U.S. Rep. Steve Israel of Long Island just sent out an email to constituents on his opt-in list.

The subject line, "Check Out My Blog!"

While that's certainly a lame way to promote a blog, even for a professional politician, Israel's blog itself isn't bad whether you agree with his politics or not. It includes a blow-by-blow account of how Republicans killed the minimum wage increase proposal:

It was Washington politics as usual. Republicans could take credit for passing a minimum wage bill in the House even though they knew it would fail in the Republican Senate. Politics trumped policy.

In coming months, when you hear some of my colleagues crow about voting for a minimum wage increase, ask a minimum wage worker whether they got the raise.

Now, all he needs to do is link to the web sites or blogs of those congressmen he's accusing and he would take his blog to the next level.

And if he drops the lame blog promotion, people might actually read it and engage him in debate.