Love the idea! You go, NPR!

Sent by Victoria Collins | 9:22 AM ET | 04-20-2008

Is the internet truly democratic? ie. Does it provide equal footing for all citizens, or does it favor those that are more financially or intellectually advantaged?

Sent by Ronald Pelton | 9:27 AM ET | 04-20-2008

Great addition to Weekend Edition!

Sent by Bob Howell | 9:28 AM ET | 04-20-2008

It sounds like Mindy is for John McCain and it sounds like Faye is definitely for Barack so I hope you've got someone who is for Clinton. Even Mindy, in her comments hands the lead to Barack Obama. I am sick of the press coming to a conclusion for the voting public! It has influenced the vote in many ways.
I am waiting for someone to thorougly vet Obama-- What was he acutally doing as a "community organizer" in Chicago???? What is this work?? how does it qualify him to be the leader of the country in a global world????

Sent by Marjorie | 9:34 AM ET | 04-20-2008

Let me take this opportunity to comment. In my opinion, 35,000 people at a rally with Barack Obama does not necessarily translate into 35,00 votes. Some in attendance no doubt went out of curiosity, to see and hear a candidate for president without any media filters. Some are probably not registered to vote, and have no intention to vote. Some might have gone just to say that they did, in the event that he IS elected president, as if to say that they supported him from the very beginning. The 35,000 indicates interest, not necessarily support, and it certainly doesn't mean he's got 35,000 votes in his pocket just because he got a large turnout.

Sent by Norma Bauer | 9:38 AM ET | 04-20-2008

It's a good idea, but I'm sorry you have chosen to be so completely one-sided in your choice of bloggers and commentators. Don't we get enough Republican propaganda from mainstream media outlets?

Sent by Larry H. Charles | 9:39 AM ET | 04-20-2008

the little republican john mcain supporting girl spouting about the hard working values of her family needs to clarify how the values of hard working church going democratic families are so different and by inference bad.

Sent by sharron tavernier | 9:42 AM ET | 04-20-2008

An independent activist, a techno-journalist, and a member in good standing of the nomenklatura for government-as-criminal-enterprise (aka the Bush Administration). Too bad "Fair and Balanced" has already been taken as a tag line.

And I can't help but notice that only the republicans could come up with an apologist for war criminals named "Mindy."

Sent by Stuart in New Orleans | 9:43 AM ET | 04-20-2008

Congratulations! The Sunday Blog is a small tilt toward media democracy. Having much more on-air listerner and expert comment would lead to an higher level of democracy, truth and fairness.

As to Barack, he seems to be a smart, good guy, but his denial of the Muslim thing brings him right back into the Rev. Wright scandal -- if he was a devoted church goer for twenty years, what the heck was he doing at a church filled with so much anti-American and anti- Jewish hatred. And that must be looked at in the context of other actions and statements by both him and his wife that support these negative views. Can we really trust this candidate? This is a real issue as much as any policy discussion. The same goes for his stunning lack of experience, both foreign and domestic. Being smart and handsome wasn't enough for JFK, a man tempered by much more governmental and real life experience then Barack.

Sent by P. from NYC | 9:47 AM ET | 04-20-2008

Of all of America's big problems the single largest, in fact the ONE problem that includes and even exacerbates all the others - The News Media itself. Yes, The media has become the problem in part because it has BECOME the message, the dangerously diversionary evil-enabling message. It's the worst of mean inaccurate rumor-mongering. With NPR usually excepted (not always), Americans are fed a fire hose stream of random sensational information, with little or no context, historical basis, or real meaning. It picks the dumb meaningless material at the expense of the important and crucial information. This past week's PA debate is a perfect example, a disgusting abrogation by ABC of responsible news gathering, or in this case news making. The failure of news media to actually "call out" the statements of those Republicans who try to slander Obama with anti-Muslim rhetoric, is a travesty and utterly Un-American. Fearing being accused of bias, the media didn't call those hate-freaks what they are - purveyors of the worst of anti-American ideas.

Sent by Sam Kopper, direct descendant of Declaration writer, Richard Henry Lee | 9:52 AM ET | 04-20-2008

I am listening from Germany. Normally I listen on the Internet. I lived in USA for over 12 years, and I am from Mexico. Whenever is possible I use normal radio. Thanks so much for your hard work.

Sent by Jesus Gonzales Vazquez | 10:01 AM ET | 04-20-2008

I wish NPR and our other media would ask the Pope and our political candidates how they are going to solve the world's population crisis. We all know the burgeoning population adds to world hunger, stresses world water and other resources and makes solving climate change more difficult. In addition we are using up oxygen in the atmosphere by a small percentage more each year than we are making it. If one truely cherishes life which is supposed to be the Pope's message, then he ought to be asked about the inconsistency in birth control philosophy which adds to human misery and threatens our survival. "Go forth and multiply" (Gen 24-2) as a Papal policy when it was a struggle to be on earth no longer serves the concept found in parables to be stewards of the earth. As Patrick Dobel put it in an October 12, 1977 Christian Century Article (www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=1180 ): "The parable of the good steward in Luke 12:41-48 and the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30 summarize the concept. The preservation of what is given ???in trust??? demands a recognition of the owner???s dictates for the resources. We must know the limits and laws of the world in order to use them wisely. Our actions must be guided, in part, by concerns for future generations. Above all, we must never knowingly exhaust or ruin what has been given to us. If doing so is absolutely necessary to sustain life, then equity demands that we must leave some equally accessible and beneficial legacy to replace what has been exhausted."

Sent by Russ Doty | 10:05 AM ET | 04-20-2008

I was appalled at the little McCain supporter's assumption that Democrats don't work hard and don't support strong national defense. We have a lot less of a strong defense with our troops tied up in Iraq, less friends in the world, and less money. Part of strong defense is critical thinking skills to decide when you need to use the military. Terrorism is best dealt with as a police action. We're less safe under the present administration than ever before and will be for decades.
We need a war tax to be paying currently for this mission If Americans had a monthly bill for their share of this war, we'd find a way to get out soon.

Sent by Kris W. | 10:20 AM ET | 04-20-2008

Most of the "blogs" that I have come seen are, at best, suppositions with no research. Primarily, they all tend to be outright lies and smear campaigns; what we used to call libel and slander, with no accountability. As one of your journalists noted, 10 percent of the American public think that Barack Obama is a Muslim and 28 percent of Americans think that Sudam Hussein bombed New York. Can't we have some truth for a change? Maybe, you could air the bloggers and then expose the fallacies that are zooming around the internet. There is so much outrageous garbage on the internet, I don't believe the weather report until I go outside to check.

Sent by Pamela Blake | 10:22 AM ET | 04-20-2008

Why do you have a Republican Party operative and not a Democratic Party as well?

Sent by Jay Abbott | 11:28 AM ET | 04-20-2008

At last; intelligent political discussion. There is a God. Now all I need is the time to read and participate
Cheers, Bruce

Sent by Bruce Nyberg | 11:28 AM ET | 04-20-2008

I'm sad to see that NPR obviously thinks that its listeners perceive it as completely left-wing (when NPR is at best center-left). This is the only explanation for picking a republican strategist as one of 3 bloggers in a poor attempt to be "fair and balanced" (yes the quotes are intentional).

I've been listening less and less to NPR, because it is becoming more and more like mainstream media. I don't hear interesting, insightful, or educational news from NPR anymore, it just blends in as something slightly elevated from the E! channel with mostly fluff pieces or regurgitated press releases.

So sad.

Sent by James | 11:33 AM ET | 04-20-2008

I want to express my dismay at the recent Pennsylvania "debate". It was an ambush and I think Barack did amazingly well considering what he was up against. The evening was choreographed to help Clinton. Barack was treated condescendingly by the moderators. The only "negative" questions Hillary received were ones that she wanted. She wanted to raise again the question of Barack's electablity. She wanted a chance to "win back" voters disappointed by the Bosnea story. Her demeanor was smug and very different from previous debates gving one the impression that she was part of the planning and knew exactly the "questions" planned. The camera frequently focused on Chelsea and Clinton supporters during the "debate". The only commentator at the end was negative about Barrack leaving just the question Hillary wants the superdelegates to worry about. I am not generally one to accept conspiracy theories but this "debate" for me was over the top and I don't doubt at all Hillary was central in planning its choreography."

Sent by Sam | 11:34 AM ET | 04-20-2008

"Mindy Finn served most recently as Director of e-strategy for Mitt Romney's 2008 campaign."

Quite the recommendation!

Sent by LarryC | 1:22 PM ET | 04-20-2008

Why was I not surprised that you have two non-aligned bloggers and Republican. Oh yeah - it's NPR.

Sent by bcm | 8:09 PM ET | 04-20-2008

Ah, let???s see??? a Republican operative, who last worked on the campaign of Mitt Romney, a ???former??? Republican, and someone who tends to write things that seem to be left-of-center. I see NPR is taking lessons from cable ???news???.

Sent by Redundant2 | 9:15 AM ET | 04-21-2008

WHERE IS THE DEMOCRATIC CONTRIBUTOR!! You have ONE REPUBLICAN, 1 Neutral person and one clueless person.

WHERE IS THE DEMOCRAT???

T

Why is NPR KISSING THE BUTTS of the Republicans? WHY HAS NPR DECIDED THAT THE OPPOSITE OF "REPUBLICAN" is "JOURNALIST?"

WHERE IS THE BALANCE?

This considerably pisses me off.

THis is happening all over NPR. NPR continues to give extra credit to Republicans, and cut off Democrats. On Diane Rehm, she has many ex-republicans on her comment staff, and no Democrats.

Why is NPR SO ANTI-DEMOCRATIC PARTY?

Sent by POed Lib | 8:45 AM ET | 04-27-2008