Oh those Internets!

After some weary days of meetings, crunching numbers (my least favorite activity, since I really only just sort of pinch 'em), and the flu (even though I did get a flu shot), I have been catching up on the news and some favorite blogs. A link from Burnt Orange Report took me to 100 Monkeys Typing and a totally delightful report about about a town hall meeting held by Congressman Jeb Hensarling (R-Athens/Dallas) in Kaufman County.

Aside from the fun in reading the rather pointed questions from the audience about Social Security reform (and the apparent heat being felt by the Congressman about trying to sell this boondoggle), I enjoyed the quality of the report. It provided information about the Congressman's presentation (including notes about "couldn't see figure"), a few direct quotes, and then those questions and answers, complete with description of audience reaction. I really got a kick out of the note that Kaufman County Commissioner District 3 took his business card back from our intrepid reporter after he asked a question about the comparison of a $2 trillion cost now versus a $10.4 trillion cost later.

Over at Daily Kos (they get so many hits, Google it if you want), there are several diaries working through issues related to Jeff Gannon/Jim Guckert with collective efforts by that community of readers and diarists to gather specific information about Gannon/Guckert's activities. The investigation is one that is not really happening in the corporate media but needs to be happening, since it relates to questions of national security, journalistic integrity, and the widening credibility gap between the White House and just about any person with a brain. This effort has led to some clear identification of matters to be considered further--and others that are clearly dead ends or apparently irrelevant. It has also resulted in the development of a new tool for online activism when investigating issues (but, of course, I can't find the link right now).

Over at TPM, Joshua Marshall is encouraging his readers to supply him with original documents and other reports in his ongoing research on congressional action on Social Security reform--and he gets them. In a recent post, he quoted the email reports of not one, but two, readers who physically walked over to an address that had been the center of some discussion about cozy interrelationships and reported on what they saw.

This is the power of the internet (and, by extension, blogs), that issue investigation can proceed from many fronts with many individuals with diverse interests and abilities contributing their bits and pieces of information and expertise in order to create some greater whole. It is also power that original reporting will happen in ways that the corporate media will not bother to address, either from lack of interest or lack of courage.

Thank goodness the interest--and the courage--to pursue truth is out there, alive, well, and doing good stuff. It cheers me up immensely.