Bloodthirsty Liberal

Are you guys following what’s going on in the US House of Representative over oil drilling—right now?

Keep scrolling for updates…Waiting for 4:30pm…Tourists are fired up in the gallery…Rep. Hoekstra reports them chanting “Vote! Vote! Vote!”…Culberson and other GOP House revolutionaries livestreaming on Qik…Culberson press conference: “All we did is ask for a vote”…Pence: “I’ve never been prouder of the Republican leadership. I’ve never been prouder of the rank-and-file”…WSJ: “Joined by a bevy of staff and summer interns, the Republican lawmakers donned mostly straight faces for an afternoon of speechifying without microphones, C-SPAN or their Democratic counterparts. “How many of you remember the Boston Tea Party?” Republican Rep. John Shadegg of Arizona asked the raucous crowd. “This is the Boston Tea Party!”…4:44pm Eastern. Pence: “We will be here through the break.”

Via Rep. Pete Hoekstra’s Twitter:

Shame! Shame! Capital Hill police working under strict orders to shut Capital down at 430 pm today. Speaker Pelosi wants this shut down now 16 minutes ago from TwitterBerry

I’m writing this at about quarter past five. Let me post now, and see what else I can find.

UPDATE:
From Politico:

Update 2: This message was sent out by Blunt’s office:

“Although this Democrat majority just adjourned for the Democrat 5-week vacation, House Republicans are continuing to fight on the House floor. Although the lights, mics and C-SPAN cameras have been turned off, House Republicans are on the floor speaking to the taxpayers in the gallery who, not surprisingly, agree with Republican energy proposals.

“All Republicans who are in town are encouraged to come to the House floor.”

Update 3: Democrats just turned out the lights again. Republicans cheered.

Update 4: Republican leaders just sent out a notice looking for a bullhorn, and leadership aides are trying to corral all the members who are still in town to come speak on the floor and sustain this one-sided debate.

Also, Republicans can thank Shadegg for turning on the microphones the first time. Apparently, the fiesty Arizona conservative started typing random codes into the chamber’s public address system and accidentally typed the correct code, allowing Republicans brief access to the microphone before it was turned off again.

“I love this,” Shadegg told reporters up in the press gallery afterward. “Congress can be so boring. … This is a kick.”

More:

It has been quite the scene on the House floor this afternoon, as GOP staff members have kept the chamber filled with an eclectic assortment of people.

Boy Scouts, members of the German army, stray tourists and even members in shorts and t-shirts have all been spotted on the floor at different times.

Boy Scouts! And I always thought Jefferson Smith was a Democrat!

Oh-h-h-h, it’s already over:

Right at the stroke of 5, Georgia Rep. Tom Price announced that House Republicans were stopping their impromptu protest on the floor of the chamber, ending a five-plus-hour mock rebellion with a round of “God Bless America.”

The assembled tourists, aides and members in the chamber gave Price and his compatriots a standing ovation. They left the chamber to shouts of “USA! USA! USA!”

This is one of the biggest stories of the political season (which is saying something), but don’t expect to see it or hear about it on your evening news.

Let CSPAN tell you why:

“A number of media organizations have incorrectly referred to ‘C-SPAN cameras’ being turned off and not providing televised coverage of the GOP House members’ post-adjournment protest on energy policy being held on the House floor on Friday afternoon. Please note that cameras in the House chamber are under the control of the Speaker of the House and that all media organizations, including C-SPAN, wishing to cover events in the chamber must use the official House TV feed. No private media cameras are permitted in the House (or Senate) chambers.”

Two words, people: Liberal Fascism.