The Web on the Candidates

• The blogs are agog after New Gingrich, in an interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer, implied he would run for president. When asked how likely it was that he'll make a decision by the end of September, he replied, "I think right now, it is a great possibility." Although a statement on Newt's own website says that "Newt will not contemplate a candidacy until after September 29," bloggers from both sides of the aisle and gearing up for a Gingrich candidacy. Jack Ryan at the conservative Redstate thinks it's a bad idea: "At a time when the republican party should be looking for a new face that wasn't linked to the big spending congress of years past, Newt Gingrich would be a disaster as the face of the party. Nor should we have as our leader a guy with as many "personal relationship" problems leading the party. Nor should we have someone like Gingrich who still has an ethical cloud hanging over him from his days as Speaker." Meanwhile, Jonathan Singer at the liberal MyDD is "salivating over a Gingrich candidacy" given Gingrich's unpopularity.
• "Though reporters, and blogs like the Drudge Report, take credit for scoops, the news of the day is more often than not produced by the invisible hand of one campaign or another," writes Salon's Michael Scherer. While most of us know about this symbiotic relationship, Scherer packs his piece with evidence and examples from the 2008 campaign that makes it clear once again that Matt Drudge -- and a host of other blogger/journalists -- is often feeding us oppo research.
• Will folks on the web be free to distribute video of tonight's Republican debate? Sort of, maybe. Jeff Jarvis spoke to Fox News, who's hosting the debate, and it looks like Fox will respect fair use rules. While they aren't opening up fully, as CNN has promised to do, this is a step in right direction.

In Case You Missed It...

David All has some advice for how the presidential contenders can use text messaging during tonight's Republican debate.

Alan Rosenblatt is happy to see Barack Obama use his campaign website to mobilize grassroots action to contact Republican Senators and urge them to override the President’s veto on the supplemental Iraq war spending bill.

Justin Oberman writes that Hillary Clinton has announced a "'mobile-to-mobile text-messaging push' to garner support for her presidential campaign.