Unwicked

Glenn Greenwald takes the Dems to the woodshed and gives them a good solid beating, and damn it, they deserve it.

And now Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, with revealing symbolism, cancel their scheduled appearances this morning at Yearly Kos because George Bush ordered them to remain in Washington in order to re-write and expand FISA — a law which he has repeatedly refused to allow to be revised for years and which he has openly and proudly violated.

He highlights one of the most maddening faults with modern-day legislators; most never read the bills they vote on:

The intense rush to amend this legislation means that most of them have no idea what they are actually enacting — even less of an idea than they typically have. But what they know is that George Bush and Fox News and the Beltway establishment have told them that they would be irresponsible and weak and unserious if they failed to comply with George Bush’s instructions, and hence, they comply. In the American political landscape, there have been profound changes in public opinion since September of 2001. But in the Beltway, among our political and media establishment, virtually nothing has changed.

I recall very clearly the promises made by the new Democratic majority after the 2006 elections. For a brief time in our recent history (dating back to 1968), it looked like there might be a serious show of force by the party I have affiliated with since I understood the concept of party politics. Despite the many objections by those on the Left who point to obstructionism by the Right (filibusters, for example), this does not explain why the Dems are such weaklings when they come face-to-face with Bush.

What in Hell are they afraid of? I do not understand.