There was a really interesting item in Roll Call today about congressional Democrats, fed up with the Republicans’ unwillingness to look into White House scandals, talking openly about taking matters into their own hands.
Frustrated by a lack of cooperation from the White House concerning pre-Iraq war intelligence data, Democratic Senators are considering forcing the chamber into a closed-door executive session that would allow for an unfettered debate on how Congress should proceed with an investigation into intelligence lapses.
Closing the Senate for a rare Members-only session would be viewed as a bold move by Democrats during a presidential election year in which national security ranks alongside the state of the economy as the top two issues of concern for voters.
“I think it should happen,” said Senate Minority Whip Harry Reid (D-Nev.). “My feeling is I think it would be very good to have a closed meeting on the intelligence operation of this country. It would be good for the body.”
I think this is exactly how the Dems should play this game. I think the Dems are learning how to be the angry minority party the GOP was in the early ’90s. The Bush administration launched a war predicated on mistakes, or worse, intentional deception. Ordinarily, Congress would have some concerns about this historic breakdown and hold hearings to see how best to prevent it from happening again.
But, of course, these are no ordinary times and the Republican majority has effectively ceded its role as a check on the White House by becoming “yes men” (and women) for the president. The Dems are saying, “Fine. If the majority won’t take the legislature’s responsibilities seriously, the minority will do it for them.”
The GOP is accusing the Dems of playing politics, but a closed-door executive session is actually the opposite. It’s a method whereby lawmakers can delve into this issue in a serious and deliberate fashion — you know, the way Congress is supposed to act.
Note to Dems: Keep this up.