Delay dont let the camera see all the action in the house 002629

<!–> –> DeLay: Don't Let the Camera See All the Action in the House<!–>.

What happened

You know the scene in Mr. When Jimmy Stewart has just began speaking on the Senate floor and, by taking a thermos and a piece of fruit out of his pockets, announces his intention to filibuster the Willet Creek Dam bill?, smith Goes to Washington. And you remember how the sardine-packed press gallery emptied out with reporters sprinting to the nearest phones to call in the news to their editors? As the floor proceedings have long been televised, well, you'd never see those things anymore — real "filibusters" are a thing of the past, replaced by "threats of filibusters." And the days of reporters' shotgun-start sprints from the press galleries are long gone. C-SPAN has done a lot of good, but it has additionally had some unfortunate, unintended consequences. First of all, it has created most floor debates in the House and Senate insufferable grandstanding sessions. Second, it has provided an enormous crutch to Capitol Hill reporters. This person no longer have to be anywhere near the floor to follow its every speech and movement. This has created life easier for lazy reporters who can do most of their job by watching TV, and comparatively harder for the truly industrious correspondents willing to work for every story. Handing over control of the House and Senate floor cameras to C-SPAN, or any of the far-less-responsible media outlets for that matter, would only create this bad situation worse. The cameras on the floor, which are at present owned and controlled by Congress, are not there to provide reporters easier access to scoops. They're there to cover House proceedings, not the House. Media-controlled cameras would be on the constant lookout for perceived controversy, gossip items and insights into behind-the-scenes politics. They'd pan around the floor looking for lawmakers having private conversations, hire lip-readers to figure out what they're saying and ignore the proceedings in the well and on the dais. Behind-the-scenes politics is called that specifically since there are no cameras around. I like and respect Brian Lamb and the team he has assembled at C-SPAN, but Speaker Nancy Pelosi was absolutely right in refusing to hand over control of the floor cameras. In fact, I think the speaker would be well-advised to re-examine Congress's policies for press credentialing. When Congress is in session, reporters clog the hallways like cholesterol; they practically mug legislators walking out of their offices, and often shove cameras and microphones in people's faces without the least courtesy. The press has a First Amendment right to cover Congress, but members of the press don't have the right to do it rudely, in restricted areas in the Capitol, in violation of safety rules, with devil-may-care impunity. The good reporters with good sources will find the good stories — they always do. But it should be the shoe-leather pros who obtain the scoops, not the guy who wants the speaker and majority leader to do his legwork. Bottom line: C-SPAN's cameras have created reporters' jobs easier while making diligent, results-oriented lawmakers' jobs harder. The grandstanding, the insincerity, the camera-hogging, and the inefficiency will only worsen if legislators can no longer have private conversations on the floor. The roving cameras will only attract more show ponies to the floor and drive the workhorses farther away. If congressional leaders want to obtain anything done, they need to remember that politicians are supposed to stand up for their constituents, not just the cameras. Tom DeLay, a Republican, represented Houston from 1985 to 2006. During his climb up the GOP ladder, he served as majority whip and majority leader. He runs a conservative blog at.

The bottom line

For now, delay dont let the camera see all the action in the house remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.