The New York Times has an editorial today devoted to subject of bloggers attending the Democratic Convention. It credits bloggers for raising the awareness that led to the ousting of Trent Lott and their fundraising help to candidates.

People who think the mushrooming world of wannabe polemicists and their Web logs, or blogs, is merely a high-tech amusement should talk to Senator Trent Lott, the Mississippi Republican. In Web lore, bloggers are credited with relentlessly drilling Senator Lott after he expressed segregation-tinged nostalgia for the Strom Thurmond presidential campaign, a story that the major news media initially missed. Mr. Lott was subsequently forced to quit as majority leader.

Beyond its power as a source of news and commentary, the Internet has proved itself to be the ultimate fund-raising tool. Bloggers can be crass and biased, but politicians no longer scoff at their rich online realm. Hence the red carpet at the conventions — at least for some of them.

The Times cites earlier articles reporting that 50 bloggers applied and 30 were accepted. The DNCC says 200 applied, 50 were accepted at first, and that number was later reduced to 50.

We're excited to cover the convention with press credentials. Thanks to all of you who have contributed and taken out ads to send us there. As the Times says:

Will bloggers be tamed into centrism? Or, like Mencken, will they gleefully report that the convention's main speechmakers are "plainly on furlough from some home for extinct volcanoes"? Log on to find out.