|
|
| |
| Thu, Nov. 20, 2008 |  |
 |
|
||
| |
'Under the Dome' goes into hall for first-hand convention coverage Friday, Aug 22, 2008 By Aaron Sadler Stephens Washington Bureau WASHINGTON - Look closely at the Arkansas delegation when cameras point its way during the Democratic National Convention in Denver next week. Under all the posters and colorful hats and balloons you'll find state Rep. Steve Harrelson, typing away on his Dell Precision M2400 laptop from a prime spot on the convention floor. The Democrat from Texarkana was among 55 bloggers chosen by the Democratic Party for unprecedented access to their respective state delegations. As political Web sites have grown more popular, the party chose to place an "official" blogger inside each delegation. "This is about tearing down the walls of the convention so that ordinary peole can see inside through the eyes of an ordinary person," DNC chairman Howard Dean said. "We want to hear from voters through the bloggers." Harrelson said he will file multiple dispatches a day from Denver on his Web log, called "Under the Dome." Harrelson's political expertise is unmatched among the state's blogging corps: He's the House majority leader and many of his blog posts originate from the House chamber at the state Capitol. To enhance his political street cred, Harrelson will bring with him incoming House Speaker Robbie Wills, D-Conway, to help out in Denver. "I'm a cub reporter, I guess," said Wills, who is also a big Under the Dome fan. "I read it just about every day," Wills said. "We tease Steve a lot during session because he's very dedicated to the blog. We tease him for spending more time on that than legislating." Harrelson and Wills will share a room at the Arkansas delegation hotel in Littleton, Colo., about 20 miles from the convention hall. Harrelson's credential will allow him to do almost everything with the delegation except vote. Wills plans to follow events outside the convention hall and pass along the information to his temporary boss. The party requested that Harrelson post at least three blog items per day, but Harrelson said he expects to write much more. "I want to be able to present this from the Arkansas perspective and be able to talk to each of the Arkansas delegates to the convention," Harrelson said. About 1,100 unique visitors access his Web site, www.underthedome.com, each day, he said. About half are from the Little Rock area. A third live in his Miller County district. He started the blog during the 2007 legislative session to replace a weekly paper newsletter that he said was "cumbersome." Now, Harrelson spends between two and three hours daily on the site, where he keeps tabs on action at the state Capitol and provides a daily roundup of state political news. Since he began blogging, constituent feedback has been more about the site than it has about the state's roads or its education system. "I think there's room for small, niche Web sites like mine that really just pertain to Arkansas politics and government," Harrelson said. Readers should not mistake him as a conventional media source, he said. For one, Harrelson keeps some details of his legislative work and the behind-the-scenes machinations of the Capitol off the blog. Wills, as Harrelson's apprentice, said he will get permission from sources before he makes a specific reference to them on the blog. For another, Harrelson makes no secret about his Democratic loyalties. "The people who have been reading my blog know I am the majority leader in the House and there is going to be bias in my posts, although I try to keep it as level as I can," he said. "People know where I'm coming from, but I'm not afraid to write very critical things about people in my own party." On the Web: www.underthedome.com |
