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Blog backlash hits Democrat hopeful

Ed Pilkington and Rob McGregor

THE RISE of the blog as a tool of presidential candidates has provoked the first backlash of the 2008 contest with two staff members of Democrat hopeful John Edwards resigning under rightwing and religious pressure.

Amanda Marcotte, employed as Mr. Edwards' "blogmaster" to write his official blog, and Melissa McEwan, a part-time technical adviser, said they wished to spare the candidate further damage.

Ms. Marcotte's personal blog, Pandagon, came under fire from the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, a nationwide group that attacks what it considers to be liberal anti-religious bias. It called her a "foul-mouthed anti-Christian bigot," pointing to entries where she accused the church of sanctioning the practice of lying to young couples about birth control.

Ms. McEwan came under fire for her blog, Shakespeare's Sister, for labelling President Bush's religious supporters his "wingnut Christofascist base." — © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006

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