MiCongress lets lawmakers buy own cable channels to talk to constituents

Entrepreneur Stuart Shapiro thinks lawmakers have an image problem. And it's no wonder, he says, considering the great lengths to which they have to go to get the public's attention. They make a scene during their floor speeches. They bicker on talk shows. And they must rely on the news media to report what they've said -- beyond their most recent gaffes. It's a shame, Shapiro says, that these public servants "work so diligently and have such a passion for caring for their constituents, but it's not being reflected out in the real world." That's why his company, iConstituent, recently began a service called MiCongress, which lets lawmakers buy their own on-demand cable channels. For a fee, members of Congress can speak directly to their constituents using the same technology that allows cable subscribers to watch back episodes of regular TV programming whenever they want.