Could This Be "The Sign"?
[via Raw Story] - "The Senate's Democratic leader Harry Reid (D-NV) unexpectedly pulled the Senate into secret session Tuesday afternoon in order to have closed discussion of Iraq intelligence, RAW STORY has learned.
The maneuver immediately shuttered the doors of the Senate and cleared the Senate press galleries. It has been invoked just 53 times in the history of the body. It was last used during the Clinton impeachment hearings."
Agitprop speculated last week that Cheney's and Libby's withholding of documents from a Senate panel investigating the Iraq intel screwups could become a big deal. Are a few chickens (sans bird flu, please) coming home to roost? More at Pandagon. Pam has more too. Reid's entire statement is here.
"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 the doors were closed. Repugs derided the move as "a political stunt."
Loyal reader Enigma alerted us to Ted Kennedy's post on the Libby indicment.
Wow! Maybe the Dems will get some backbone for a change and call them to account for this endless war based on lies.
Posted by: larkohio | November 01, 2005 at 12:15 PM
Well it is about time!!! I certainly hope that the Democrats are unified that means EVERYONE OF THE DEMOCRATS. They have had 3 years to work towards this day. I certainly hope that they are prepared.
Too much has happened that has hurt America and if the Democrats are not prepared...they have blown the one most important move.
I am sure it is no surprise to the DEMS that Harry Reid called this closed session, so it shall be VERY interesting to see who neglected to show up today.
And especially at time where the courts decided that a judge must be removed in the Delay case.
Posted by: Night Bird | November 01, 2005 at 12:36 PM
Funny how the Rethugs call this a "political stunt", yet apparently believe that doing the exact same thing to impeach a sitting president for getting a tawdry blowjob is somehow not a "stunt." Hypocritical bastards.
Posted by: D. | November 01, 2005 at 12:38 PM
Yeehah! Let the games begin. It's so good to see some Democratic backbone.
Posted by: Kathy | November 01, 2005 at 12:51 PM
I hope this explodes, big time...
Posted by: agi t. prop | November 01, 2005 at 01:05 PM
I hope this explodes, big time...
Agi - the Defeatist in you seems to be in hiding. I like it!
Posted by: blogenfreude | November 01, 2005 at 01:15 PM
I watched the preliminaries on c-span, quite an interesting spectacle, untill however I had the displeasure of Frist, Lott
and Santorum. What an odious repugnant bunch, rather makes me glad I'm a European.
Surely this house of cards has to come tumbling down. I'm wondering, along with three hundred million no doubt, when Mr. Fitzgerald is going to make his next move.
Posted by: oscar wilde | November 01, 2005 at 01:20 PM
Oscar, you should hear Roberts...I hear "this is a tough job" and he states that he asked Rockefeller to move on Phase II.
ROBERTS is one lying SOB!
Posted by: Night Bird | November 01, 2005 at 01:52 PM
Demo backbone? Where did the discover that. But it doesn't matter where it came from it's bloody welcome and about time. Now let's just hope a few more take heart and realize this is exactly what they should have been doing for the past five years.
Posted by: GRUMPY OLD MAN | November 01, 2005 at 02:08 PM
Rockefeller now on the floor kicking ass..this is in now way over...Bring It On....call your senators and give them your support....
Posted by: enigma | November 01, 2005 at 02:10 PM
Demo backbone? Where did the discover that. But it doesn't matter where it came from it's bloody welcome and about time.
Grumps - exactly. It's about time they grew a set. I'd even forgive Reid for his Harriet Miers fawning.
Posted by: blogenfreude | November 01, 2005 at 02:22 PM
Blogenfreude, I shall peruse the opera thing later.
This talk of "stunts" perhaps someone should checck if Rosa Parks is still in her box, it would suprise me not if she has risen to haunt Frist and Alito after the despicable little stunt they pulled.
Shameless!
Posted by: oscar wilde | November 01, 2005 at 02:45 PM
Pray tell why my name shows below the line
Posted by: oscar wilde | November 01, 2005 at 02:47 PM
problem seems solved, couriser and couriser.
Posted by: oscar wilde | November 01, 2005 at 02:48 PM
That sure WAS a stunt! The nerve: Using Rosa Parks' death as a means to prove they don't hate black people or civil rights. BAHHH!
Grotesque. Maybe Rosa's ghost is indeed behind it. Yay, ROSA!!!
Spot on, Oscar Wilde!
I really hope the dems use this opportunity to do something great for us. We fucking deserve it.
How much do you want to bet Hillary ain't in on it? She's still not against the war, last I heard... just sayin...
Posted by: HelenWheels | November 01, 2005 at 02:53 PM
How much do you want to bet Hillary ain't in on it? She's still not against the war, last I heard... just sayin...
She's like the damn Sphinx ... reluctant to take a position on anything that might get her attacked [even more]. She's been a pretty good Senator, but she needs to take the war seriously. Even Bill has counseled other politicians to challenge the Repugs.
Posted by: blogenfreude | November 01, 2005 at 03:00 PM
I was able to watch the "fireworks" on CSPan, while there were real fireworks going off all around here. Extremely loud booms, to celebrate Guy Fawkes day.
Speaking of burning someone in effigy...
Posted by: KathyF | November 01, 2005 at 03:16 PM
If the dems rent a set of nads I will be surprized. I just dont see them uniting against the war. Bush and his cabal are hoping the dems waste their time bitching about scalito..the dems need to stay on task and raise hell about our immoral and illegal war.
Posted by: Dusty | November 01, 2005 at 03:30 PM
Good! Great! Greatest! Let's hope there's a real spark here. I think this is about as wonderful a gift the Democrats could possibly be handed in the mid-terms. Just an unthinkable shame that it's cost us hundreds of billions and thousands of lives.
Posted by: Brian | November 01, 2005 at 03:32 PM
A question please, is the investigative committee truly bipartisan, or will the repubs load it?
Posted by: oscar wilde | November 01, 2005 at 03:36 PM
It's about time!!!!
Posted by: phinky | November 01, 2005 at 03:43 PM
A question please, is the investigative committee truly bipartisan, or will the repubs load it?
Sen. Roberts promised this would be the focus of the Senate next week. As far as I know (and this is based on my limited knowledge of Senate rules), any committee investigating this would be loaded by one more Republican vote. So it would probably be a non-starter.
Posted by: blogenfreude | November 01, 2005 at 04:28 PM
I'm not going to get my hopes up, but I DO love the way that this was handled. All the Thugs could do is cry about it being a "political stunt."
"Well it ain't like he's gettin' a blowjob, ya'll."
This also puts these fucks on notice: It only goes downhill from here for them. W can forget about his plans for his "legacy" to be anything but one big bucket of dog vomit.
Posted by: Sonic Nurse | November 01, 2005 at 05:27 PM
So the last time rule 21 was invoked was during Clinton- because of something that went on under the desk...and the repugs called it...and yes , it was about a blow job- but no one got blown up for it or by it and yes, there was a lie involved- but men lie about women- that is not criminal, that is human nature and Bill's lie didn't KILL anyone ...( well, it might have killed his marriage...),This is about lies that kill and the time for someone to tell the truth..NOW. ( Question for the day- isn't VP president of the senate- so should he have been called to the chambers ? jus'asking?)
Posted by: enigma | November 01, 2005 at 08:34 PM