I've been wondering about this! Old fashioned reporters are starting to fact check bloggers.

But what the visitors to his blog did not know when he launched it early last week was that "Mike" is Mike Krempasky, a 29-year-old Republican political operative from suburban Washington, D.C., a detail some might have found relevant.

The conservative bloggers who ignited a frenzy this month over allegations that Rather relied on forged documents in a Sept. 8 "60 Minutes" broadcast questioning President Bush's Air National Guard service insist they are force-marching the nation's mainstream media into a new era of transparency and accountability.

...

Nowhere on Krempasky's site, however, did he disclose that he is the political director for American Target Advertising, a Virginia firm run by Richard Viguerie, the conservative strategist widely credited with inventing political direct mail and helping Ronald Reagan and numerous other Republicans get elected.

By Thursday, after an inquiry from the Tribune, Krempasky posted a message telling readers who he is, although he insisted his blog is a personal endeavor not connected to his employer.

Not connected to his employer officially, like the 527 groups don't have official communication. You can darn well bet he would have been fired for attacking Bush on his own time, and knew he wouldn't be fired for this. It may even be that he expects his employers will appreciate him more in the long run, official connection or not.

The Chicago tribune realizes how important this new medium is - bloggers are important enough to scrutinize carefully.