Are political bloggers powerful enough to force a resignation without the MSM pack?

MGP2006 alum Frederick Clarkson writes asserting that the progressive-Democrat bloggosphere triggered probes of a Bush administration mid-level bureaucrat Wade F. Horn -- which has now lead to Horn's impending resignation. Clarkson writes on his Daily Kos blog that bloggers such as Cindy Cooper researched an alleged correlation between grants to faith-based social-service programs and Horn, and instigated a complaint filed by the National Organization for Women on March 28 alleging gender-bias in the administration of a $50-million grant program under Horn's control. Horn has been assistant secretary for children and families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Clarkson argues that Horn's resignation, which Clarkson sees as a consequence of the blog activity, resulted without any real mainstream media pickup of the story -- proof, he says, that blogs are becoming an increasingly influential.  The Washington Post wrote a full story about the NOW suit, and added it its story: "Another grant flagged by NOW is a nearly $1 million annual award to the National Fatherhood Initiative, a Gaithersburg group formerly headed by Wade F. Horn, the assistant HHS secretary who oversees the grant program. In addition to the discrimination issue, Gandy said, the grant smacks of 'cronyism.' 

Today, a Google search does find this brief wire report in the Tribune Co.-owned Newsday website:

SOCIAL SERVICES OFFICIAL STEPS DOWN. Wade Horn, the Bush administration's point man for welfare reform, Head Start and abstinence education, resigned yesterday as assistant secretary for children and families. In the Department of Health and Human Services, Horn oversaw a $46-billion budget and 65 programs for vulnerable children and families. Horn, who said he would work as a consultant for Deloitte & Touche LLP, an accounting firm, is best known for his work on getting more money for faith-based groups and organizations that work to help couples improve their marriage.

Clarkson may not be perfectly correct that there is a cause-effect relationship between blog pressure and Horn's resignation, or that MSM played little role. But his posts raise a good question: Are blogs reaching the point where they can change national poltics as a pack without being joined by the MSM?