A microphone, hurled by California's Congressman Chet Holifield, s lithered down the long committee table. "I demand it be cut off!" Holifield shouted.
"If it isn't cut off, I'll walk out!" barked another Representative.
Michigan's crusty old (77) Clare E. Hoffman, chairman of the House Government Operations Committee, touched off the outbursts at a committee meeting last week by having a recording machine and microphones placed on the table. His purpose, he explained afterwards, was "to show them how they sounded all cackling at once." Committee members, who are as fond of gruff, gritty Chairman Hoffman as he is of cackling, got...