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November 01, 2005
BREAKING: DC Erupts as Dems Stand For Truth
If you haven't followed the news over the past couple of hours, you've missed some high drama in the U.S. Senate.
This afternoon, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, in response to reports that Scooter Libby withheld key intelligence information from the U.S. Senate, as well as in response to stonewalling on the Senate's investigation into pre-war intelligence, called an unprecedented closed session of the U.S. Senate.
Faced with the possibility of having to hold the White House accountable for its actions, the Republicans in Washington are seething. Here's the account from the Hotline:
"Our troops have sacrified too much," said Reid. "I demand on behalf of the American people that we understand why these investigations aren't happening."Reid then invoked Senate Rule 21, which permits the minority leader to call for a closed session. It was seconded by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL). The timing was precise and deliberate. If Sen. Bill Frist, the majority leader, had been on the floor, he could have objected, but since he was not in the chambers, the presiding officer of the Senate had to agree to Reid's invocation.
Moments later, C-SPAN II cameras went black, replaced by a slate of text that said "The Senate is meeting in closed session." Capitol Hill police officers moved to secure the room. All electronic devices were removed. Staffers cannot entered.
The move shocked and angered Republicans.
A visible agitated Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist called the move a "stunt. A political stunt. A scare tactic." He said it was a "slap in the face" to him and to Republicans.
"It means, for now on, for the next year and a half, I can't trust Sen. Reid," he said.
Republicans are now talking about the shattering of "tradition" by this move. What about the attempts to shatter tradition by eliminating the filibuster? Or by the White House nominating a Supreme Court justice without consulting with the Senate?
Humorously, Trent Lott is raising a stink about how Reid’s actions have shattered trust by ignoring tradition. This coming after the President didn’t talk to Senate Democrats about the Alito pick. Who is ignoring tradition in a more important way here?
Meanwhile, Americans are becoming energized by the new Democratic Party -- the one with a spine:
But desperate times call for desperate measures. Beyond hope this is for the growing majority of Americans who know they were lied to about Iraq, as much as anything that's happened since before I heard John Kerry say he'd vote to invade all over again. Now it is time: to rebuild a trust that cost the Democrats the White House in its shattering.
Also, from DailyKos:
Cue in lots of hystrionics from Frist and company. Republicans whined that this was a violation of Senate tradition. This coming from the gang that wants to eliminate the judicial filibuster. Frist whined that he wasn't consulted. As though Democrats have had a seat at the table in this Congress. They want to play hardball? Fine. Reid sent notice that he can play that game as well.Frist whined, "Senator Daschle never did anything like this." Damn right. A new sheriff is in town.
Now, this is more than a temporary stunt. The Democratic leadership has promised to call a special session in the Senate every single day until Republicans alllow for a real investigation.
So let's see what we have here --
Democrats showing leadership and fight. Very nice. Democrats creating a media narrative around Republican stonewalling of a real investigation into pre-war intelligence. Also very nice. Republicans getting a taste of things to come if they initiate the nuclear option? Very crafty.
The Senate has just come out of the closed session. Here's Sen. Frist's statement on the agreement:
The Majority Leader and the Democratic Leader will appoint three members from their respective parties to meet and report back to the leadership no later that the close of business on 11/14.
Accountability. That's what the Democrats want.
Posted by dslater at November 1, 2005 03:00 PM
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