Congress' Recess Games
House Republicans can't seem to make up their minds.
Eighteen times over the past 90 days, the minority tried, unsuccessfully, to force the House to adjourn. Now the House has finally adjourned -- for a five-week recess, no less -- and Republicans are demanding that the chamber be called back into session.
On Friday and again yesterday, they opened the doors to the darkened House chamber and invited tourists wearing shorts and sandals to sit in the members' chairs. The microphones, lights and cameras were off. The speaker's chair was empty. But, hour after hour, the Republican lawmakers stood in the well and cursed the darkness.
"The lights are dimmed, the cameras are off," Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) observed, accurately.
"The lights are not on, and the microphones are not on," concurred Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Colo.).
"The electricity's cut off," deduced Rep. Wally Herger (R-Calif.).
"What we simply ask," said Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Tex.) "is for the speaker to turn those lights on."
Evidently, they didn't need to ask House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. While Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) was speaking, somebody found a light switch and brightened the chamber a bit. "My God, there's been a surge in power," the lawmaker exclaimed.
But even under the lights, dimness prevailed.
The Republicans put the "rump" into rump session yesterday. Democrats, when they were in the minority, also played House from time to time with phony hearings and debates. But the current effort (blessed by the GOP leadership, the rebels vow to keep at it all week, if not longer) has turned into a sort of 19th-century telethon, as lawmakers, denied C-SPAN or even live microphones, find new meaning in playing to the gallery.
By Dana Milbank |
August 5, 2008; 12:00 AM ET
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Posted by: Roger Scott Francis | August 11, 2008 6:54 PM
The comments to this entry are closed.
I don't know which is worse: the facts you've omitted or the ones you've spun.
Never once did you relate your rant to the fact that this is all a result of Madam Pelosi's tyranny in order to prevent a vote on drilling that she would certainly have lost.
You also conveniently omit the part about these 'Rogue Republicans' simply trying to get an up or down vote to ease the energy price burden on the American people.
Ol' Nancy is on a book tour instead of attending to her job. "Let 'em eat cake!"