Netroots power!!!

Greenwald:

I wrote about many of yesterday’s developments concerning telecom amnesty and warrantless surveillance in this morning’s post, but I want separately to highlight one critical fact. Citing various media reports, Jane Hamsher last night noted that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid — in violation of all Senate customs and rules — apparently intends, in essence, simply to ignore the “hold” placed on the FISA bill by Chris Dodd and bring the bill to the floor for a vote (and certain passage).

I was somewhat skeptical of that interpretation. The one “principle” which all Senators share is the sacred holiness of their customs and institutional prerogatives. As Jane notes, Reid has never dishonored a “hold” before from his own caucus, and virtually never dishonors “holds” even when placed by the most far-right Republicans Senators. It seemed inconceivable that he would simply refuse to recognize a “hold” by one of the Senate’s most senior members on a bill of this importance, and the media accounts seemed vague on that score.

As a result, I emailed Reid’s office to ask if they actually intended to override and ignore Dodd’s “hold” and this is the patronizing (though crystal clear) dismissal I received back as a “response” from Reid’s spokesman, Jim Manley:

Reid will work with Dodd and other Senators to correct the deep flaws in the Protect America Act.

Clearly, Reid has nothing but contempt for Dodd’s principled stand, which was generated by (and in response to) the actions of tens of thousands of Americans concerned about our constitutional liberties and the rule of law. Reid is dismissively brushing that all to the side — as usual — to ensure the safe and smooth passage of a Draconian bill jointly demanded by the Bush administration, the telecom industry, and their lobbyists.

Well, Greenwald wrote a book about this, so it’s incumbent upon Harry Reid to do what Greenwald wants done, right?

The thing is, this is yet another example of the disconnect between the netroots and elected Democrats. Elected Democrats are interested, above and beyond anything else, in remaining elected Democrats, which means they have to adopt positions and support policies that their constituents agree with. Given Reid’s dismal approval numbers back home, what do you think is driving this decision of his, if he’s actually considering it?

That’s right. Reid was entirely willing to trot out the netroots rhetoric last year, when the effort in Iraq was foundering and he, along with Chuck Schumer and Rahm Emanuel discerned that it would play well with the public. Now that things are improving in Iraq (and Afghanistan), Democrats are suddenly terrified, once again, of being labeled “weak on terror”. I suppose it never occurs to them that their repeated concerns in this regard (reflected by their actions in office) might bear closer scrutiny…a sincere effort on their part to support anti-terror operations while at the same time providing responsible and overtly non-partisan oversight might serve them better in next year’s elections than their current (and longstanding) efforts have done.

Reid and Pelosi may be coming to the same conclusion, which will inevitably result in an explosion of netroots vitriol.

Update: Yeah, vitriol. With bonus bafflement and defiance! Throw in a pinch of WTF, and the recipe is complete.