FREE REPUBLIC BROKE THE STORY ON FRIDAY! How it ALL BEGAN!

As you know, I call Washington, DC everyday (every weekday) and I even started to do a radio show each Friday to share with folks the responses that I get. This week I called Senator Obama's office about the Global Poverty Act, and all 23 of the cosponsors- some of them 2 and 3 times. Well, on Thursday, my focus changed.

On Wednesday, the House of Representatives held a vote on weather or not they would stay and debate the energy issue, or go on their scheduled vacations. In this vote, 17 Democrats sided with ALL the Republicans and voted to stay. They still came up short by one vote. The vote was 212-213, the 213 Dems voted to go on vacation and worry about energy in the fall. I was talking with a friend of mine from Texas and he said "I wish they would just stay."

Friday morning I jumped on the phone to DC, but this time I was focused on the energy issue. I started calling Republicans in the House to ask them to do just that. I even called (private source that I will not reveal) office, and asked his assistant to PLEASE get this idea to him. I knew there wasn't much time, since we only had a day to even get the idea out, let alone put it together and do it.

I was literally going through the list of Republicans in alphabetical order, calling the offices that I have previously called. The staffers were very nice, and seemed to like the idea, but I did not know, and I still don't know, if any of my messages were forwarded.

When I got to the J's and called Sam Johnson's office the lady who answered the phone told me it was over. She said that they had already turned off the lights, cameras, and microphones. My heart sank.

"You mean they can't stay? Even if they WANT to stay, they can't stay?" I asked.

She just repeated that the lights and microphones were off. I could not believe that the Congressmen could be kicked off of the House floor. I almost gave up. But something in me told me to keep trying. Yes, I am a tad persistent.

Next, I called Kingston's office. WOW! The lady in his office said, yes honey, the lights and microphones are off, but the Republicans are down there raising a raucous. I was so excited! She said "I don't know if they'll get them to turn them back on, but they are down there trying." I thanked her and told her I would try and get the word out.

I immediately went to the best source I knew to get this kind of news out the quickest way possible!

It became such big news that the Moderators ended up moving it into the Breaking News column in the side margin to give it the most exposure and as time went on, they made some additions. But my original post was this:

I also went over to the Rush Limbaugh daily thread and let those folks know what was going on.

I kept urging people to call Washington and encourage the Republicans to STAY!! and we would do our best to make the media cover it.

After 1:00 pm-- Rush Limbaugh mentioned it. Folks were not only calling DC, but they were calling FOX News asking them why they weren't covering it.

Soon- the story was exploding all over the internet. Politico.com started to cover it, Drudge started covering it. Other bloggers were posting information as they were getting it. It was AMAZING!

At 2:00, I jumped onto BlogTalkRadio and called into a friend's show to tell him what was going on. WE BROKE THIS STORY ON ON INTERNET RADIO! He took everything he was going to talk about, shoved it to the side, and we all started covering this story.

At 3:00, Media Lizzy has her show. We called into her show, and before the end of her show she actually had Chief Deputy Whip Eric Cantor on her show doing an interview! Media Lizzy is a very well known and very well connected Blog Talk Host. She is the voice of the right on Internet Radio, and one very classy woman. You can hear her show here.

I also covered this on my show Friday night instead of the topics I had researched and planned. You even called into the show!! Here is a link for that show.

Here are some of the details that folks may not know, but NEED to know about what happened Friday.

Tom Price and Mike Pence had already lined about 100 Republicans that would each give a 5 minute speech about the energy issue once the last vote was done. They had planned to stay on the floor through til midnight. But Nancy Pelosi pulled a stunt unlike any we have ever seen before. She did a QUICK adjournment without warning to the Republicans. She ordered the cameras out, the lights out, and the microphones off.

About 50 Republicans stayed! The Gallery was filling up, the American people were cheering and giving standing ovations; it was an historical event.

Representative Shadegg was playing with the equipment and managed to get the lights and microphones back on. There was a boy scout troop in the audience, and other folks in town were lining up to come in. Folks were calling CSPAN asking them why they weren't covering this, and they were responding that they could not turn the cameras back on without Pelosi's permission.

Once they adjourn, they can leave it they like, but to shut down the cameras and microphones, and turn off the lights so that the American people cannot hear their Representatives is truly fascist! This is the same woman who promised an OPEN House. She continually blocks bills from even coming out of committe for a vote, but THIS is an absolute abuse of power. A senior staffer called the Republicans morons for showing resolve to do what their constituents have elected them to do.

The staffers answering phones for Republicans were thrilled to have us calling and were very surprised, wanting to know how we even knew about it.

We bombarded Pelosi's office with calls to turn the lights, microphones, and cameras back on. The staffers answering the phones for Pelosi actually hung up on one caller.

When everyone was finally escorted out, the people exited shouting USA! USA! USA! and singing "God Bless America!"

NANCY PELOSI - OPEN UP OUR HOUSE!!

On Friday I called the John Boehner's office to thank him (them) for doing this and told them to keep it up. I also called Jim Sensenbrenner's and Paul Ryan's staff to see if they were participating. I was told they were both heading home to Wisconsin. I urged both the staffs to have their bosses turn around and head back to Washington. I told Rep. Ryan's office I would really like to vote for him someday for President and how impressive it would be if he were to join his fellow Republicans in this demonstration.

I've been busy the last couple of days and haven't really been following along. Have either of these 2 gone back to Washington?

I just sent the Madam Speaker the following letter along with my Congressman Dennis Moore.

We need leadership in America that listens what we need as a country.

Please! as distasteful as it might be, send the Madem Speaker and your elected official an email and tell them how you feel. Flood Washington's email servers and tell them to come back on Monday Morning to deal with Energy and the High Paying Good Jobs Drilling creates for our fellow Americans.

Dear Speaker Pelosi,

Attached is a letter sent to my Congressman Dennis Moore. Congress needs to come back to Washington Next Monday and start dealing with the Energy crisis in a Bipartisan manner instead of the grandstanding that has taken place when you turned the lights and camara's off last week. This is America and we all are acting like its a third world country.

We need to grow Jobs and that can only be done by changing our Can't Do additude to a Can Do additude. We need domestic drilling in the US and Coastal Waters and in ANWR. Drilling creates Jobs for Americans. High Paying Jobs! Building Nuclear Power Plants creat Jobs! High Paying Jobs.

What do you and the rest of the congress not understand about supporting the creation of Jobs and security for America?

Please deal with the issues that effect Jobs, Security and the future growth of our Nation.

Best Regards, XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Congressman Dennis Moore
1727 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Congressman Moore,

Thank you for your August 6th, 2008 update from Washington, regarding the need to deal with the energy issue. I find the message very shallow when Congress could have take the necessary steps to continue the dialog and debate on Drilling Here and Drilling now for American security at home.

The defining moment occurred last week when Speaker Pelosi, showed America what bipartisan cooperation really meant to her and the democracy we have in America by turning off the CSPAN Camera’s, sound and lights on the minority side of the house. Yes that is a real partisan and a mature show of power by the Speaker of the House! I was greatly disappointed that you have not taken the time to address this grandstanding issue and the energy issues with Kansan's.

There is a real solution to the energy crisis in America today and that is for Congress to take some action in allowing for new domestic drilling, here at home and off the coastal waters of the United States. Even, the Alaskan's want to drill in ANWR! So why not drill there. Think about the new high paying jobs the drilling creates for Americans!

We have gone from a nation of Can Do to a nation of Can’t Do with Gridlock in Washington. Evidently if you’re not a part of the solution to the energy issue then your part of the problem! Perhaps six terms in Congress is enough in Washington?

Creating a windfall profit's tax against the oil companies and giving that money back to the voters is a bad idea. Everything were hearing from the Democratic Party is tax and more tax! And then were going to give you this $1,000.00 rebate from the windfall tax. Well as a shareholder of Exxon-Mobil since 1985, I find that message troubling as Barack Obama's plan to play Robin Hood with the American taxpayer is dead wrong. Windfall Profit taxes will hurt the Oil companies and hurt their stockholders who are voters in the 2008 election. Frankly more taxes do not create more new Jobs. All more taxes do is to drive jobs away from the USA.

You letter stated that you wanted bipartisan cooperation between the parties, If that's really true you need to tell speaker Pelosi loud and clear that congress needs to return to Washington next Monday. Americans want to see a Congress that is working in Washington, instead taking a FIVE WEEK VACATION.

Best Regards,

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.