Dum Pendebat Filius

It sounds almost too good to be true — the Democrats are acting like a real minority party. They used Senate rules to their advantage and forced a closed session of the US Senate today, demanding that the GOP majority show progress on the (purportedly ongoing) investigation into pre-war intelligence. Senators agreed that a progress report would be forthcoming (a group of senators will give a report on 14 November).

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D - NV) used stern language:

In a floor speech, Reid declared that “a cloud hangs over this Republican-controlled Congress for its unwillingness to hold the administration accountable” on a variety of issues.

He was particularly incensed about what he said was the refusal of the Senate Intelligence Committee under Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) to follow up on an investigation of the intelligence that led to the war in Iraq. A report was issued in July last year, but a “phase two” inquiry into how the Bush administration used that intelligence has not been held. Reid accused Roberts of breaking a promise to conduct that investigation in an effort to “provide political cover for this administration,” which he said had “consistently and repeatedly manipulated the facts” in making its case to invade Iraq in 2003.

“I demand on behalf of the American people that we understand why these investigations are not being conducted,” Reid said. He then demanded the closed session.

Majority Leader Bill Frist (R - TN) never heard the like:

Frist angrily denounced the move, charging that “the United States Senate has been hijacked by the Democratic leadership.” He told reporters that he has never as majority leader “been slapped in the face with such an affront to the leadership of this grand institution.”

Frist called the closed session “a pure stunt” by Reid, Durbin and the Democratic leadership.

“This is an affront to me personally,” he said. “It’s an affront to our leadership. It’s an affront to the United States of America. And it is wrong.”

Frist sharply criticized Reid personally, saying he could never trust the Democratic leader again.

Sounds like Bill Frist’s Christmas-card list just got a little shorter. I wonder if, after delivering himself of such high dudgeon, he collapsed into his leather swivel chair while aides and Senate pages fanned him with steno pads, fumbling with his necktie in an effort to loosen his collar, frantically calling the while for a glass of icewater.

Seriously, what’s up with Phase Two of the investigation? It’s about time we heard something about it. Is a progress report too much to ask?

It’s about goddamn time the Democrats tried to hold the GOP accountable for something. For that matter, it’s high time they demonstrated to the American public that they simply give a damn about something. The American people want to know how we got into this shameful mess in Iraq. They want some answers, and the GOP leadership isn’t going to offer any unless their feet are held to the fire. Today, the Dems did the right thing for a change. Let’s see more of this.