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Monday, August 6, 2007 12:00 AM

The strong and tough Democrats

The capitulation on FISA is as politically self-destructive as it is unconscionable on the merits.

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Monday, August 6, 2007 06:51 AM

Kitt

You're technically right that only a small number of Democrats, relatively, voted for the bill. That was also true for the Military Commissions Act.

But just as was true then - and it's even more true now that they are in the majority - this would not have happened without the full participation of the Democratic leadership. They control the bills, what gets voted on, how long Congress stays in session, all of it. Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi were ordered by the President to stay in Washington and so they did, keeping the sessions opened and allowing this bill to be enacted.

They could have obstructed, filibustered, done all sorts of things to prevent its enactment. They did nothing. Once they knew it would pass, enough of them voted against it to enable those who want to defend them to point to their little meek votes against it as though they are not to blame. Sorry, but they just are.

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