The web and social media have already become major battlegrounds in the run-up to the 2012 U.S. presidential election. Mashable is keeping you up to date on the details in this weekly series tracking the intersection of digital technology and politics. Have an opinion? Join the conversation in the comments.
White House Posts President's Long-Form Birth Certificate Online
“We do not have time for this kind of silliness," Obama said at a press conference Wednesday. "We’ve got better stuff to do. I’ve got better stuff to do.”
U.S. Congresswomen Denounce Hacker Attacks on Change.org
DeLauro was joined by Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., minority leader of the House of Representatives, who announced her participation with this tweet: "@NancyPelosi: I join @rosedelauro in denouncing attacks from China on @change because of activism to free Ai WeiWei."
House Speaker & Majority Leader Call for New Data Standards
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., wrote a letter to the House calling for the development and adoption of new electronic data standards to help make legislative information more accessible and transparent.
"The Rules of the House, adopted on the opening day of this Congress, directed the Committee on House Administration to establish and maintain electronic data standards for the House and its committees. We have asked that this standard be developed ... for the purpose of transitioning the House to more open data formats, such as XML."
In the letter, Boehner and Cantor say that legislative data is the property of the American public and as such should be made available in order to "rebuild the trust between Congress and the people we serve." Both pegged the Internet as the right tool to bridge that gap and promote transparency.
Donald Trump Dominates the Social Web
Given his penchant for controversy, it's not surprising that potential presidential candidate Donald Trump is outranking all his competitors when it comes to social media chatter. An infographic released by Meltwater Group shows how much The Donald outranks major GOP players like Sarah Palin and Mitt Romney.
Thumbnail Image courtesy of iStockphoto, Pgiam