Lynn N. Rivers: “for some reason this debate always moves me to use literary reference to illustrate my point. Last Congress I relied on…”

“for some reason this debate always moves me to use literary reference to illustrate my point. Last Congress I relied on Dr. Seuss and his work, The Cat in the Hat. This year, as I contemplated this upcoming argument, I was struck by the similarities between the continuing debate here in this House on campaign finance reform and a story by Edgar Allen Poe, the Telltale Heart. In that short story, Poe tells of a dastardly murder in which the murderer is undone by the fact that the victim's heart continues to beat after the terrible deed is done and the body has been dismembered and hidden. In this excerpt that I wish to share with my colleagues the murderer is being questioned by the police. Observe his tactics as he tries to shift attention away from his own guilt. ``No doubt I now grew very pale, but I talked more fluently and with a heightened voice. Yet the sound increased. What could I do? I gasped for breath, and yet the officers heard it not. I talked more quickly, more vehemently, but the noise steadily increased. I arose and argued about trifles in a high key and with violent gesticulations, but the noise steadily increased. I paced the floor to and fro with heavy strides as if excited to fury by the observations of the men, but the noise steadily increased. I foamed, I raved, I swore, but it grew louder and louder and louder, and the men chatted pleasantly and smiled. Was it possible they heard not?…”