Blog commenters, take note. The mainstream media is reading not just what bloggers write, but their readers' comments. From an Associated Press article 9/27/04 (available at Lexis.com)about the ACLU's attempt to get out the former felon vote in Idaho.

The civil rights organization wants former inmates living in Idaho to know that their right to vote was reinstated when they got out of prison and finished parole and probation. A person convicted of a misdemeanor doesn't ever lose their right to vote. "A lot of people seem to be misinformed," Durand said. "They think that if they're convicted, they can never vote again, or have to petition the governor or petition the courts."

The AP quotes a commenter on TalkLeft:

"I live in Idaho and am a voting ex-felon," one former inmate said in an e-mail to TalkLeft, an Internet site on the politics of crime. "I was under the impression I could not vote until 2003, even though I had finished my sentence around 1997-1998." The ex-inmate, who did not sign his or her name, said being able to vote gives a sense of being in the community again. "It can produce a connectedness where none existed before and a belief that the system can change," the e-mail said.

A big step,I think. It's also a reminder that the Internet has no eraser, so remember that your comments may last forever. Here's the post with the quoted comment.

[Note: The online version of the article omits mention of TalkLeft and the reader's comment.]