AP: Dems Credential Bloggers; GOP Will, Too

More than 30 independent Web journalists have been accredited to cover the Democratic convention, and the Republicans said Friday they’ll also credential so-called bloggers.

It’s the first time bloggers will be joining the thousands of newspaper, magazine and broadcast journalists at the quadrennial presidential-nomination events.

The Democrats initially invited an additional 20 bloggers to their July 26-29 party in Boston, but later rescinded those approvals and blamed a computer gaffe. That prompted complaints of unprofessionalism and favoritism.

Convention spokeswoman Peggy Wilhide said the approval letters that went to the disinvited had been generated by mistake.

Anticipating criticisms that decisions were ideologically based, Wilhide said only two of the 20 credentials rescinded were for “right-leaning” blogs. She pointed to the approval of at least one “right-leaning” blog, Oxblog, though the co-founder who applied, Patrick Belton, is a registered Democrat who considers himself centrist.

Meanwhile, Republican convention spokesman Leonardo Alcivar said Friday that the GOP, too, will credential bloggers — likely 10 to 20. He said Republicans still were crafting the procedures and guidelines for their Aug. 30-Sept. 2 gathering in New York City, but won’t reject bloggers based on viewpoint alone.