Leahy's a Wimp

Today was the deadline for the White House to submit documents explaining the legal basis for the illegal wiretapping scandal. The original request date was 6/27. The original deadline date was 7/18. Then it was extended to 8/1, then extended again to 8/20. The White House requested another extension, to which Leahy responded, "The deadline is 2:30."

The White House did not produce any documents today. So, is Leahy going to stand up to them?

Nope. Now Leahy says that if he doesn't get the documents by September, he'll talk to the committee about it.

Way to go, Leahy! That's the kind of timidity and docility that we all know and love about our Democratic leadership.

And Leahy still talks about a "spirit of cooperation". What the hell is that?! Why would you be talking about a spirit of cooperation with someone who just told you to go to hell for the 4th time?!

Cripes it makes me sick. There isn't one single solitary thing I can think of since the Dems took control of Congress that they have actually stood up for. Not FISA/illegal wiretapping, not Patriot Act violations, not Iraq deadlines, not Gonzales, not the VP claiming he's not in the Executive Branch, not stem cell research, not transparency in government, not one single thing.

When push comes to shove, the Dems have backed down every time. I really hate that.

Update from Washington Post:

"The time is up. The time is up," Leahy announced yesterday. "We've waited long enough."

But what would Leahy do about it? The first questioner riddled Batman with this.

"The full Judiciary Committee will have to sit down and determine whether to seek contempt from the full Senate," said the noncommittal action hero.

Does that mean he would seek a contempt-of-Congress citation? "What I want to do is get the response to these things," Leahy demurred.

Rebecca Carr of Cox News tried again to pin him down, but Leahy continued to escape. "What we have to find out is what happened here," he answered.

How about withholding money from the administration? "Let's take it step by step," he proposed.

Holy incrementalism, Batman!