"Activists have ten months to make their mark on national politics."
-site owner Patrick Carkin in USA Today, March 31, 2003.
If you would like to contact us you can:
- Send an email to info@birddogger.org
- Call us at (603) 682-4871
- Write us at: Birddogger.org, 555 Pembroke St., Pembroke, NH 03275
A message from Patrick Carkin, the owner and administrator of Birddogger.org:
This site ultimately came out of my bird-dogging experiences during the 2000 Presidential Primary in New Hampshire. At that time I was the Co-Director of New Hampshire Peace Action and I made an effort to challenge all the major candidates on the issues of human rights and US foreign policy. Although I was raised in Maine, I had never before experienced a primary season in New Hampshire. The level of access to the candidates was absolutely amazing. Within days of beginning my bird-dogging adventures I found myself shaking hands with Sen. John McCain and was interviewed by the Chicago Tribune and other major US newspapers. It didn't take me long to realize that the early New Hampshire Presidential Primary (and the Iowa Caucus) was a goldmine of opportunity for those struggling to get their voices heard in an environment where fluff and nonsense are frequently passed off as news.
I realized, however, that in order to make these efforts worthwhile that there needed to be a more cohesive response from the grassroots. One of problems that became apparent during the 2000 election was that the information garnered by bird-doggers was not being documented. This resulted in a major handicap in creating political influence on many issues which are already typically ignored by the major media. The only way to keep the heat turned up on the candidates was to challenge them over and over and to ask follow-up questions. BirdDogger.org is one of the tools to help make this vision a reality.
This web site not only reflects the input of the concerned individuals who submit reports, but also various organizations who provide analysis and information about those running for office. This site would not be what it is without the help I receive from the New Hampshire chapter of the American Friends Service Committee (http://www.afsc.org/newengland/nh.htm), New Hampshire Peace Action (http://www.nhpeaceaction.org), the United States Campaign to Ban Landmines (http://www.banminesusa.org), and others.
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