Name: Markos Moulitsas Zúniga

Age: 35

Occupation: Blogger, writer, activist

Place of residence: Online at DailyKos.com

Bio: From Wikipedia: “…often known by his username and former military moniker “Kos”, is the founder and main author of Daily Kos, a left-wing weblog focusing on progressive, liberal, and Democratic Party politics. Moulitsas currently resides in Berkeley, California, with his wife and son.

Moulitsas was born in Chicago, Illinois to a Salvadoran mother and Greek father, and grew up in El Salvador. (Following Latin American custom, his last name is actually “Moulitsas”, not “Zúniga”.) His family moved back to the United States in 1980 due to the Salvadoran civil war. He served in the U.S. Army from 1989 through 1992; while stationed in Germany, and after missing “by a hair” deployment to the Gulf War, he changed his political affiliation from Republican to Democrat.”

Markos founded his political blog, The Daily Kos, in 2002. It has grown to be the most widely read blog on the web, serving up left-wing political commentary daily to millions of loyal readers.

Why he’s loved: Kos is loved for being an intelligent liberal voice on the web, and for not being afraid to post his thoughts however controversial they may be (his comments have lost him such high profile advertisers as John Kerry), for advancing the progressive movement using technology.

Why he’s hated: For speaking his mind, for his harsh criticism of the Bush administration, for being a “recovering Republican”.

Why he’s influential: Kos’ influence lies in that he has proven that blogging is powerful in making his political blog into a platform for activism and social change, reaching millions with a message that would not have been possible without the power of the internet.

VOTE for Markos as VL’s Most Influential Latino 2006