Left-wing or Right-wing, political bloggers seem to agree on only one thing: the mainstream media disrespects and ignores them, not by happenstance but as an articulated matter of policy.

Not so in Vermont, not any more.

The Burlington Free Press carried a long, playful piece on the state’s political blogosphere today — and they ran it right out there on page one, like it was an arson or a downer cow, or a triple-homicide. As news, in a word.

And even by Aretha Franklin’s particularly exacting standards, that’s respect.

Maddest/fullest props to Terri Hallenbeck, the Free Press writer who penned the piece. And for those of you who might be tuning in for the first time today because of it, a most elaborate VDB welcome.