Harry Reid just shut down the Senate and went nuts. It's awesome.

Nuts in the automatic weapon sense, or nuts in the yelling sense, or nuts in the "I am going to beat you with rules until you cry" sense?

Personally, I like the last choice best, but it is also the slowest way to go nuts in the world.

Linky to details/dramatic retellings involving peeps?

Democrats force Senate into unusual closed session:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Democrats forced the Republican-controlled Senate into an unusual closed session Tuesday, questioning intelligence that led to the Iraq war and deriding a lack of congressional inquiry.

"I demand on behalf of the America people that we understand why these investigations aren't being conducted," Democratic leader Harry Reid said.

Taken by surprise, Republicans derided the move as a political stunt.

"The United States Senate has been hijacked by the Democratic leadership," said Majority Leader Bill Frist. "They have no convictions, they have no principles, they have no ideas," the Republican leader said.

Reid demanded the Senate go into closed session. The public was ordered out of the chamber, the lights were dimmed, and the doors were closed. No vote is required in such circumstances.

nuts in the "I am going to beat you with rules until you cry" sense?

Pretty much.

It's long, so Ima linky

The beginning:

Statement by Senator Reid
Troops and Security First

This past weekend, we witnessed the indictment of the I. Lewis Libby, the Vice President’s Chief of Staff and a senior Advisor to President Bush. Libby is the first sitting White House staffer to be indicted in 135 years. This indictment raises very serious charges. It asserts this Administration engaged in actions that both harmed our national security and are morally repugnant.

The decision to place U.S. soldiers in harm’s way is the most significant responsibility the Constitution invests in the Congress. The Libby indictment provides a window into what this is really about: how the Administration manufactured and manipulated intelligence in order to sell the war in Iraq and attempted to destroy those who dared to challenge its actions.

As a result of its improper conduct, a cloud now hangs over this Administration. This cloud is further darkened by the Administration’s mistakes in prisoner abuse scandal, Hurricane Katrina, and the cronyism and corruption in numerous agencies.

And, unfortunately, it must be said that a cloud also hangs over this Republican-controlled Congress for its unwillingness to hold this Republican Administration accountable for its misdeeds on all of these issues.

daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn

Nuts in the Can-no-longer-contain-Outrage way. I think he's accusing the administration of lying about WMDs to send us into war, and of deliberately outing Valerie Plame as retribution for her husband's vocal dissent.

He called for a closed-door session of the Senate, which apparently anyone who has the floor can do, and it requires no voting. Closed-door means no public allowed in, the doors are literally closed, and - they dim the lights. The last two times they did this, it was about impeachment and chemical weapons.

this part made me giggle:

Reid demanded the Senate go into closed session. The public was ordered out of the chamber, the lights were dimmed, and the doors were closed. No vote is required in such circumstances.

It is what the lunch ladies would do when the caffeteria got too rowdy.

Closed-door means no public allowed in, the doors are literally closed, and - they dim the lights.

Sounds like nap-time to me....

Seriously, what is the dimming of the lights about? Is it the outside lights or the inside lights? Is it to promote the feeling of secrecy?

Seriously, what is the dimming of the lights about? Is it the outside lights or the inside lights? Is it to promote the feeling of secrecy?

well, you can't have a Star Chamber if you can't see the stars, right?

It's the soft romantic music they pipe in, that I find a little weird.