Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) was a guest on Soledad O’Brien‘s Starting Point Wednesday morning, and hit on topics ranging from the economy to his assessment of the State of the Union address. The interview had a great moment right off the bat, as Hoyer made a joke about the diner food, O’Brien invited him to join them anytime, Hoyer laughed…and then noting. For a solid five seconds the two stared at the screen in awkward silence before O’Brien asked, “What’d you think of the speech?”

Yesterday, we told you about C-SPAN going silent following an awkward interaction between Rep. Steny Hoyer and his Republican colleagues who walked out of the chamber as he tried to call for a vote to extend the payroll tax. RELATED: C-SPAN Says Speaker Boehner’s Office Is To Blame For Channel Going Silent After Call For [...]

Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick, who famously adjourned the House of Representatives on Wednesday as Rep. Steny Hoyer shouted over the Congressmen walking out, was a guest on Fox and Friends Thursday morning and defended his actions, while calling for all elected officials to return to Washington and get a vote done on the payroll tax cut.

This morning, as Maryland’s Rep. Steny Hoyer (D) tried to call for a vote to extend the payroll tax, his Republican colleagues adjourned the House and proceeded to walk out of the chamber one by one. Then, as Hoyer chastised them for leaving, C-SPAN unceremoniously went silent and cut its coverage. C-SPAN later explained that [...]

Earlier today, we brought you the hard-to-believe story that Texas Gov. Rick Perry sent a letter to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, challenging her to a debate on Monday. Pelosi’s response quickly underscored the problem with Perry’s challenge when she tweeted her response: “Re: Gov. Perry–Monday I’ll be in Portland. Later visiting labs in CA. That’s 2. I can’t remember the 3rd thing.”

I literally had to triple-check this to make sure it wasn’t some spoof site set up to look like The Hill, but it is the real deal. The Hill‘s GOP12 blog is reporting that Texas Gov. Rick Perry has challenged House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to…a debate. Yes, that Rick Perry.

It gets better, though. The site has obtained a letter from Gov. Perry, to Leader Pelosi, in which he challenges her to said debate on Monday in Washington, or if that doesn’t work…someplace in Iowa.

Bob Schieffer has seen the latest photos from the Congressman Anthony Weiner collection and he’s not happy. With guests Democratic Congressman Steny Hoyer and Republican Congressman Paul Ryan, Schieffer wondered why can’t the Democrats do something to force Weiner out immediately?

House Speaker John Boehner is catching a lot of flack for missing last night’s memorial service in Tucson, reportedly declining an Air Force One invitation from President Obama in order to slap backs and clink glasses at an RNC event.

But a look at the timeline of events paints Boehner in a better light.

Late last week Stephen Colbert testified in character to a congressional sub-committee on the plight of migrant workers. He also sparked a debate on whether his testimony mocked the legislative process or the legislative process was deservedly mocked. Oh, and he also brought enormous attention to the hearing, and so too, the plight of the migrant worker. Not surprisingly, the majority of Colbert’s critics came from those who most benefit from taking congress seriously. Last night Jon Stewart mocked their indignation.

Stephen Colbert‘s testimony on Friday before the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Immigration has received some mixed reviews. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer is one of the people who thought it inappropriate. This morning on Fox News Sunday he told Chris Wallace he didn’t approve.

Ever wonder what would happen if someone live-tweeted their own heart attack? Neither did I, until I was actually having one. Once I did, it was an irresistible notion, an inversion of the social media update-as-trivia curve, and an opportunity for a pitch-black meta joke.

The story caught on, becoming a worldwide sensation, and I didn’t die. Here’s what else happened in between, and what I learned.

Mediaite’s Tommy Christopher decided to take his own Flip camera earlier today and ask some politicians and commentator the question that has nearly brought down on of their own: Do you fully support the Obama agenda? Check out the video after the jump to see their response. SPOILERS: No one gets slapped.

Its not news that the Health Care bill sparked tensions on both sides of the debate. However, it is news when a reports surface that up to ten members of the U.S. House of Representatives have requested additional security for fear of violent actions being threatened to them, their spouses and even their children. Are threats of violence absolutely reflective of a larger political movement? Of course not – but there only needs to be crazed action for tragedy to strike.

Remember the other week when the political phrase du jour was “reconciliation” and Rachel Maddow spent not a little amount of time illustrating how the Republicans who were in an uproar over the “nuclear option” were actually total hypocrites who had had no problem implementing the procedure when it suited there aims? Well, looks like the shoe is currently on the other foot (color us shocked).

“We feel that we’re about to do today something that’s been attempted now for almost 100 years,” House Majority Whip James Clyburn told reporters after what he called an “uplifting” meeting between Congressional Democrats and the president. Though CNN referred to the contents of the meeting as “secret,” one thing’s for sure: Democrats can practically taste health care reform.