The most transparent Congress ever

When Nancy Pelosi promised the most transparent Congress in American history, people took this to mean that she would open political discussion and dealmaking to public inspection. This was certainly the impression that C-SPAN received:

The head of C-SPAN has implored Congress to open up the last leg of health care reform negotiations to the public, as top Democrats lay plans to hash out the final product among themselves.

C-SPAN CEO Brian Lamb wrote to leaders in the House and Senate Dec. 30 urging them to open "all important negotiations, including any conference committee meetings," to televised coverage on his network.

"The C-SPAN networks will commit the necessary resources to covering all of the sessions LIVE and in their entirety," he wrote.

Nancy Pelosi will, of course, not agree to C-SPAN's request. Instead she is going to negotiate the health care bill's final provisions in the smoke-filled back rooms of the capital and then have her brain-dead Democratic caucus rubber-stamp the final draft with no debate. "Transparency" to Nancy Pelosi apparently means "I shouldn't have to ask a congressman what his preferred bribe is."