Archive for January, 2011

C-SPAN rocking the social media

Wednesday, January 5th, 2011

C-SPAN will broadcast live video of the transfer of power in House on its Facebook Page today. They’re also doing the State of the Union address later this month. Story at Mashable:

C-SPAN’s Twitter page now includes an updated list of Congress members who use Twitter in an official capacity, as well as a new list of Congressional reporters who tweet.

C-SPAN is also expanding its online coverage in other areas. The Congressional Chronicle website is set up to provide full video archives for each member of Congress, and gives users a chance to look into members’ bios, votes, committee memberships and campaign finances. Those accessing the site can even search timelines of sessions and share videos from floor debates and hearings. The network also has a C-SPAN Radio iPhone app.

Whew! We should be doing all of that here at Legislature.com but that’s going to require a major break-through in cloning technology. Why yes, we would love to have some volunteers.

Day One of 2011 session

Wednesday, January 5th, 2011

We grabbed the following from The Missourinet blog. We’re not sure if we’re looking at lyrics to a song; free verse; or result of Bob Priddy sticky return key.

It’s the first day of the legislative session.

There is peace and love at the Capitol.

Lions are lying down with lambs.

Choirs are not singing Kum By Yah but the spirit will waft through the halls.

Bipartisanship will be expressed.

The legislative chambers are lands of hope and glory.

Only later will some plowshares be beaten back into swords.

Only later will passions rise.

Only later will voices be raised, not in song, but in argument.

The lid goes on pressure cooker today and the heat will begin to rise soon. But today we savor a one-day era of good feeling.

By mid-May this day is likely to be long gone and forgotten.

But on the first day, there is always hope that adults are in the rooms and that lions can, indeed, lie down with lambs.

It will be sunny and warm and the grass will be green and the trees will be displaying new life when the remnants of the lions and lambs go home in mid-May.

The Missourinet and our fellow members of the Capitol press corps will tell you day-by-day of the disappearance of plowshares.

Some of what we cover will be gratifying to some. Some of what we cover will be repugnant to others.

But remember this:

Whatever happens is the result of what Missouri voters and non-voters set in motion in November. If you recall, the events leading up to those decisions hardly resembled peace and love and lions being friendly with lambs.

So let us savor the one day of warmth and fuzziness that comes to the Capitol each year.

It’s the first day of the legislative session.