Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R.-Ky.) took time from his busy schedule today to chat with bloggers about his agenda for the 110th Congress -- a significant development in the age of new media.

While bloggers asked only a few questions (John Hawkins has a summary on Right Wing News), this call was really an opportunity for McConnell to introduce himself to bloggers in hopes of capitalizing on the power we have to shape and influence policy and media coverage.

As I reported on Monday, Jon Henke will play a key role in McConnell's courting of the blogosphere as the office's new-media director. The fact that Henke was able to pull off a blogger conference call on the first day of the 110th Congress shows that he's already having a big impact.

UPDATE -- January 5, 10:45 a.m.: You can now listen to audio of the conference call with McConnell.