• by Shankar Gupta , January 25, 2007

As the 2008 presidential election cycle kicks off, WashingtonPost.com has partnered with politics blog RealClearPolitics.com for a daily feed of opinion, commentary, polls and analysis from around the Web.

"As we were adding all this new political content, we thought we'd really like to embrace the bigger audience out there that's interested in really good political writing," said Russ Walker, assistant managing editor for the site.

WashingtonPost.com, which last week unveiled a revamped politics home page, will work with the RealClearPolitics.com staff for special election coverage within the next few months, Walker said.

The Post also will incorporate blogging into its election coverage, both for breaking news and color about about candidates' travels. "Once the campaign really picks up in earnest, we're hoping to have the reporters file to us every chance they get when they stop, even if it's just a quick little scene piece," Walker said.

WashingtonPost.com isn't alone in aiming to capture political junkies this election cycle. Allbritton Communications Wednesday launched Politico.com, a politics-focused Web site that snagged two veteran Washington Post reporters late last year. Also on Wednesday, the Sacramento Bee unveiled a California local politics-focused site, Capital Alert, which charges a subscription fee of $499 per year.