Ten Blogs About Progressive/Liberal Politics & Philosophy

The world of American politics is complicated and contradictory. Many Americans rely on television for their political information, and do not realize that most news networks are owned by a very few major conglomerates, and only present a particular viewpoint of the issues.

The best thing for any democracy is not to let anyone tell you what it is, or what it should be, but to find out for yourself. That means understanding both sides as much as a busy American's limited free time allows. An informed voter is a smart voter. These blogs present the "left-leaning," "liberal," or "progressive" political viewpoint in the United States.

1.) Mother Jones Blog - A political blog from the creators of the classic Progressive monthly magazine. Independent, non-profit, it is considered the most widely read progressive publication in the United States. The blog is updated with new items frequently, fulfilling the demand for Mother Jones material between its monthly issues. Has the amusing nickname MoJo Blog. http://www.motherjones.com/mojoblog/index.html

2.) Wonkette - Published by the same internet conglomerate as the celeb gossip rag Gawker, Wonkette is considered the source for information and gossip about Washington D.C. "insiders" from a liberal point of view. Wonkette is known for its unforgiving, biting commentary and calm intellectual voice. Best known for breaking the "Washingtonienne" Scandal. http://www.wonkette.com/

3.) A Religious Liberal Blog - Only one blogger's viewpoint, but definitely one that isn't often well-represented in progressive dialog. http://religiousliberal.blogspot.com/

4.) The Huffington Post - Infamous blog of liberal commentator Arianna Huffington. Otherwise known as HuffPo or HuffPost. Features a regular roster of recognizable liberal commentators and celebrities. Strives to walk the fine line between "hard" news and celebrity op ed. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

5.) Daily Kos - The headquarters for liberal discussion and argument over politics and world events. Some of the broadest coverage of the issues. According to Wikipedia.org, it is " Run by Markos Moulitsas Zúniga, (Kos from the last syllable of his first name, often mispronounced) a United States Army veteran, it has an average weekday traffic of 463,000 visits, and often reaches over 4 million unique visits in one week." Considered one of the most influential liberal blogs. http://www.dailykos.com/

6.) Talking Points Memo - Considered one of the more moderate left-wing liberal blogs, and is known especially for its criticism of the war in Iraq, along with George W. Bush's foreign policy in general. It does, however, cover most other areas of government from a liberal perspective as well. http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/. Gave birth to a spin off site where academics, journalists, and other public figures discuss politics called TPMCafe: http://www.tpmcafe.com/, and a blog dedicated to exposing political corruption, called TPMmuckraker: http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/

7.) AmericaBlog - Their tagline is, "Because a great nation deserves the truth." Inside it's header cell, lists hilarious criticisms from right wing commentators such as "Peppered with obscenity," from Concerned Women For America, and "Bunch of Wackos," by Rush Limbaugh. A particularly harsh critic of the GOP and its right wing agenda. http://americablog.blogspot.com/

8.) My DD - Stands for "My Direct Democracy," another highly influential progressive blog, well known for raising large amounts of funds for democratic candidates, and presents harsh criticism of the Republican party and government. It also was the first source to present the exit polls in the 2004 Presidential election. http://www.mydd.com/

9.) AfterDowningStreet.org - not strictly liberal, per se but harshly critical of the Bush Administration, and specifically their actions in regard to the Iraq War. They are staunch advocates of impeaching George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. The name comes from several memos that members contend are evidence of impeachable offenses. A number of the founders are members of veterans and peace groups. http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/

10.) Democratic Underground - Calls itself "an online community for Democrats and other progressives." Known for demonstrating a broad range of viewpoints that can be considered liberal. Many interesting discussions occur in the comments of the blog posts. Includes columns, editorials and forums as well as blog posts. http://www.democraticunderground.com/

If you are truly interested in understanding your own self-proclaimed liberal point of view, or that of the "other side," blogs are the way to go. Covering a broad spectrum of beliefs and political leanings, it becomes readily apparent that there is more than one kind of "liberal" or "progressive."