• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, October 10, 2007

A year after resigning as CEO of CNET Networks, Shelby Bonnie has reemerged with the launch of an online hub for American politics. Named Political Base, the site aspires to be a nonpartisan resource for voters seeking more information on candidates, political issues, voting records, fund-raising, and elections--both national and local.

Political Base, which has already assembled entries on hundreds of politicians and government entities, is drawing content from public resources, including the Federal Election Commission, Wikipedia, Flickr and YouTube.

Taking its cues from community editing sites like Wikipedia and social networking sites, Political Base is also hoping to inspire an active community to gather, share and submit content.

Bloggers and members of other social networks are also being encouraged to embed live PoliticalBase.com charts comprised of fund-raising activity and election results, among other data.

After six years as the head of CNET, Bonnie left the company last October over an internal investigation into stock options backdating. The SEC has since cleared Bonnie and CNET of any wrongdoing in the options investigation.

Bonnie, who is serving as Political Base's CEO, has brought in four former CNET employees to run the site, including Mike Tatum, former general manager of lifestyle at CNET, David Snider, former head of CNET's TV.com, and site engineers Ethan Lance and Andy McCurdy.