I’m so excited about the possibility of an American version of Prime Minister’s Questions that it took me twice as long to write my column this week. I kept getting distracted by all the neat PMQ content on web sites out there!
If you’re new to PMQ, start with this Wiki entry on it. Here you can learn the basics about why MPs do all that jeering and yammering on. Also, you’ll find a list of all the prime ministers to have participated in PMQ; note, especially, how the author lists the prime ministers’ opposition: “...faced by...” There are also some good links to some PMQ documentaries, if you find yourself addicted to the genre. On the down side, yes, the Wiki explanation is dense with parliamentary procedure. But on the bright side, that’s what makes it so useful to a newcomer. Read through it once, even if you don’t quite get it (it is British, after all); it will make more sense as you watch the procedures in action. Which leads me to:
The YouTube PMQ collection. Check out some of the more famous (or infamous!) showdowns across the Dispatch Box. If this whets your appetite for more, you’re ready for:
The official web home of the British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, where you’ll find the mother lode of PMQ information. This treasure trove includes links to live PMQ presentations every week, information on the history of the convention and archives of previous editions, which include WMP and mp3 versions and the news stories from each week. There are even transcripts available, in case you just can’t decipher those accents. And get this: There’s even a “Tony Blair archive.” (See, I told you he was a cult phenomenon!)
Here’s the link to the BBC story where the Brits were buried in self-examination, trying to figure out whether an American version of PMQ was a good idea.
Finally, there’s one guy out there who says HE ALONE had the idea to import PMQ to the United States. John McCain ripped him off, he says. His claim includes this statement:
Obviously, I think it is a great idea but suddenly seeing it raised as this great idea McCain and his campaign came up with is curious. I don’t write for a top tiered news organization like the New York Times or Washington Post or Miami Herald and I know it is possible for more than one person to come up with the same idea at the same time. However, when people seem to come up with the same idea and then phrase their justification of the idea almost exactly the same way and then do not give any sort of nod as to where they got the idea, that is irksome.
SIDEBAR: “Irksome.” You know what’s irksome? Lack of punctuation. You know what else? Run-on sentences. Talk about irksome. END SIDEBAR
But I know you’re curious, so here’s the link to the guy’s original post he says gave rise to McCain’s proposal Thursday.
One thing’s for sure: This right honorable fellow doesn’t lack for self-esteem.
