This is a sampling from Bay Area News Group’s Political Blotter blog. Read more and post comments at www.ibabuzz.com/politics.

Sept. 21

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is running the most digitally effective campaign, followed closely by Republican Ben Carson and Democrat Hillary Clinton, a Silicon Valley web optimization company argues.

Sanders, who at 74 is the oldest of the major parties’ prominent candidates, nevertheless is the tech-savviest when you factor in the number of analytics tools in use on the campaign’s website; the number of social media tools embedded on the campaign’s website; Twitter effectiveness (measured as number of followers divided by number of tweets as of Sept. 4); website load speed; website security, determined by SSL certification; and use of content delivery networks, according to Palo Alto-based Instart Logic.

Rated least savvy by these standards were Republican Jim Gilmore, Republican Mark Everson, Democrat Lincoln Chafee and Republican Lindsey Graham. Republican Carly Fiorina, the only candidate with a Silicon Valley background, ranked 11th.

Sept. 23

Rep. Mike Honda joined the only two Muslims in Congress to lead 26 other House members Tuesday in urging the Justice Department to investigate the detention of Ahmed Mohamed, a Texas boy who brought a homemade clock to school.

Ahmed, 14, was arrested after he brought a homemade clock to school to show his teachers and was later accused of having a “hoax bomb.”

Honda, D-San Jose; Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn.; and Rep. Andre Carson, D-Ind., wrote to express concern that “Ahmed was denied his civil rights … and refused the right to speak to his father.” The representatives went on to call attention to “reports surrounding the incident that strongly suggest that Ahmed Mohamed was systematically profiled based on his faith and ethnicity.”

“As the President said, ‘Cool clock, Ahmed.’ It’s high time we end discriminatory practices in this country,” Honda said in a news release. “Profiling and mistreatment of an individual based on presumed or actual faith or ethnicity has no place in the world, let alone in the United States of America,” said Honda, adding an implicit smackdown to Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson, who said Sunday he “absolutely would not agree” with having a Muslim serve as president.

“From presidential candidates to teachers and police officers, we all must take a strong unified stand against this seemingly growing trend of fear mongering and bigotry being wrongly perpetuated in our society,” Honda said. “People shouldn’t fear mistreatment or persecution simply for being who they are. As a world leader, America should be setting the bar for tolerance and equality — principles that speak to the foundation of this great nation.”

Among other House members signing the letter were Reps. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland; Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose; and Sam Farr, D-Carmel.

Jenifer Wicks, national civil rights litigation director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said her organization stands with Honda and other lawmakers in calling for a Justice Department civil rights investigation. “It is disturbing that Ahmed was suspended by the school and arrested by the police after officials ‘followed protocol’ and determined that he had merely brought a clock to school and that there was no actual threat,” she said.

Sept. 25

Rep. Barbara Lee met with Cuban President Raul Castro on Friday at United Nations headquarters in New York City.

President Barack Obama earlier this month nominated Lee, D-Oakland, as a representative of the United States to the 70th U.N. General Assembly. She’s been a longtime supporter of normalized relations with Cuba.

“I was particularly pleased to have the opportunity to discuss the renewed diplomatic relations between our two countries and to personally congratulate him on the historic steps taken toward normalizing relations with the United States,” Lee said in a news release. “I look forward to continuing to work in Congress to lifting the travel ban and ending the failed trade embargo. President Obama has shown bold leadership by opening up relations with Cuba — it’s past time for Congress to act as well.”