"Pam's House Blend" explores the State Blogger selection question

*****UPDATE 2*****************************
Pam also posted this on one of my other favorite blogs, Pandagon. My new "buddy", Frances L. Holland, posted a comment.

It's interesting how no one from the "Afrospear" has commented on why they have not included "Pam's House Blend" with their list of blogs when she revealed that she had applied for inclusion.

*****UPDATE************************************
I was amused to discover at "African American Political Pundit" that no one deemed to respond to my last comment on that thread and instead started a new, more offensive thread on the same topic.

I encourage everyone to read the blog, including both threads and comments. I'll post my last comment here, in response to AAPP:

"CelticDiva, it appears that you have a chip on your shoulder regarding black bloggers bring this issue of all white blogs being chosen for State Bloggers Corps to to the attention of the DNC (which we have)."

I have no problem with you bringing this issue to the DNC...I encourage you to bring it...I think it's great that you have!

At this time, however, if I were the DNC I'd say/do three things:

1) I'd run down each blog with you and have you correctly identify the ethnicity of each blog owner and blog contributor so that you could prove to me conclusively that Black America is not represented.

2) I'd go over the State Blog criteria with you vs. the General Blog criteria and show you how your blog and Francis' blogs, as examples, are national-oriented and issue-driven blogs that meet the General blog criteria, not State blog.

3) I'd tell you that it would be more appropriate to see the list of General Blogs when they are announced before you make accusations of racial exclusion.

These are the same three issues you will be asked to address continuously by bloggers of every color.

Now, a question from me:

Which of you didn't get chosen? Was it this blog or one of Francis' blogs?

The chip that's weighing heavy on someone's shoulder isn't mine and all the insults and namecalling either one of you want to throw at me isn't going to make it so.

Since I'm now repeating myself, this will be my last comment.

******UPDATE 3*****************************************************

Literally, within the last few hours, "Pam's House Blend" was added to the list of "Afrospear" blogs at "African American Political Pundit".

********************************************************************

I emailed Pam Spaulding, owner of "Pam's House Blend" when I started exploring the accusations of some bloggers who are unhappy with the DNCC choices for the State Blogger Corps.

A little while ago, Pam posted on the topic - "Democratic National Convention state blog selection dustup". She and I seem to agree on the main points and she kindly linked to this blog and quoted me.

One area she ventured into that interested me was the politics of blog selection. In a discussion about why one blog was chosen over another, I found this very interesting:

We've been in contact with people who have told us that we were considered for the credential, but were vetoed by someone in Mississippi's Democratic Party. We are attempting to find out who that person is and why they felt we should not represent Mississippi. Any assistance in the matter would be greatly appreciated.

That surprised me because I had never considered that they might talk to Alaska's Democratic Party members before selecting a blog...I thought it was all going to be through a detached, committee. I'm not sure talking to the States Reps is wise.

As I see it, some of the best Progressive bloggers are the ones who also take their Progressive leaders to task. Sometimes that is quite necessary, but politicians are frequently notorious for not taking criticism well.

The days when the blogs were finalized, I was writing several pieces which were also posted to other blogs criticizing our Superdelegates for not declaring and one for openly enjoying the attention. I'm glad that was not held against me.