This video is incredible:
While I am outraged by the fact that legislators in Texas abuse the system, I’m also comforted by the fact that this local TV story is now getting some play outside of the state. We hear a lot about how YouTube is used for slimy attacks against political candidates. In this case, an old media system (local TV news reporting) combined with a new media distribution system (YouTube) has worked to bring some semblance of accountability (hopefully) to our political system.
Maybe this video will encourage media outlets and citizens from other states to take a closer look at what’s happening in their state legislative bodies.
The Machine is Us 
well, where are all of the other legislators? If they were present to vote to begin with, this wouldn’t be possible. I’m not saying what’s happening in the video isn’t bad… it is, but I just want to know why there are so many elected representatives absent…
Lyndsi – I agree. Both missing votes and voting more than once are inexcusable.
~TMIS
I don’t know which is worse — the fact that these legislators so blatantly violated an explicit rule they wrote for themselves, or the ridiculously lame reason they gave for it. At any rate, I’m finishing my MPA this semester, and I sent the link to my Ethics class. We’ve been discussing whether elected officials can be expected to police themselves, vis-à-vis Larry Craig and the Senate Ethics Committee. We discussed this video in class the other night, so thanks for the timely and relevant material.