Something you failed to mention about some of the new breed of
local blogs such as Minnesota Monitor and the far superior MinnPost
is that they are organized as 501(c)(3) public charities. This
means that they can accept tax free donations and do so from large
progressive foundations and private individuals. 501(c)(3) is the
same tax status as religious organizations, so unlike normal blogs,
these 501(c)(3) blogs have the same prohibition from political
activity that churches have. This doesn't just mean that they can't
endorse candidates, but they are prohibited from making statements
against or in favor of any candidates for office during an
election. How they manage to bring anything new to the blog world
while following these guidelines is a mystery (Hint: They don't
follow the rules).