Anyone on the Hill talking about how BlackBerries on the floor equals

[bertha katzenengel]

lobbyists on the floor? I think of this often, and have never seen anything about it.

Lobbyists are forbidden from being on the House & Senate floors, but with the advent of BlackBerries, they're there.

[goclark]

1. Good point

They say to turn off your phone in the movies,this is clearly not appropriate on the Floor.

[bertha katzenengel]

2. I wrote Barb Mikulski about this last year.

I think that if they're honestly interested in lobbying reform (i.e. Abramoff for starters) they must take this into consideration.

[trogdor]

4. I'm sure a ringing cell phone would get you a dirty look.

But BlackBerrys are also capable of sending out text messages, which don't make any noise.

[MsTryska]

3. yup.

our lobbyists use them to keep track of stuff.

actually now it's treo's.


it enables them to sit in on the house, and patch c-span through to watch what's going on in the senate, and to message back and forth.

[bertha katzenengel]

5. The only thing that matters is if they're sending messages

to representatives and senators while those individuals are on the floor. THAT's what constitutes allowing a lobbyist on the floor and it can't be allowed.

[BurtWorm]

6. That's an under-the-radar issue if I ever saw one.

It really needs to be on the radar. Excellent points, Bertha! :toast:

[bertha katzenengel]

7. Spread the word!

Contact your congresscritters!

[MsTryska]

8. hmmm.....i'll have to ask my folks if they do that....

or if they can do that, and/or if others do that....

[bertha katzenengel]

11. let us know what you learn

Thanks, MsTryska.

[MsTryska]

14. Well bertha - here's what my coworker said:

"Yes they can, and yes they do. Whether or not the legislators choose to pay attention to the messages they received is, of course, conditional (if it's an issue they care about, if the message is sent by a lobby that they do or don't want to talk to, etc.)"

i asked my coworker is this doesn't violate the "no lobbyists ont he floor" thing. waiting to hear back.

[bertha katzenengel]

15. If it doesn't violate it, I'll be terribly interested to hear how that's

possible!

[GreenPartyVoter]

9. I remember seeing something about that in the last year or two. Probably

at http://commondreams.org/

[liveoaktx]

10. IF that's so, then the same right ought to be available for constituents

Why should a lobbyist get better access than a citizen? When I call my congresspeople, I generally get someone who is a front line clueless person that doesn't know the rep's position, and only wants to send me a letter after the vote is taken.

[bertha katzenengel]

12. See, that's just the thing...

Even when you and I send email to [e-mail], we know that our Representative him/herself is not the first to read it -- if s/he even sees it at all. So, one of my questions is, CAN a lobbyist get an email directly to a congresscritter on the floor?

[DemBones DemBones]

13. Sure, if they've got their number for text messaging.

I never phone my daughter; I'd just get her voice mail -- I text message her
from my laptop.