Outing Harry Reid for his Bush Enabling ....as he Attacks his Fellow Democratic Senator!

[KoKo]

.....GLENN GREENWALD

So here we have one of the very few acts of the last year by a Democrat in Congress which has actually engaged and energized people; made them feel as though someone was listening to them and taking a stand for what they believe; something that enables actual citizens to have some influence on the political process; and, most of all, an effort that at least disrupted the relentless Congressional march to capitulate to all of Bush's demands.

And in response, Harry Reid and his mewling anonymous Democratic allies immediately recruit the Washington Post's Congressional reporter to attack what Dodd has achieved, demean his motives with a ferocity that they never display in opposing George W. Bush, and assure everyone that their will to do the President's bidding will be realized despite Dodd's temporary interference.

It's one thing to watch Congressional Democrats fail to stand up to any of the Bush abuses. It's another thing entirely to watch as they actively enable them. But they've now moved beyond even that to actually perceiving as their Enemy anyone -- such as "Dodd and his allies" -- who seeks to disrupt their Bush-enabling efforts and, worst of all, who infects their rituals with any dirty, outside riff-raff, such as actual citizens.

That is the worst crime there is, Dodd's real sin here, the reason he has to be attacked. He allowed the riff-raff to derail Harry Reid and Jay Rockefeller's plan for quick and quiet enactment of telecom immunity. As Digby caught Nancy Pelosi saying recently about Democrats who are dissatisfied with Congress:

Though crediting activists for their "passion," Pelosi called it "a waste of time" for them to target Democrats. "They are advocates," she said. "We are leaders."

Dodd enabled the boisterous, irritating "advocates" to enter the gates just for a moment, allowed them to disrupt the plan of the "leaders." And as a result, the Ultimate Leader made clear yesterday in his Press Conference that he is not happy -- at all -- about the disruption that Harry Reid allowed:

BUSH in PRESS CONFERENCE:

I'm also disappointed that Congress failed to pass legislation to ensure that our intelligence professionals can continue to effectively monitor terrorist communications. . . .

The first priority of Congress when it returns in the new year must be to pass a good bill and get it to my desk promptly. They have a duty to give our professionals the tools necessary to protect the American people. The bill should include liability protection for companies that are facing multi-billion-dollar lawsuits, only because they are believed to have assisted in the efforts to defend or nation following the 9/11 attacks. And it must ensure that our intelligence professionals have all the tools they need to keep us safe.


Look at how The President talks to Congressional leaders -- the way a stern teacher addresses slightly misbehaving middle-school students. They didn't complete their assignment he gave them by the deadline he imposed. He is quite "disappointed" by their failures, but he's willing, magnanimously, to restrain himself in the punishment provided they understand that "the first priority of Congress when it returns in the new year must be to pass a good bill and get it to desk promptly" -- and Reid and his scared, hiding allies dutifully run to assure the The Washington Post that they will comply with their orders ("Reid decided to wait till mid-January. . . . Eventually, in a month or two, it's extremely likely the Senate will pass a FISA reauthorization with telecom immunity").

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2007/12/21/dodd_reid/print.html

[L. Coyote]

1. What a crock! Bush's plan is sunsetting. Bluster by Bush is weakness, at best, lies as usual too.

The enablers include those who do not call Mr. Bush on his lies, crimes, and idiotic posturing and misstatements.

This article falls to close to the genre of rumor and gossip becoming the news for my taste.

[bbgrunt]

2. It is way past time to call traitors by name regardless of party.