This is no Way to Organize Chaos.

The Washington Post (Shailagh Murray) blogs:

Assuming the bill clears the intelligence panel, where debate continued this evening [passed 13-2 -- morte], the next stop is the Senate Judiciary Committee, where it could well run into problems. Assuming all goes smoothly, the legislation could hit the floor in mid-November, although senior Senate aides said late November or early December is a more likely time frame.

Whenever that big day comes, Dodd -- as the keeper of the "hold" -- must return from the campaign trail to officially block debate on the bill. That entails standing around on the Senate floor, forcing procedural votes, avoiding the furious glares of colleagues who don't share the same concerns. The standard duration of such showdowns is about a week -- time that Dodd, who is trailing badly in early primary polls, can scarcely afford.

No discussion of why Dodd is placing the hold and vowing a filibuster, just a discussion of how this will affect his campaign schedule. Is it any wonder why this shallow and cynical political discourse turns people off?

Cancer of the Republic.