The Spoiler
Dec 21st, 2007 at 10:55 am by Susie
Glenn Greenwald on Harry Reid, his plans for the FISA bill and his subsequent attempts to question Chris Dodd’s motives on the filibuster:
Notice, too, who is smearing Dodd’s motives here. It isn’t Dick Cheney or Mitch McConnell. Instead, it’s Harry Reid and anonymous, cowardly Democrats whispering in Paul Kane’s ear about Dodd’s manipulative “grandstanding” and proclaiming that Dodd will ultimately fail, dismissing the notion that he achieved anything other than delaying their well-laid plan to ensure that the President has everything he wants.
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.




Snowballs, shit,…all kinds of things roll downhill.
I’m hoping Dodd is the thing at the top of the hill, rolling things.