From Eric Dondero:

We've had five straight days with approximately 1,000 daily unique visitors. That's a welcomed sign. We do know, that this very blog is read on a daily basis, by a high-placed communications director for the Republican Party in DC, and a communications director for a very large state GOP. Plus, we often receive emails from congressional staffers on Capitol Hill saying the same. That's all very encouraging and quite inspiring.

But perhaps just as encouraging we appear to be increasingly influential with the mainstream media. Last week we clearly influenced one major media story, and very well might have influenced another to some degree.

San Francisco Chronicle links to Libertarian Republican blog

On Monday, you may recall, we ran a follow-up story on the Max Baucus scandal:

"Liberal Media circles the Wagons to Protect Baucus: Says he wasn't Drunk"

The story was in reaction to an editorial in the San Francisco Chronicle, SF Gate on-line.

What I hadn't realized at first, was that the SF Gate editorial actually linked our story. What's more, the editorial was largely in response to the story we originally wrote. The SF Gate piece was written by Zennie62, a well-known media host and liberal Democrat activist in the Bay Area.

He was responding to our original story: "Montana Senator Max Baucus slobbering Drunk on the Senate floor."

Here's an excerpt from Zennie's piece:

There's a video going around that claims Montana Senator Max Baucus is drunk on the floor of The Senate as he spiritedly takes on Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker in a talk about Health Care Reform.

Baucus was not "slurring" or "drunk" , or "slobbering" when he was speaking. Otherwise he could not have got off such a great blast against Wicker.

And Conservatives know it.

Rather, Baucus was just plain tired and really angry. The product of long hours of debate against Republicans who just don't play fair at all.

The link came at the word "slobbering."

Note to Mr. Zennie: While we appreciate the plug, perhaps you missed the banner on our site? We are an explicitly Libertarian blog, most assuredly not Conservatives.

What's also noteworthy, Zennie's piece received 38 comments. All 38 slammed Zennie and sided with our view. Here's a sample:

* Good god,the man is so wasted. Don't any of you democrats have the integrity to be truthful or honest in any respect these days?

* Bauchus is stone drunk and Zennie is high on something

* Of course he's drunk. He was probably whooping it up with his TRAMP, in the cloak room.

* Since zinnie is clearly a san francisco liberal I will defer to his judgement and experience in the areas of ganga, coke, crack, meth, the big H... As a recovering alcoholic ,however, I defer to no man when it comes to booze! Baucus is drunker than a frickin billy goat!

NY Times may have been inspired by Libertarian Republican piece

Then there's the New York Times. Yes, that's right. Little Libertarian Republican blog scooped the Times on using a well-known phrase that previously entered the political lexicon. Or, perhaps they've been reading LR and they simply scooped it up from us?

You may recall after the Andrew Breitbart scooped all of the major media on the ACORN hooker/pimp scandal back in September, the NY Times instituted an ongoing program to "monitor the news coming out of rightwing blogs and websites." And as you may also know, LR is often listed/rated as one of the "Right's Top 100 blogs."

Here's our headline from Sunday, Dec. 27:

Napolitano downplays Terrorist Connections: But emphasized Good Job done by Homeland Security

The sub-heading in bold:

"The System Worked..." Heck of a job Janet!

And then the intro paragraph:

Homeland Security Director Janet Napolitano may have just had a "Brownie moment." In 2005, during the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, President Bush visited Louisiana and pronounced to his own FEMA Director: "You're doing a heckuva job Brownie."

DHS Director Napolitano was interviewed on CNN by Candy Crowley on Sunday...

Now, let's switch over to the Times piece.

Peter Baker is one of two main bloggers at "The Caucus - The Politics and Government Blog of the Times." Two days after we wrote the Napolitano "Brownie" piece this appeared, dated Dec. 29:

On the White House
A Phrase Sets Off Sniping After a Crisis

HONOLULU — To the list of phrases it may be best for political leaders to avoid after a major security incident, add “the system worked” right after “Brownie, you’re doing a heck of a job.”

Just as the public did not really share President George W. Bush’s assessment of how things were going after Hurricane Katrina, so too was there a good deal of skepticism when President Obama’s homeland security secretary declared faith in a system that failed to stop a guy who tried to blow up a passenger jet on Christmas Day...

At least the Chronicle was kind enough to give Libertarian Republican a link. Nothing at all from Mr. Baker and the Times.

Note to Mr. Baker: Will you kiss me please? Why? Because I usually like to get kissed before you do sex to me.

(Line stolen from Saturday Night Live recent skit of Obama with the Chinese Premiere.)

We do like to give propery attribution here.