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LI's Partisan Blogosphere

Say it five times fast. Partisan bloggers are blogging on the bloggings of other bloggers — and Long Island is the battlefield.

“Urban Elephants” is a New York City Republican-oriented Web site. A recent post expresses concern about “energetic liberal bloggers setting up space on line targeting specific Republican elected leaders,” that is, “blogs dedicated solely to one person.”
As examples, Elephants’ Scott Scala cites Democrat-oriented sites that target Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford), Nassau Legislature Minority Leader Peter Schmitt (R-Massapequa), the Nassau GOP — all of a piece. Another such site, called “Veto Vito,” whacks Staten Island Rep. Vito Fossella, the five boroughs’ only Republican Congressman.

“Now this does not necessarily mean such easily-set up sites can make an impact,” Scala writes, but “the larger media loves fights... A one-person crusade against one politician has the potential to become Cindy Sheehan-ized in the wrong hands.”

“Readers should consider proper defenses,” he adds. “Pro-candidate blogs? Anti-Dem elected officials blogs? Counter posts? Etc. We cannot lose the blog war in New York.”

At his “Peter Schmitt Watch,” John Rennhack of North Massapequa blogged: “I guess this post from Urban Elephants is flattering...Urban Elephants is well-written (not that we agree with the writing) and thoughtful.” Rennhack also does “Nassau GOP Watch” and “Peter King Watch.”

One-time candidate Rennhack even responded last year to a “Watch” site targeting King’s challenger, Legis. David Mejias, by creating “Mejias Watch Watch.”

Recent fare on the “Nassau GOP Watch” included a link to the New York Observer “Politicker” site video of GOP state and county leader Joseph Mondello saying of Gov. Eliot Spitzer: “He will self-destruct. You give it a little bit of time.” “GOP Watch” snaps: “So the plan is to wait patiently for Governor Spitzer to `self-destruct,’...Brilliant strategist.”

One recent “Urban Elephants” link, meanwhile, raps Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-Mineola) as having been unable in an interview to define a key term in her own anti-gun bill.

UPDATE: Also part of the scene we're describing is another pro-Democrat site, Nasty Letters, which also whacks King...

Dan Janison"