Today, President-Elect Barack Obama met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill about a proposed stimulus bill to help "stabilize" America's sagging economy.

While the details of the plan are still being sketched out, Republican leaders from the House and Senate were a part of that face-to-face session and appear to have made some progress toward pushing Obama's team toward transparency with the TBD stimulus plan.

In particular, as reported by The New York Times and padded with details from a Congressional source from that meeting, House Republican Eric Cantor, (who will be sworn in tomorrow to the #2 leadership post of House Republican Whip), asserted that all spending should be posted online, in real-time, in a user-friendly format with the ability to sort by congressional districts.

As reported by the NYT:

Mr. Obama listened as Republicans raised concerns about waste and transparency in the economic stimulus plan. He agreed with a suggestion raised by Representative Eric Cantor, Republican of Virginia, about putting the entire contents of the legislation online in a user-friendly way to see how the money is being spent.

Obama's agreement to the idea of posting spending online is no surprise given his track-record of the use of technology to help curb wasteful spending. He was the cosponsor of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 with conservative U.S. Senator Tom Coburn which led to the creation of USAspending.gov to do just that.

The details of the stimulus plan are still being fleshed out but I feel a bit better about it knowing that leaders like Eric Cantor are putting forth good ideas that are being agreed to - at least in concept - by Obama. We should keep a close eye to ensure that Obama and his liberal allies in the House and Senate keep these commonsense principles in place as they finalize the legislation.

UPDATE Jan. 6, 10:52 AM: Regarding the stimulus plan, The Heritage Foundation has launched a rapid response section on its website to track the bill and offer conservative alternatives.

As we enter TechRepublican's third (calendar) year as a group blog focusing on the intersection of technology and politics, we're pleased to roll out a modern design for the site (appropriately, its third). Let's dig in.

The approach for the design was to keep some familiar elements of the old site, while freshening things up with a darker, more modern look and a liquid layout. To that end, we're continuing to keep it simple and have removed a majority of the sidebar items that added little value.

We've tried an interesting violator concept with a blank/white version of the logo that appears when users enlarge their screen or have a very wide monitor. To me this represents a nod to the past.

Other design features are designed to provide a clean-tech feel. We use a monotype font, and block-quotes are set in indigo, with a hash sign--the way code comments in most Unix-based text editors are set. This likely looks familiar to a majority of you.

We've integrated Twitter so that folks can participate in the discussion using the #TechGOP hashtag regardless of whether they blog at TechRepublican or not. This is also a quick way for contributors to add a quick update. [Follow @TechRepublican for latest blog posts.]

The navigation of the site is an experiment to better reflect our understanding of who our audience is and what they read us for. The current design emphasizes the personality and credibility of the author -- by making the author the primary "filtering" mechanism rather than a list of categories or tags. If this approach doesn't work, it'll be quite simple to add a link (or default) to show all posts. We're also working on adding a search feature to access archives.

So you'll notice two sections in the main column. The top section shows the latest two posts regardless of author. Below the latest posts, the entries are sorted by author which are listed in the right-hand sidebar. When you click on an author name, their posts will sort under the latest posts, and you'll see their picture and a short bio (still need pics and bios from some of you). Most of our contributors (including me) don't post everyday but rather when they have something to say.

[Side note: not all authors and contributors are listed. As we further flesh out a key group of contributors we'll be adding more to the list. If you want to be a contributor email me at DAG at davidallgroup.com.]

I welcome your feedback on the new design in the comments. Enjoy and welcome to 2009.

[Ed. note: New year, new TechRepublican design. Let us know what you think in the comments.]

In December I had a chance to interview Hugh Hewitt (@HughHewitt) before he interviewed David Almacy (@Almacy) and I on his radio show about Twitter and what the GOP needs to do to catch up to the Dems online. (You can listen to the podcast from that conversation here.)

In the interview I had with Hugh, we talked about his use of Twitter, why more talk radio show hosts should embrace Twitter, and what the GOP needs to do to catch up online.

Here's the interview (taped with my Flip Mino btw):

Following the 2008 Internet + Politics conference at Harvard, I had a chance to tour the Massachusetts Republican Party HQ with executive director Rob Willington (@Willington).

Rob and his colleagues face the enormous challenge of turning a blue state red. Or, at the very least, trying unbelievably hard on a very limited budget. To get ahead, Rob uses technology, creativity, and hard work to help get a Republican message out.

Here's the interview:

[Aside: For all (three or four) of you conservative graphic artists, make sure you check out and contribute to Rob's collaborative effort to create and give away free graphics, Keep that Faith.]

During an American Spectator Newsmakers Breakfast with RNC Chairman candidate Saul Anuzis, Townhall blogger Matt Lewis asked Saul about a post circulating by anonymous blogger "KeepMikeDuncan" that contends that Saul Anuzis' personal use of technology is nothing more than self-promotion.

UPDATE: Conservative blogger and well-known activist Eric Odom (@EricJOdom) sent me this screenshot showing that the anonymous blogger is refusing to moderate/allow comments on the blog post where Odom takes the blogger to task.

I caught up with Saul after the breakfast and asked him to respond to that question on YouTube. Here it is:

UPDATE: Aaron Marks (@AaronMMarks) calls for the anonymous attacks on Saul Anuzis to cease.

[Disclosure: I am supporting Saul Anuzis for RNC Chair.]

I just finished up an interview with Saul Anuzis (@sanuzis), the chairman of the Michigan Republican Party and largely considered a leading candidate to be the next RNC Chairman.

To ask the questions of Saul, I asked the Twitter community to send in questions to my Twitter account (@DavidAll). Those asking questions (and folks you should follow) include: @MichaelTurk, @EricJOdom, @rogersnowden, @dennislennox, @jaustin, @johnhawkinsrwn, @mandabeth, and @wxmanpsu. Thanks for the questions Tweeps.

You can watch the video here:

Free TV : Ustream

Of note, I asked Saul if he'll make himself available for future UStream interviews and he said he would. Also, I expect to interview other candidates for RNC Chairman. Stay tuned.

Today's Washington Post has a profile on RebuildtheParty.com:

At 6:50 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 6-- less than 44 hours after the GOP lost the White House and more seats in Congress -- RebuildTheParty.com went live.

Founded by two young party activists, Patrick Ruffini and Mindy Finn, the site proposes to start by rebuilding the often marginalized conservative blogosphere. Its mission statement, a 3,200-word, 10-point manifesto, is aimed at Republicans in general -- and more specifically at whoever takes the helm of the Republican National Committee in the next few weeks. It's signed by a Who's Who of the online conservative grass roots -- the "rightroots" -- most of them in their 20s and 30s, many frustrated by the current state of the Grand Old Party that seems just that: old and out of touch.

"2008 made one thing clear: If allowed to go unchecked, the Democrats' structural advantages, including their use of the Internet, their more than 2-to-1 advantage with young voters, their discovery of a better grassroots model -- will be as big a threat to the future of the GOP as the toxic political environment we have faced the last few years," the site proclaims.

Yesterday, Patrick announced the re-launch of the site to include new features and the endorsement of two candidates for RNC Chairman, Saul Anuzis of Michigan and Chip Saltsman of Tennessee. Two other declared candidates have yet to jump on board.

The next RNC Chairman will play a central role in the effort to rebuild the party. Along with signing up and endorsing the plan, if you have a line in to the other declared candidates for RNC Chairman, Katon Dawson of S.C. and Michael Steele of MD, do give them a nudge to embrace the effort.

The plan itself has many strong points. It's hard not to find yourself nodding as you read it. Clearly the authors have experience behind the wheel of the RNC eCampaign division and elsewhere and have a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities at play for the party apparatus moving forward.

And how about those ideas missing from the plan? You'll find them (or you can add them) in the "ideas" feedback forum.

The road to recovery for the Republican Party will include many, many, many voices. You should be one of them.

[Aside: To that end, I'm happy to announce that things at TechRepublican are about to change. We've re-designed the site and we're looking for new, consistent contributors (at least one post per week). If you're interested in being a contributor, email me at David AT davidallgroup.com.]

I'm quoted heavily in an article running in today's National Journal about, among other things, the Republican Party continuing to stand around and point blame about what happened this past election while we're missing opportunities to push-back on Barack Obama's Change:

The day after the election, his campaign began building a new Web site, Change.Gov, to recruit volunteers and job applicants. And this week, Obama released the first-ever presidential YouTube address.

The Web doesn't have to benefit just one party, All insists, pointing to the failure of Republicans to capitalize on a few early missteps from the Obama transition team. For example, when Obama initially posted his agenda on his transition site, only to take it back down, Republicans didn't "call him out on" not being transparent and open. Moreover, no Republican put up an alternative to that agenda.

"We don't even have a modern apparatus to fight back against this guy," All lamented. "There doesn't seem to be any kind of modern war room or anyone in the Republican Party paying attention to what Barack Obama is doing."

Let me dig in a bit more... please weigh in.

While Republicans dwell on the past, Barack Obama and his Administration have made early mistakes online and have been able to score points unchecked in the modern world. By not calling Barack Obama on these issues, we’re letting him set precedent without our input and are failing to provide an alternative message to the American people.

For example, when Barack Obama’s team launched Change.gov, “The office of the President-Elect,” they launched it with a bold and aggressive policy agenda. If you visit the site today, you’ll find that it's still there; however, as reported by TechPresident.com, it had been scrubbed from the site.

This was a missed opportunity to question why his agenda was removed and make some noise in the mainstream media.

Here's another.

Already, Obama’s Transition Team has released six clever and interesting web videos on YouTube that have been viewed more than 1.5 million times (how many of those views are journalists?). Oddly, comments, viewer ratings, and video responses have been disabled from the YouTube community. To me, this is an opportunity to call Barack Obama out on his promise to be open and transparent with his government.

Further, why haven't Republicans responded to the videos with conservative alternatives?

While Republicans once again sit on their hands and complain and "talk" about the problems of the past election and how bad we got swamped, Barack Obama and his administration have already launched a transition website, issued an agenda for change, and have launched emails and six good web videos promoting his governing agenda.

Republicans need to stop talking and start responding to everything Barack does on the Internet. Create a website "SoThisIsChange.com" and respond to every single video he or his administration posts with credible, non-sniping responses from a network of surrogates.

David Cameron said recently that the point of a political party is not to win elections but rather to prove that you're able to govern. Agreed.

UPDATE 6:59 PM EST: It should be noted that transparency champion Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform issued a press release immediately calling on Obama to restore the removed agenda. Mr. Norquist's quote, "This is the opposite of transparency and we would ask that Obama restore the deleted portion of the site."

A friend and colleague forwarded me an email he had received from the RNC asking for a $35 contribution in exchange for Nick:

Just in time to complete your Christmas wish list, meet Nick, the newest member of the Republican National Committee.

Nick is a wonderful plush toy available for a limited time to our most loyal supporters like you. Embroidered with the official logo of the RNC, and wearing a Santa cap and scarf, Nick will make a great stocking stuffer or gift for those special Republicans in your life -- and is sure to be snapped up quickly.

Our nation is about to tap America's most liberal President ever and the RNC gives us this? A stuffed animal wearing a darn Santa cap and scarf. Miserable.

The subject line of the email from my friend, "this is why i hate calling myself a republican." The body of the note, "The rnc’s answer to the economic collapse – buy a teddy bear. Well, maybe we can hug something soft while we’re crying over our latest 401k statements."

UPDATE 2:11 PM: Michael Turk had some choice words back in June when "Meet Sam" made its debut:

"Embroidered with the official logo of the RNC, Sam is decked out in red, white and blue and is sure to be the hit of your July Fourth party."

Well sure he is. Because my friends are such drooling, Neanderthal simpletons that they’re overly amused by a cheap piece of Burmese fluff. You should have seen how crazy they went when I waved a lit match in front of them. It was like the beginning scene of 2001 with the monkeys going spastic over the giant chocolate bar.

As I blogged yesterday in this space, President-elect Obama intends to modernize the "weekly Presidential radio address" by distributing the message through both audio and YouTube.

His first weekly video address has comments, video responses and ratings disabled but it's a step in the right direction for democracy: