Senate Edges Closer To Lifting Inexplicably Absurd Drilling Ban; House Republicans Burn the Mid-afternoon Oil; UPDATE: TWITTER PARTY!

[Scroll down for updates.]

Ed Morrissey's following the breaking developments.

It would take a kitchen-sink approach urged by Republicans all along — more work on alternatives and conservation, but also the removal of restrictions on domestic production to alleviate the supply crisis in the world market.

That's the very good part of the highly contentious energy package - the prospect of opening energy exploration throughout our forbidden lands (and seas).  The very moronic part that many Senators were trying to cram in there was a feckless castigation of oil speculation as the source of our energy woes.  It was beginning to look like the latter (and the possibly permanent market disruptions to be caused by the "remedies" these legislators envisioned) would be the price of the former.  But the bi-partisan "Gang of 10" seems to have sidestepped that particular bit of idiocy.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Capitol, Nancy Pelosi has flicked off the lights (and the microphones and the C-SPAN cameras) and gone home without allowing an energy vote, while House GOP members continue to toil in the dark.

From: Stipicevic, John
Sent: Friday, August 01, 2008 11:39 AM
Subject: WHIP FLOOR UPDATE

Although, this Democrat Majority just Adjourned for the Democrat 5-Week Vacation, House Republicans are continuing to fight on the House Floor. Although the lights, mics and C-SPAN camera’s have been turned off, House Republicans are on the Floor speaking to the taxpayers in the gallery who, not surprisingly, agree with Republican Energy proposals.

All Republicans who are in town are encouraged to come to the House Floor.

The Republican Study Committee has requested that the President call a special session of Congress, in hopes that our legislative leaders can bring themselves to allow federal lawmakers to vote on the number one issue among voters, before they go on their vacation.

Update:  Hey, neat.  C-SPAN may not be covering the action, but some of the House members are tweeting updates through Rep. John Culberson's Twitter account.

Update:  Also check out Rep. Pete Hoekstra's Twitter account.  Hoekstra wonders:

A lot of policeman assembling off of floor.  What does that mean?

The Sunlight Foundation's John Wonderlich notes the possibility that what's happening here is unkosher.

House Rule 4:

1. The Hall of the House shall be used only for the legislative business of the House and for caucus and conference meetings of its Members, except when the House agrees to take part in any ceremonies to be observed therein.  The Speaker may not entertain a motion for the suspension of this clause.

It's not like it's a kegger or a make-out party; it's still legislative business.  But is it truly "legislative business" if the House has been adjourned?

Rep. Culberson calls it a "pep rally".

Update:  Hoekstra: "Call Speaker Pelosi at 202 225 0100. Demand vote on energy legislation. Tweet your friends and call now."

Update:  Michelle Malkin wants C-SPAN to get back in there and turn the cameras on.  After you've called Nancy, why not get on the horn to C-SPAN: (202) 737-3220.

Better yet, just click this link, sign your name, and hit send!

Update:  Looks like Speaker Pelosi will not abide what's going on in the people's her House.

Shame! Shame! Capital Hill police working under strict orders to shut Capital down at 430 pm today. Speaker Pelosi wants this shut down now

Update:  From WaPo, via Wonderlich:

UPDATE 4:15 PM: There seems like a decent chance that this spectacle will end around 4:30 p.m. That's when the galleries are officially supposed to close and when the Capitol typically closes to tour groups. In theory, Republicans could keep up the fight even after the hundreds of visitors have filtered out of the chamber, but members usually like to have some kind of audience. A progressively smaller group of reporters is hanging around until the bitter end, as many journalists have already left the Capitol for a traditional bout of last-day-of-session drinking. Capitol Briefing, of course, is very pleased not to be sitting on a bar patio somewhere enjoying the sunshine and a beer. He'd much rather be here listening to the 78th consecutive speech about gasoline prices.

Update:  So what's the net fallout of this going to be?  However it ends, it will have been quite a spectacle of political theater, on an issue that splits the members almost perfectly down party lines.  An issue on which a staggering 73% of Americans agree with Republicans.

Update:  House minority whip Roy Blunt will appear on Sean Hannity's radio show at 5:00 pm to discuss what's happening.  You can listen live online.

Update:  Video of a multi-member press conference available live on Culberson's Qik page. Update: 4:50 - Press conference over.

Update [4:57]:  Hoekstra says, "it's still going on."  Perhaps Pelosi thought better of quashing it.

Update [5:05]:  Hoekstra:

We're closing: singing God Bless America. Stay tuned for future activities. Thanks for tweeting. I hope you felt the same excitement I did.

Update:  Turns out the camera blackout was Nancy's call, not C-SPAN's.

Please note that cameras in the House chamber are under the control of the Speaker of the House and that all media organizations, including C-SPAN, wishing to cover events in the chamber must use the official House TV feed.

This is the "most open" Congress in history?