See, this is what happens when you turn your back for an instant, or, in my case, for an extended period, owing to the fact that you've started a new job: all hell breaks loose. Case in point: per OpenLeft, and as I'm now seeing from my email traffic - really should check that more often - the New York State Progressive blog credential to the Democratic National Convention has gone to Room Eight. Now, this is delicate, because Ben Smith and Gur Tsabar, publishers of that blog, are good people. What they are not is a Progressive state blog. And given that this blog, and our friends at The Albany Project as well, actually are a Progressive state blog - not that we ever got any blogospheric recognition until rather recently - this is a baffling decision. Nor are we the only ones affected; Blue Jersey, which has been in the trenches even longer than we have, certainly much longer even than TAP, was also denied a credential. That's ludicrous. Be that as it may, some outreach is in order. I have no interest in dissing the good folks at Room Eight, or elsewhere, but this needs to be rectified.