Technorati

Technorati is a website that monitors weblogs - currently more than 3 million. It also ranks the top 100 blogs. It also has an "Election 2004 watch" link. It also has an interesting 'blogging basics' page in the form of an FAQ. For example, here is ist comparison of blogging and journalism:

What's the relationship between blogging and journalism?

"Weblogs are different from traditional media. Bloggers tend to be more opinionated, niche-focused, and partisan than journalists, who strive for editorial objectivity. Blogs encourage dialog with readers, which is why many traditional journalists now also have blogs. The relationship between blogging and journalism can be characterized as symbiotic rather than competitive. Bloggers are often sources for journalists, and many blogs contain commentary and riffs on what journalists wrote that day. Frequently newsmakers use blogs to respond to what journalists write about them. And by linking to traditional media, weblogs can introduce new readers to journalists and their publications. "