More on the Closed Door Session

Here's a couple of other reasons why Reid's move today was genius.

• One of the most effective Republican attacks on the Senate Democrats is that they are, through use of the filibuster, obstructionists.  Today, Reid called for the closed door session because, he said, he was tired of the stonewalling on the investigation into the war.  Now, it is up to the Republicans to prove that they aren't hiding anything.  If we suddenly see some movement on the investigation into the war, the Reid can say, "We aren't obstructionists, we are merely trying to get done what the Republicans refuse to do. And look, it worked!"  If the Republicans continue to stonewall, then Senate Democrats have an effective argument that it is, in fact, the Republicans who are obstructing (and there is a certain indictment out there to back that claim up).  Either way, the Democrats win.
• This changes the subject from Alito to the Libby indictment AND it connects the Libby indictment to the broader narrative about the war.

For the first time in five years we see the Democratic party fighting back.  They aren't simply defending themselves against accusations, but they are on the offensive.  What's more, they are attacking the Republicans on the very issues that the Republicans have attacked them.

UPDATE: Another added benefit is it takes the whole "Bush had his worst week ever, but this week presents a new opportunity to move forward" and blows it all to hell.  Seriously, this is the political move with ramifications which appear endless.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Mark Schmitt has a great piece up on this over at TPM Cafe.

I have a theory about Congress, which is that there is often a moment when the effective majority switches, when the minority takes control of the agenda well before an election. It happened in 1994 when Gingrich forced the Crime Bill back to conference. It happened in 1996 when Kennedy forced the Senate to take up the minimum wage increase. After those events, the majority never quite had control of the agenda again.

I think the same thing just happened today when Harry Reid took the Senate into closed session to force a discussion of the delayed Intelligence Committee report on misuse of intelligence.