The Dem Leadership and the Definition of Insanity

You know the old saying

the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result

The Dem leadership has faced off with the President on multiple occasions in a political game of chicken and every single time the ones that have blinked have been them. Back in May of last year, the lost a stare down contest over timetables for withdrawal. They ultimately blinked and passed an Iraq War spending bill that had no timetable for withdrawal. (they subsequently tried and failed to pass a timetable so many times that I lost track of exactly how many times they tried and failed) In November, the Dems blinked on SCHIP and again passed the SCHIP plan that was favored by the Reps and the President. This was after a long battle and even after they used a child to address SCHIP during one of their responses to the President's weekly radio address. Why just this past August, the Dems again blinked and passed an extension on warrantless wiretapping for six months.

So, here we are again. We are now six months later and the Dems are in another game of political chicken with the President. This time it is over another extension of warrantless wiretapping. The Dem leadership passed another version of warrantless wiretapping WITHOUT a retroactive immunity for the phone companies.

The House on Friday approved a Democratic bill that would set rules for the government's eavesdropping on phone calls and e-mails inside the United States.

The bill, approved as lawmakers departed for a two-week break, faces a veto threat from President Bush. The margin of House approval was 213-197, largely along party lines.Because of the promised veto, "this vote has no impact at all," said Republican Whip Rep. Roy Blunt of Missouri.

The president's main objection is that the bill does not protect from lawsuits the telecommunications companies that allowed the government to eavesdrop on their customers without a court's permission after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

This is the second time the Dem's have passed a version of legislation over warrantless wiretapping in the last month. The last one was nearly identical to this one and that one was vetoed and that veto wasn't overridden. This current battle is much like their previous battles over other issues, and even like their previous battle in August. Every single time the Dems have faced off with the President in a political game of chicken it is the Dems that blink. The Dems face the extra problem of being on the wrong side of the public. (on this issue that is. Despite having public backing for timetables and for SCHIP they still blinked) Their base is not impressed with a good fight that they then lose. The public is not impressed with stalling tactics that wind up getting us to the same place only months later. I have seen this movie before and I know how it ends, and I am frankly tired of the Democrats constantly doing a sequel even though we all know how it will end.