Concerning the FISA bill:
The Senate yesterday left the fate of a new electronic surveillance law backed by the Bush administration up in the air, as a Republican-led effort to cut off a Democrat-led debate and proceed to a vote on the bill failed, mostly along party lines.
And why is this good news? Because Bush insists that the law include retroactive immunity from prosecution for the telecommunications companies which participated with the administration in warrantless wiretaps. The Republicans then tried to cut the debate on the law short but the Democrats would have none of that.
As Harry Reid said:
Let's not forget: the question of retroactive immunity wouldn't even be before us if President Bush hadn't ignored Congress and established his own process outside the law.
Isn't it interesting how something procedural like this can also be exciting and important? Well, at least for us politics geeks. (When did I become one?)