“All politics is local” goes the old saw, and the more time I’ve spent looking into members of Congress, the more I become persuaded that it’s mostly true, just as it’s also true that most political corruption is local as well. House members attend to their districts, Senators to their states, and they know the local movers and shakers quite well, and are more than willing to use their offices to keep those folks happy, even if their interests aren’t in the best interests of the country.

Those local relationships and the local issues they create are probably best understood by–well, locals. I know I learned more about the Prairie Parkway from people who lived in close proximity to the site than from The New York Times or The Washington Post. But finding those information-rich local sites isn’t always easy. So I’m really excited that Micah Sifry, one of Sunlight’s stellar consultants, offers seven smart ways to track down local political blogs. Want to find out if a blogger covers doings in Nancy Pelosi’s district? In Mitch McConnell’s hometown of Louisville, Kentucky? Now there’s a way to find out!