It was the second day of the GOP protests, which began last Friday after the House adjourned for the August recess.

"I really sense that we are at a tipping point in our country on this issue," said Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL) who drove with his family all night from Illinois to join in the protest.

"My wife Elizabeth and I loaded up the minivan with the four children just like the Griswolds and drove through the night and got here at three this morning," Roskam told reporters just off the House floor.

Certainly GOP lawmakers were keeping their own troops fired up and getting a good amount of publicity and via the internet. Whether that's going to force a switch by Democrats, it's a bit early to tell.

Still, some like Rep. Roskam noted the change over the weekend in what Barack Obama was saying about possibly accepting new offshore oil and gas drilling as reason for hope.

"The presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party is beginning to see the light on this," Roskam said.

Now as for why all of this is being conducted without television or radio coverage of the actual speeches being given by GOP lawmakers, that goes to the rules of the House.

When the House is in session - and when the House is not in session - no recording devices are allowed on the floor. That's true for Members, staff, anyone.

Now some of you may have seen some You Tube video which shows several GOP lawmakers speaking on the floor.

It was shot with a small video camera used by a colleague of mine from Fox News. He gave it to one of the Republicans involved in the protest, and that lawmaker shot some video in the well of the House.

Even though it is against the rules, basically members of Congress can do what they want, since the Capitol Police aren't going to rush out on the floor and grab an elected member of the House by the scruff of the neck.

One Republican, Rep. John Culberson (R-TX) shot some video and the service known as Qik to get the video message out from the floor.

We've heard in the halls that GOP leaders were not pleased with such guerilla video efforts and have put out the word that it should stop.

When it comes to shooting video in the halls of the U.S. Capitol, the group with the fewest rights happen to be the news media.

Members can do whatever they want to just about. And the public can shoot video with their cameras in almost any room of the Capitol.

But not us. We need special permission to shoot anywhere in the building, one reason why some reporters were considering plans to toss off their press credentials, get in line with the tourists and shoot video of everyone lining the halls waiting to see the GOP protest.