VIDEO: My Visit to DiFi’s

applepie:

I just called the LA office. Some joker (made me spell out firedoglake) put me on hold and then came back and said Jane wanted to barge in on a family who was meeting with Feinstein, and their policy was to not have the press in any private meetings.

Well, not exactly.

NYCEve:

This is all about NO PRYING EYES, it’s not about Jane Hamsher vs. Dianne Feinstein–that’s bullshit, it’s about transparency. It’s about Ms. Feinstein’s untenable position on the public option, which 76% of the American people support and she doesn’t; it’s about her indefensible position on the most important legislation of our life. And most egregious, it’s about the culture of Washington D.C., it’s not just your garden variety bubble, it’s a closed society, and they don’t want No Prying Eyes.

In this closed world, there’s an illusion of transparency–but it’s basically a mirage. Legislation gets posted, for example, but the deals get made behind doors made of steel and cement. I don’t have to tell you that the traditional media rarely if ever ask the relevant questions, rarely if ever put the politicians feet to the fire, because to do so, means loss of access.

I wish everyone could come up to the Hill for one day and see what it’s like right now.  The place is crawling with lobbyists, and the entire process is devoted to responding to their immediate pressure.  Hundreds of them sitting in the markup meetings, on their cell phones, taking notes, following the Reps out in the hallway, chatting with staffers, with a microfocus on every action of every committee member at every moment. You really don’t get any idea what it’s like from watching the hearings on CSPAN.  

Which is why I keep saying that Congress Matters is the best website in the blogosphere — Kagro X is the Rosetta Stone to what’s going on procedurally.  The process is extremely dense and it’s been a real education being up there with Eve for the past week and a half.

Thanks to everyone who is making it possible.