This story got buried in the holiday news black hole - an exchange of letters between Brian Lamb, founder of C-SPAN (see Read More) and new House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

C-SPAN asked the new House Speaker to allow more flexibility in their TV coverage of the House, to allow cameras to pan the floor in addition to the focus on the rostrum. Pelosi turned down the request, just as Newt Gingrich did when he became Speaker and was declaring a new era of openness for the House. Wrong decision by Gingrich, and wrong again by Pelosi.

Pelosi cited the "decorum" of the House -- apparently Members are doing things on the floor that they're embarassed the staid C-SPAN will televise to the nation. Sounds like the same old arguments of House leaders who originally opposed televising the proceedings at all (as did the Senate and, still, the Supreme Court).

C-SPAN also asked that vote tallies be made available immediately. There is currently an inexplicable delay in publishing the vote tallies in the House - which are already semi-public in lights in the House chamber. Pelosi said they would look at the issue, but cited some potential problems with "accuracy" and technical feasibility. Not credible. Just do it, Speaker Pelosi.