I’ve been holding back on reporting about this, but there comes a time…

Over the last three months, I’ve been detained by Capitol Police between six and ten times. Each time was the result of a complaint filed by a lawmaker.

A coupla posts back, you’ll find video of me asking Virginia Foxx if she wanted to take the opportunity to denounce Rush Limbaugh’s Nazi rhetoric. She soldiered on past me, head bowed and silent. Less than ten minutes later, I was accosted by the omnipresent Capitol Police. I susected Foxx had complained, but the police wouldn’t say.

They checked my ID, ran a background check and talked to me for about 40 minutes or so. Because I have enormous respect for the folks wearing the uniform and the gravity of the job they’ve chosen, I allowed them to look at the video on my camera so they could see for themselves that any complaints filed against me were unfounded. At the end of the process, I was turned loose.

I went home and called the offices of the Capitol Police and the House Sergeant at Arms. A week later, I got a call back from the Sgt. At Arms counsel’s office. I told them that after repeatedly being stopped and detained on the basis of malicious and unfounded complaints, I wanted to find a solution. I’m still waiting for resolution.

See, the thing is, you cannot move on Capitol Hill without being observed and recorded. There are security cameras everywhere. I’m not certain, but I suspect the the thirty minute delay between being detained and let go involves more than a background check for warrants. I suspect they are running the film to see if I’ve done anything wrong. And they let me go only after they determine I’ve not broken any laws. Specifically,

• I’m not allowed to intentionally impede anyone’s progress
• as anywhere else, unwanted touching constitutes assault
• there are restricted areas that I am barred from entering.

I’ve been scrupulous in following the law. I’m constantly aware of where I am and who I’m talking to… I know the police are, by necessity, on hair-trigger. And they are armed with big fucking guns. I’m not reckless or stupid when it comes to collecting these videos.

Anyway, it happened again tonight, only this time I don’t have to wonder who made the call.

You’ll see in the video below that I approached Virginia Foxx as she was walking with another Congresswoman. I asked them if they’d comment on Rush Limbaugh’s difficulty purchasing a football team. All of a sudden, Foxx took off running. She ran over to the Capitol Police manning a barricade. I made a joke about this little old lady making a bee-line across the street – I thought she just wanted to get away from the camera. Alas, her aim was not so benign.

She told the Police I was bothering her and once again I was detained for a decent chunk of time – enough that I was unable to do my job – to talk to additional Representatives as they made their way to the Capitol to vote.

I will be filing a formal complaint with the Sergeant at Arms. I’m not sure Foxx would have the temerity to complain if I had Capitol Press credentials draped around my neck, but these folks need to learn that there is no “official” press. In fact, I’m pretty sure I do the job better than many of the stenographers with credentials.