Last week, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman gave a glowing endorsement to the campaign of Andrew Rasiej, one of the candidates for New York City Public Advocate. As has been noted here on the Corante New York site, Andrew has been at the forefront of a number of important issues facing New Yorkers in the coming election -- like citywide Wi-Fi networks and 911 calls from the subway. The idea of using technology to solve societal problems, says Friedman, is exactly what makes Rasiej special. Like Howard Dean before him, Rasiej has recognized the power of technology to reach into any sphere of life and make it more efficient and more powerful:

"The technological model coming next - which Howard Dean accidentally uncovered but never fully developed - will revolve around the power of networks and blogging. The public official or candidate will no longer just be the one who talks to the many or tries to listen to the many. Rather, he or she will be a hub of connectivity for the many to work with the many - creating networks of public advocates to identify and solve problems and get behind politicians who get it."

As might be expected, the article by Friedman generated quite a bit of commentary throughout the blogosphere. For awhile, in fact, the article was the #1 most-emailed article on the New York Times website. A big hat tip to the Rasiej campaign team!