Josh, you may think Pelosi and the Dems are finally growing some cojones on FISA, but their message shop apparently still hasn't figured out how to get a halfway decent spin in the papers. Here's how the Washington Post is headlining what happened today on the House floor:
BUSH, GOP REBUKE HOUSE DEMOCRATS ON SURVEILLANCE BILL
Seriously, though, why the hell is this the Post's headline? Here's what happened: House Democrats refused to sign the Senate's version of the FISA bill, which excused the telecom companies for their past surveillance sins, rebuking the Republicans and the Senate. Even more ballsy, the 35-strong liberal bloc in the House knocked down a temporary extension, meaning FISA will probably expire on Friday night. Then the Republicans threw a temper tantrum and walked off the House floor; Bush put out an angry statement -- and the tantrum made the headline.
But it's what the Democrats did that was the news! Every time Congressional Democrats do something Bush remotely doesn't like, he puts out an angry statement. It's like writing a story about the Capitol burning down and headlining it, "Many Cameramen Gather at Capitol."
All winter Pelosi et al have been sneered for caving to Republicans; now they're sneered at for getting rebuked by Republicans when they don't cave. If I were Pelosi I'd feel like I couldn't win.
Update: There's even video of the House Republicans' walkout on the Post homepage! They do know how to make a scene.
--Eve Fairbanks