Several times over the past two years I've taken to this blog to defend Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. But no longer.
Speaking on the floor of the Senate today, Sen. Reid offered this explanation for why he has decided to fast track the constitution-gutting FISA reforms so desparately wanted by this administration:
We have to finish FISA this week. Everyone should be aware of that point. We have to finish it this week. I know there are important trips people want to take. We have the very important economic conference in Davos that Democrats and Republicans alike would like to go to....Now, it is possible we could finish it fairly quickly. We are going to work from the Intelligence bill, and if amendments are offered that people don't like, I would suggest they move to table those amendments. Because if people think they are going to talk this to death, we are going to be in here all night. This is not something we are going to have a silent filibuster on. If someone wants to filibuster this bill, they are going to do it in the openness of the Senate.
You see, they have an economic conference to go to, and that really is so much more important than defending the Bill of Rights. Why, oh why, can't everyone see just how important it is to quick protect and preserve telecomm companies from the consequences of their own illegal actions?
And yes, kudos to Sen. Reid for finally drawing the line on "silent filibusters." The 40+ times Republicans previously employed this tactic were of course perfectly fine, but now that it is a fellow Democrat who is planning to use the tactic, well... that's just too much for this country to bear.
If you can't support your own party members as they step up to defend the Constitution of the United States you are worse than useless.
UPDATE: It looks like all of us in the blogosphere may have gotten this one wrong. Either that, or overnight Sen. Reid changed his position. Either way, within a few hours we'll know what's what.
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