ardith tumbles

CSPAN should be able to control their cameras. The Speaker of the House is able to censor the cameras. Not right at all. 

thedailywhat:

This Is All Kinds Of Wrong of the Day: A rather worrisome bit of censoring took place today at the House of Representatives, which had a split-second pro-forma session this morning.

A Democratic effort to force an up-or-down vote on the Senate’s payroll tax cut extension plan was hastily halted by Speaker Pro Tempore Michael Fitzpatrick (R-PA), who swiftly adjourned the House without acknowledging Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer’s repeated cries of “Mr. Speaker.”

Despite being rudely shutdown by Fitzpatrick, Hoyer went on to have his say, excoriating Republicans for allowing the tax cut to expire despite the potential damage to the already struggling economy.

As Hoyer was yielding to another Democrat, Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), ranking member on the House Budget Committee, the mic suddenly cut out, followed shortly by the footage.

C-SPAN later tweeted that it “has no control over the U.S. House TV cameras – the Speaker of the House does,” suggesting that someone in House Speaker John Boehner’s office ordered the live feed off the air.

Less than a year ago, C-SPAN’s asked Boehner for permission to install privately-operated cameras in the House. That request was denied.  

[think / rawstory.]