Call this blog fashionably late for the party. It appears that Harry Reid has invoked Rule 21, which closes the Senate to the news media, in order to chat about that “phase two” of the Senate Select Committee on Inteligence. You’ll recall that Pat Roberts (R – Kan) promised to follow up the report on CIA errors with an investigation into administration misbehavior. Then Bush won and Roberts put that off indefinitely.
Many are describing this move as an outright ‘revolt’ by the Democratic party. Frist is reportedly steaming at the ears.
Reid says he’s doing it because the Fitzgerald indictments suggest that there’s a real need for that “phase two” investigation. Possibly representing the rightwing perspective, Jeff Goldstein argues that Reid wants power so much that he’s willing to destroy America to get it.
My instinctive reaction is that Reid senses that the political winds have shifted. Rather than look reactive, and possibly from the fighting instinct he honed as an amateur boxer, Reid wants to get ahead of the curve, to be pro-active rather than re-active. When the majority of the country now believes that the Bush administration and the Republican party in general has major integrity problems, particularly with respect to pre-Iraq war intel it’s simply smart politics for the Democrats to say, let the Republican party stand line up behind that. To put it another way, recent poll found that 77% of Democrats and 22% of Republicans felt that Democrats were not being forceful enough in challenging the GOP policy centerpiece, the Iraq war. There you go.
Discuss.
***Update***
Folks, even if you disagree with him Jeff G is hardly a bad guy, and I only picked his post for illustrative purposes. Play nice.
*** Update ***
This post was by Tim F., not me. That is why we have the little names on top, so let’s clear that up right now. This update, however, is by me, and I have made it blue so it can stand out.
1.) While I would have rathered Reid consulted Frist first, he didn’t. Had he consulted Frist first, and Frist used parliamentary procedure to deny Reid’s demands, then I probably would have looked upon this maneuver more favorably.
2.) Regardless, Reid and the Democrats have done nothing wrong from a parliamentary standpoint. They have invoked their right, and I have no problem with it.
3.) I do not see what the problem is with an investigation into pre-war intelligence, although I can see that the potential exists for manipulation of the intelligence for partisan benefits on both sides. I would prefer that a complete and honest and open investigation is conducted, although I am of the opinion that Republicans will most likely downplay shortcomings in the build-up to war and Democrats will overstate them. I think the American public is smart enough to make their own decisions, and really think this is a tempest in a teapot, for now.
4.) There have been some pretty disgusting comments made in the comments section, including rather inflammatory and nasty insults. Knock it off. All of you.
John (5:35 pm).