The Tea Party News Network Turns On The Internet At CPAC for Bloggers

For awhile last year, I wrote for the Tea Party News Network, I’m going to be covering CPAC for TPNN this year, and I’m in regular contact with Scottie Hughes and the rest of the crew over there.

The Tea Party News Network folks have a very cool, new blogosphere-centered website design coming out later this week (So they tell me, I haven’t seen it yet), they’re going to have a big presence at CPAC, and they’ve been working hand and glove with the ACU to try to fix a big issue that cropped up at CPAC.

This year the event is at a new location. That’s the Gaylord National Resort in Maryland and believe it or not, bloggers were slated to pay for their own Internet at the event.

You’re probably thinking, “Believe it or not? I pay for my own Internet when I go to a hotel. So, what if these guys have to pay $10 a day. That’s no big deal.”

That would be true, except that because it’s a union-run hotel that’s protected from competition, the cost is a little higher than that. Guess how much bloggers were going to pay to have Internet for the event.

$50? Not quite.

$100? You’re still not even close.

$150…. No.

It was going to be $250 a head for bloggers to get the Internet that will allow them to properly cover the event they will be there to report on in the first place. These aren’t reporters from MSNBC or CNN who can just shrug their shoulders and have the company cover it. Most conservative bloggers have day jobs and they’re already shelling out a lot of money to travel to the event, get a hotel, and cover all the other expenses that go along with an event like this.

In other words, it’s NOT cheap and adding $250 to their bill might keep them from being able to attend at all. Moreover, what image would that present for the conservative movement?

Fortunately, the Tea Party News Network has stepped up to raise money to cover the costs.

Want to say thank you?

If so, can I make some suggestions?

#1) The Tea Party News Network folks have committed to paying for all of this, but it’s a massive sum and they’re really hoping to raise enough in donations to ease the pain. Here’s their pitch.

The demands of Big Labor were going to make the cost of access to the internet at CPAC out of the reach of many. Sure, larger organizations might be able to afford the price tag, but the independent blogger would likely not be able to. So, the Tea Party News Network, partner organization to TheTeaParty.net, has taken a stand for conservative bloggers and activists everywhere. As TPNN’s News Director Scottie Nell Hughes stated, “We wanted to ensure that at the largest annual gathering of conservatives, the thousands of bloggers and grassroots conservative activists have the ability to share their thoughts and message with the world.”

In order to ‘Turn the Internet on at CPAC’, we must raise $75,000. Help provide the lifeline of the internet to bloggers and other media outlets with a donation HERE.

#2) If you’re a blogger, talking about this story and The Tea Party News Network would be helpful. After all, if you’re doing something big for bloggers and you can’t get good press from the right side of the blogosphere out of it, why would you do it in the future? Additionally. I’m sure The Tea Party News Network folks would appreciate any linkage you could give them now or later in the week when their new design breaks.

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