Facebook is no longer a college kid rolodex. It's becoming part of emerging new media in the country -- a distribution network for causes as well as news and opinion.

I'm about to recruit my 900th friend on Facebook. Now this is nothing compared to General Wesley Clark who has 4,299 friends -- or NPR's Carl Kassell with 3, 471 friends.

Although I am good friends with Wes Clark in real life,...