Tom Delay: CSPAN has made life easier for lazy reporters who can do most of their job by watching TV

[sabra]

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0207/2629.html

DeLay: Don't Let the Camera See All the Action in the House
By: Tom DeLay
<snip>

C-SPAN has done a lot of good, but it has also had some unfortunate, unintended consequences. First of all, it has made most floor debates in the House and Senate insufferable grandstanding sessions. Second, it has provided an enormous crutch to Capitol Hill reporters, who no longer have to be anywhere near the floor to follow its every speech and movement. This has made 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 make this bad situation worse. The cameras on the floor, which are currently 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 because 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.

[AndyA]

1. Why in the hell does ANYONE give a flip what this man thinks?

He's a FAILURE. A LIAR. A CROOK. A THIEF.

Why there would be even one, living, breathing, human who gives a rat's ass what this man thinks is beyond me.

(No reflection on the OP, I'm just amazed that he still gets the press he does...)

[demnan]

2. Pigs can fly

I just agreed with Tom Delay on something.

[EstimatedProphet]

3. That's right. Keep telling yourself that, Tom.

You're out of office because of all the lazy reporters. Sure.