Here it is in a nutshell: CNN/Republican Party gives permission for BlogHer bloggers Erin Kotecki Vest and Katy Chen to attend and blog tonight’s debate, provided they can show law-enforcement press passes.

Because the LAPD had issued press credentials in the past, they requested their press pass from LAPD, who refused to issue them on the grounds they were “online media“, and BlogHer had not been fully vetted by the LAPD.

Not only did they deny the credentials, but every effort to expedite and cooperate with the vetting process for BlogHer was met with steadfast denial.

Earlier today, Jeremiah Owyang twittered about John Edwards’ withdrawal from the race and what we thought the reasons were. Some of us responded that he received no media coverage, to which he retorted with this:

Interesting, a few folks here are blaming the media for not covering him. I thought WE were the media, what happened you bloggers?

Well, Jeremiah, the LAPD is what happened to ‘us bloggers’. When bloggers are barred from attending political events on the basis that the agency responsible for issuing the press pass “doesn’t do online”, it marginalizes the many voices who are doing their best to bring the political process out of the hands of the media pundits and to the ears and eyes of the voters.

This is just wrong. The question is, what process makes sense to get a widespread policy change on the position of bloggers’ presence at media events?

Thoughts?