DNC lies re: convention bloggers

It's disappointing, truly, to see someone who works for the Democratic convention be so obtuse and blatantly dishonest as Aaron Myers (email: [e-mail]).

Markos has implied that this forthcoming list of "General Pool" blogs will not have access to the state delegations at the Convention.  That’s incorrect.  At previous Democratic Conventions and again in Denver, state delegates spend much of their day meeting outside of the convention hall.  All bloggers and other members of the media will be aware of state gatherings.  They’ll have the same access to provide the same level of coverage.  And "General Pool" bloggers will be able to walk around and gather information on the convention floor via "floor passes."  Any credentialed blogger will have unparalleled access to their state delegation  -- and to this Convention as a whole.  It’s that simple.

Here's what I actually wrote:

The state blogger corps were a special program and a particularly coveted one since it allows those bloggers to sit with their delegations on the convention floor. Regular bloggers can't do that. They may "have access" to the state delegations, but they won't be sitting with them.

So first of all, I never implied lack of access. In fact, I explicitly stated that they'd have it. But second of all, the question isn't one of access. It's one of sitting with the delegation in the floor of the convention, being with them as events unfold and being able to capture the full flavor of the moment. That's different than being able to run out and talk to someone. It's a point that Aaron repeatedly pretended not to grasp as we desperately tried to resolve this issue quietly behind the scenes.

So that post by Aaron is not surprising. It's that level of dishonesty and obtuseness that has allowed what should've been a minor inconvenience, and one easily fixed, into a far bigger deal.

There's no justification for snubbing the Albany Project, Blue Jersey, Cotton Mouth, Left in Alabama, and Michigan Liberal. That they continue pretending that there's no problem at hand, and that regular blogger credentials are the same as the State Blogger Corps credentials betrays a lack of respect for bloggers and a gross insult to our intelligence.

It's high time the convention planners stepped in and fixed things.

Update: Aaron also says:

We didn’t hand off this project to state party officials, as was rumored.

The rumor wasn't that it was "handed off", but that some state parties exercised veto power over the selections. I'd like to see Aaron deny that was the case, since the evidence to that effect is steadily mounting.