Bloggers, Politicians, Ties, and Disclosure

First, understand that I don't believe I have some great overview and knowledge of all the dynamics at work here, so I'm not going to name names or try to imply that I do have great wisdom and understanding. But in reading some of the "big" blogs last night, I saw a certain amount of carping that bloggers with ties (financial or otherwise) to either specific political candidates or overall campaigns were being told they had to disclose those relationships when other forms of media (TV pundits, columnists, etc.) are not held to the same standard.

I completely understand the phenom of not wanting to be held to a different, tougher standard than others who are far better paid. But what I don't quite "get" is that blogs became so popular because people were looking for information apart and beyond from all these cozy corporate interests.

So where does that leave the additional-information-seeking public if they come to blogs and don't see any form of disclosure that this or that blog has a consulting or other financial/gain relationship with a candidate or campaign they're promoting? In my view, if bloggers don't disclose, then we're no better than someone like Howie Kurtz who benefits directly and indirectly from the GOP through his wife's position with them and then fails to disclose it again and again.

Didn't we either begin blogs or start to read blogs because we were looking for information that wasn't corrupted as much through the corporate masters?

I can argue that I don't think someone like Howard Dean (and he's being used solely as an example here because I respect him enormously) is a political whore, but if I took money from Dean - and I don't, nor do I have any relationship with him other than the fact that I once voted for him - and failed to disclose it while saying what I do about Dean, I would understand why some might question whether my opinion is shaded by such a tie. In my case, I can tell you that I've never had a situation where my opinion has changed because someone handed me money/resources/respect, but a reader might not believe that.

So yes, I'm one of those terrible, terrible people who feel that bloggers - all bloggers of all stripes - who have some type of real connection to a candidate or a cause should disclose. I care that others in the media are not being held to the same standard, but I'm not willing to corrupt the process by saying it's OK to for somebody's work to be underwritten by a John Thune, a Tom DeLay, a John Kerry, or a Howard Dean to keep that relationship secret when they're writing about that person.

Myself? I disclose too much. It's just me. I prefer to have everything out on the table. I'm not asking other bloggers to follow my own standard. But I am asking them to disclose the pertinent stuff.