Andy McKenna, candidate for Illinois governor, hopes I'll give myself to him for free. I'm not that kind of boy, though, and I charge for what the Andy McKennas of the world want from me. So today, I told McKenna to pay up or give up.
As politicians of all stripes gear up for the 2010 elections, many of them are already spending big money on campaign advertising. They are also cluttering up the inboxes of many a blogger with press/media releases. The Old Media have always gotten press releases, and in fact they welcome them because many are well written and provide free text with which to fill, for example, a newspaper. For TV and radio, press releases provide filler too, allowing a station to keep their talking heads talking for the full length of a news show without asking their own writers to actually, you know, write.
I confess that I sometimes publish a press release, in full even, if it is well written and informative. I always make it obvious that it is a press release, unlike some who unscrupulously make it look as if they wrote "that brilliant story." I will publish a press release if I think it provides interesting or useful information to my readers in a well written manner, regardless of whether it's commercial or nonprofit. I'm especially partial to small businesses, whether they are for-profit or non-profit. It can give me a good post quickly and effortlessly.
Ah, but political ads are different. Those guys are throwing obscene amounts of dough around and never ask for anything tangible in return, except - ultimately - votes, then bribes, then kickbacks. Now, I try to sell advertising on this blog, same as a newspaper or broadcaster. I'm a lot cheaper, of course, because I only have hundreds of thousand of readers, not the dozens that the bankrupt Chicago Tribune must have.
Many bloggers are trying to sell advertising. Andy McKenna is one of many people running for a number of different offices for the 2010 Illinois elections. McKenna, like other politicians, sends a number of press releases to me every week, hoping that I will either publish them in full or re-work them; either way, it is hoped that I'll help get their message "out there."
Look, even though I would never vote for a faux-Republican RINO like Andy McKenna, I would shout his message from my blog, you betcha, if it's in the form of a paid advertisement. Perhaps that makes me a mercenary of sorts; I don't look at it that way. I'm simply willing to publish an ad, even one that might not necessarily represent the views held here. I reserve the right to refuse certain ads, of course. I would refuse any ad from hateful organizations such as the KKK or the Democrat National Committee.
However, if any Democrat wanted to pay me to place a campaign ad on this blog, for example, I'd accept it, with the understanding that it would not prevent me from continuing to call them out as greedy, corrupt, amoral, opportunistic, pseudo-collectivist lice. Same goes for RINOs (Republican In Name Only). I would, however, give them honest service and what they pay for and in a timely fashion and with a forced half-smile. That's better than what they give the voters, who end up paying their salaries. So, really, they're getting one helluva a bargain by advertising here. After all, they buy ads with Big Media, many of which are critical of them. Fair is fair, even in Illinois. By the way, I'm willing to take a check or PayPal deposit from a RINO. Democrats: I'll want cash in advance or we don't talk.
Oh yes, Andy McKenna... I wrote back to the nameless McKenna flunky/ies that send/s email press releases to me and let him/her/them know that if he/she/they think I'm giving it away, he/she/they are wrong.
To: press@mckennagov.com
Dear McKenna for Illinois:
Thanks for all the press releases. I see that your campaign is spending plenty of money for radio, television and print advertising. This blog, Chicago News Bench, accepts advertising just as they do. I would gladly run any message you wish on this blog, as long as it is in the form of paid advertisement.
You can easily place an ad on Chicago News Bench by going to Blog Ads at this link.
You'll find our rates to be very reasonable. We look forward to serving your advertising and publicity needs. Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions.
Cordially,
Tom Mannis
Conservative Caps, Shirt and more!
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Early this month Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady revealed that the state party decided to officially reprimand former GOP Chairman Andy McKenna for misuse of party funds and ethics violations.
Despite his ethics violations as chairman, McKenna went ahead and launched his bid to become our next Illinois Governor anyway. Should McKenna win office we'll have gone from one ethically ignorant Governor (George Ryan), to a second (Rod Blagojevich) to a third (McKenna). Illinois is already a laughing stock of corruption, why vote for McKenna and make it worse?
Anyway, today the State Journal-Register in Springfield (the State Capitol) released some more information about Andy McKenna's ethics violations and the party's reaction to it.
