U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign has hired prominent political blogger Peter Daou to help improve her image in the blogosphere, where both right and left on the political spectrum have targeted her, writes the New York Times. Clinton is up for re-election and is a likely presidential candidate for 2008.

The recent hiring underscores the importance that blogs have assumed in politics. Potential presidential candidates Mark R. Warner, former governor of Virginia, and Gov. Tom Vilsack of Iowa showed up at a bloggers' convention in Las Vegas this month.

Liberal bloggers are fast becoming a Democratic constituency and may play a significant role in selecting the party's presidential nominee. Daou directed blog outreach and online rapid response for Senator John Kerry's presidential campaign in 2004.