In the game of Patriot-Act Chicken, GOP blinks

December 22, 2005

The Senate debate over the Patriot Act was a classic game of “chicken.” After Dems blocked the bill from moving forward until concerns over civil liberties and federal authority were addressed, they offered to extend the law — as is — for another three months so it wouldn’t expire completely on Dec. 31. Bush and the GOP balked. Dems said accept the extension of the Patriot Act will be wiped from the books; Republicans said accept the bill as it is, right now, or the Patriot Act will be wiped from the books.

Yesterday, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) brokered a compromise that will essentially give the Dems what they’ve wanted all along — more time to debate the merits of the legislation.

A much-debated domestic surveillance law won a reprieve last night when senators agreed to continue it for six months to allow House and Senate negotiators to resume efforts next year to rewrite it for the longer term.

Some top Democratic and Republican senators said they were confident the House would agree to the compromise to prevent major provisions of the USA Patriot Act from expiring on Dec. 31. The Senate approved the extension on a voice vote.

The Dems had the upper hand in this one. In addition to their own Senate caucus, Dems picked up support for delaying the bill from eight GOP senators, giving Patriot Act skeptics a majority in the Senate. Left with little choice, Bill Frist and the White House accepted the deal Specter crafted.

The biggest loser of the deal is the president. As recently as 2:30pm (eastern) yesterday, the White House said Bush would veto an extension of the Patriot Act. For the administration, it was an all-or-nothing deal. As Scott McClellan put it, “It’s time to act now and get this done.”

A few hours later, after the Senate decided it wouldn’t act now and would get this done sometime next spring, the White House issued a statement embracing the six-month extension and praising the Senate for “working to keep the existing Patriot Act in law through next July.”

Looks like Bush was against an extension before he was for it.

I heard Dr. Bill “Blind Trust” Frist whining about having his butt handed to him yesterday. He accused Dems of throwing more “stumbling blocks” and making his job harder. This guy has been spending too much time with Bush. Governing is hard work! I for one, am not sure how voting down a bill is a stumbling block. Seems to me that if a majority of teh Senate is against the bill as it is written and votes it down that is a Democracy. Perhaps Frist would like to do away with the whole voting non-sense and just make the laws himself.

On the contrary I saw Se. Kent Conrad’s press conference and he was very good. He said the problem is not the Senate but the HOuse and the fact that they play fast and loose with the rules. He said they could do one of three things 1) come back and pass the Senate version 2) come back and start all over again or 3) do nothing. Sounds about right. I’m sure Denny Hastert will be upset that he has to interrupt his Christmas vacation but after all this is hard work. If he and Frist don’t like it they can quit, move to K street and work the 15 hour week they have always dreamed of.

Looks like Dems are getting the hang of being the minority party. Too bad that will all change right after they figured it out!

  • Too bad that will all change right after they figured it out!

    From your keyboard to the election gods’ ears, MNP….

  • I finally think the democrats are learning to be the party in opposition to the majority. Well done Pelosi et al. Force the bastards to support the preznit and force them to do it on the record. The more Bush fucks up the worse they all look.

  • I’m sure Denny Hastert will be upset that he has to interrupt his Christmas vacation but after all this is hard work.

    It is unlikely that they will come back early to consider this bill. They have already pushed back the start of the next session in order to avoid a leadership fight over DeLay job. Putting policy over politics is not something these guys are known for.

  • Perhaps Frist would like to do away with the whole voting non-sense and just make the laws himself.

    But he can’t do that. That’s the President’s perogative during wartime. Just ask Mr. Yoo.

  • I am getting the sneaky feeling that are Dems are actually getting up on the right side of the bed. Or are the Repugs this incompetent? Thank God Delay is sidelined, that’s all I have to say.

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