Bye Dan

Rather leaves the desk tonight. The Right will rejoice and ceremoniously place Rather's head on their mantle next to their other claims of victory. Unfortunately, Dan isn't going anywhere, he'll continue to report, and will still be a key member of the 60 minutes team.

An article in the STRIB today talks about the influence of blogs, and how they have evolved over this past election cycle. The next step:

Radio host Hugh Hewitt recently announced on HughHewitt.com that he had reserved the Web address "swarmingthestrib.com" and proposed that bloggers from across the country agree to jointly post "a daily digest of commentary on the lapses in objectivity and the flights of lefty fancy that the paper daily indulges."

Star Tribune Editor Anders Gyllenhaal said it was clear from Hewitt's posting that he doesn't read the paper, but he said the editors welcome constructive criticism. "If someone can find a new way of enlightening readers, then my attitude is: the more the merrier," Gyllenhaal said.

and from the neighbor down the street

Mitch Berg, a Twin Cities-based blogger (shotinthedark.info) said the local allies of Hewitt, known as the Northern Alliance, have decided that there is already so much Star Tribune criticism being posted by local bloggers -- notably on anti-strib.blogspot.com -- that "there's no need to start a formal site to do this."

I wonder why he didn't mention the Fiskwa?

Read the whole article. It is interesting to see their take, and for us Bloggers and blog reader to witness who they are two steps to the side, and several steps behind, in understanding what impact we truly can have.

Oh, and hit this poll, so they know we are out here!

Flash

PS: As long as I am pushing Polls, be sure to drop by Fraters and vote in their tongue and cheek look at who should be the next President of the University of Colorado. Go here, and look for the poll in a yellow box on the right. Click on King Banaian, the much deserving Economist at my alma mater SCSU. We don't want him to get beat by Hewitt, do we?