The Democrats forced the Senate into an unusual closed session – sparking tons of news coverage in the wires and on television and raising questions what this portends for the party’s position on other issues — and the size of Minority Leader Harry Reid’s political bag of surprises:
WASHINGTON – Democrats forced the Republican-controlled Senate into an unusual closed session Tuesday, questioning intelligence that President Bush used in the run-up to the war in Iraq and accusing Republicans of ignoring the issue.
“They have repeatedly chosen to protect the Republican administration rather than get to the bottom of what happened and why,” Democratic leader Harry Reid said.
And therein seems to be the main strategy: a dramatic way of getting their point across that little is being done on lingering issues surounding faulty or bogus intelligence. More from the AP:
Taken by surprise, Republicans derided the move as a political stunt.
“The United States Senate has been hijacked by the Democratic leadership,” said Majority Leader Bill Frist. “They have no convictions, they have no principles, they have no ideas,” the Republican leader said.
Let’s digest that again: BILL FRIST is saying someone has “no convictions…no principles…no ideas.”? AND:
In a speech on the Senate floor, Reid demanded the Senate go into closed session. The public was ordered out of the chamber, the lights were dimmed, and the doors were closed. No vote is required in such circumstances.
Reid’s move shone a spotlight on the continuing controversy over intelligence that President Bush cited in the run-up to the war in Iraq. Despite prewar claims, no weapons of mass destruction have been found in Iraq, and some Democrats have accused the administration of manipulating the information that was in their possession.
Vice President Dick Cheney’s chief of staff, I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, was indicted last Friday in an investigation that touched on the war, the leak of the identity of a CIA official married to a critic of the administration’s Iraq policy.
“The Libby indictment provides a window into what this is really all about, how this administration manufactured and manipulated intelligence in order to sell the war in Iraq and attempted to destroy those who dared to challenge its actions,” Reid said before invoking Senate rules that led to the closed session.
What does this signal? It suggests Reid, who in some ways increasingly resembles the old underestimated TV detective Columbo, is a canny political operator who is full of surprises. Don’t play poker with him…CNN reports:
Sen. Trent Lott, R-Mississippi, said Reid was making “some sort of stink about Scooter Libby and the CIA leak.”
A former majority leader, Lott said a closed session was appropriate for such overarching matters as impeachment and chemical weapons — the two topics that last sent the senators into such sessions.
In addition, Lott said, Reid’s move violated the Senate’s tradition of courtesy and consent. But there was nothing in Senate rules enabling Republicans to thwart Reid’s effort.
Trent Lott is correct: the GOP has dealt with the minority Democratic party with nothing but courtesy and consent. Some months ago a GOPer chairing a Congressional meeting politely and courteously turned off the mikes of Democrats trying to speak at a hearing.
Some things come to mind:
(1) One issue is whether Reid’s demand is strictly a political ploy — an exaggeration of the Republicans dragging their feet — or valid on substantive grounds. That’ll be argued for days in the press which brings us to #2 below:
(2) If 21st century politics is largely news cycle and domination of the subject matter, Reid has adeptly (if rawly) veered the subject away from what everyone was talking about — Supreme Court nominee Judge Sam Alito….a day after the White House named Alito, thus veering the subject away from what everyone was talking about….the Plamegate indictments. Yesterday the Democrats angrily said Bush had “changed the subject” on the Libby indictment. Today Reid has “changed the subject” back to Libby.
(3) This is likely to be one more BIG black mark on Bill Frist’s name and reputation. Once again it looks like the Senate that he supposedly is controlling is out of control. Aren’t some top GOPers wondering: isn’t there someone who can do the job for us better than THIS guy? A Majority Leader is supposed to be in control. He ain’t.
(4) The Republicans will pull out all stops with no niceties now on the Alito nomination. It’ll be payback time.
More news will have to come out before we can judge the impact and wiseness of this move.
But perhaps it’ll have one saving grace no matter what:
Harry Reid will strive in the future to have as steadfast convictions, principles and ideas as Dr. Frist.