting that we all have personal activism issues that we each try to pursuade the ODP and others to acknowledge. Of course, as we all know, the ODP has been painfully slow to even listen, let alone adapt or even appear as if they truly care about what stand for and write about … C’est la Vie!

Therefore, based on the ODP’s past performance and the current Strickland, Redfern and Brown ODP coup, I say any gesture by the party to accomodate us differently is “too little, too late.” They can’t buy my opinions, they have to earn respect based on their performance, not a freebie meal and/or VIP table space.

I don’t need any type of comps to keep doing what I’m doing … regardless of whether I’m “pro” or “con” regarding WHATEVER the ODP supposedly does at any given time.

Below is from Andrew Warner’s blog

“Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Ohio Democrats: Too little, too late

Now that Secretary of State Ken Blackwell is running against so-called Democrat Ted Strickland, the Ohio Democratic Party has a problem with Blackwell’s inherent conflict of interest in overseeing an election in which he is also running.

I seem to remember a certain amendment which would have rectified this, I believe it was part of that Reform Ohio Now package that state Democrats wanted nothing to do with. It’s a shame that Democrats were too busy salivating, figuring they were going to control the state in the years to come (including the office of the Secretary of State), that they wouldn’t get behind these issues even though they were quite “democratic.”

I imagine, even with the most conservative of Democratic candidates, that it will be hard for them to defeat the guy who gets to tally the votes. I guess you reap what you sow.

If only they would have done the right thing instead of playing their petty game of politics. But that’s just an outlandish concept that us idealists, some say foolishly, desperately cling to.”

What moral issues? What ethical issues? Attending an event at the invitation of the keynote speaker? Will I suddenly become bought and paid for by Barack? Come on. Comparing this to Noe giving people money to donate to Bush is a bit much.

I’m nowhere near as experienced as some, but from what I’m told this is not new at all. Russell is right that this is a win for all. The only downside to this is that the ODP didn’t step up and get this done earlier.

And YDS, if they’ve given out tickets before (and in this case in a contest), then there is no rule to make an exception to.

The Noe analogy is false. In that case, Noe was giving others money to donate to Bush in their name. In this, Obama is buying a table for people he wants/thinks should be at an event. The money goes directly to the party, does not change hands to be illegally donated.

my guess renee is that Obama isnt buying the tickets his leadership PAC is - and it can give thousands to ODP if it wanted to.

As for comp tickets they can be marked down as in kind contributions to meet FEC and OEC regulations.

What Noe did was launder money - something quite different.

This is no different than if I bought my wife a ticket to go or if i bought Eric one.

…which is precisely what we’d do if we all raised money to send a few of us.

Shalom Y’all,

I’m with Lisa and Roldo on this one.

So I would suggest that everyone who accepts the $150 gift from Sen. Obama should also do the following:

First, be sure to tell your readers in the first or second sentence of every post you ever write about the event or Sen. Obama that you received the $150 gift from him.

Second, be sure to claim the $150 on your Federal, State and Local income tax forms under gratuities.

Third, if I were one of Ohio’s newspaper reporters with an axe to grind I’d be all over this. Be prepared for the the snarky MSM headline:

“Sen. Obama donates $15,000 to ODP in Name of Bloggers.”

B’shalom,

Jeff Hess

Wow! This was illuminating, to say the very least. The ODP functionary appears to have a far better grasp of the elemental values at stake here than do some otherwise serious bloggers. And this again highlights the crucial issue that won’t ever go away: ethics count, no matter how nervous that word makes some bloggers (because, presumably, they read it as an implied criticism of their lack of same). This really shouldn’t be very complicated. Lots of writers have been sitting in on City Club debates and other programs for years (me included). There’s a table for the media set aside for that purpose. I just make sure not to eat. Have I ever taken a sip of water or a drank a cup of coffee? Yes, occasionally. Would I eat an entire comped meal? Never.

Jeff, bad math first off. Second, I already dig Obama. You think if I did not that a ticket to a dinner would change my take? You can be the judge whether a seat at the event affects anyone and their blogging. Then call them all on it.

John, I’m not a journalist. I’m not media. I’m a blogger activist. How is that different than offering tickets via a contest to other grassroots activists? My ethics will be judged by those that read and called out in comments for all to judge. This differs greatly from traditional media. I’m not sure about others, but I’ve never once claimed to be objective.

I have no problem being invited and comped to an event within a party I’m trying to work with. The issue for me is how little such party wants to work with me. My point remains that it is self defeating and a missed opportunity.

I don’t think among most readers that the disclaimer will be necessary. That is the beauty of the blogs. If I write a shining review of my meeting with Barack you can go ahead and claim it is because he bought me a ticket to a dinner, but it will most likely just be that I like the guy and his ideas. It will be for the readers to decide.

I didn’t say or even imply you’re a journalist. But I did say and imply you’re a writer, because you’re doing something we call writing. And sorry, but by the very act of writing, you’re creating an implied contract (not in the legal sense, but in the ethical) with your audience. A contract that says there is something standing behind your words (knowledge, facts, soul, a sense of fairness, whatever). And that contract is tampered with by your asking for or accepting freebies. I don’t know how much more simply I can explain this.

OK, John. I’m gonna accept Barack’s invitation and would have accepted the ODPs. Make of it what you will. You might be a bit surprised at what’s brewing. Stay tuned.

I’ll follow it with interest, Eric. And I should confess that I’d never before visited this site, and didn’t know much about you or it (I certainly did see and hear references to it before). And drilling down on your background, I see that you’re a Zen disciple, which I deeply respect. All I can ask is that you use your no doubt well-tuned intuition as your guide.

Thanks John! I’ve bumped into your stuff before as well and promise to try to stay in better touch.

[…] Item: Barack Obama (another black guy) does a dinner for the ODP. […]