Harry Reid’s performance on Fox News Sunday is a classic example of the death throws of the Democrat Party in the US. He had to deal with three subjects and he looked so bad on all three I almost (emphasis on almost) felt sorry for him. He had to follow Condi Rice and the comparison in positions and style were stunning.

Surveillance of Terrorists: The left and near left (since George Will was opining on the side of three democrats on ABC’s Sunday morning show) have decided that while they hate the terrorists, there is still a constitution in the US. This was Reid’s idiotic talking points he was trying to defend. He claimed he hated the evil terrorists, but domestic spying is not to be tolerated.

This is a very strange concept if you think about it and recall how the Able Danger purge in early 2000 possibly led to the loss of tracking on Atta and company when they were making their final plans in Malaysia and heading to the US. What Reid and the left is saying is if known or high probability Al Qaeda terrorist is contacting someone in the US we must ignore the US contact to protect our constitution, even if it leads to another 9-11.

Well, let me speak for myself on this. If a terrorist is contacting me and is possibly getting information or insight to make another attack without me knowing what is happening, the feds have permission to do what it takes to catch the terrorists, including reviewing my communications with them. If I was a hotel operator and I was getting a reservation from a terrorist, and answering questions on local events and sites believing I am assisting a tourist, then I would also allow the feds to review the conversations if they knew this person was tied to Al Qaeda. One reason is I have nothing to hide. The second is I don’t want another 9-11. So if my sacrifice to the war effort is the possibility I might be surveyed when a terrorist makes contact with me, I am can deal with that.

Back to Reid. All this logic went over his head. What he was saying is this was the President’s program and there was no passing the buck simply because Senators had been briefed. As far as I can see the President is not passing the buck anywhere and is doggedly standing by these life savings actions.

Chris Wallace asked Reid multiple times whether he had been briefed, and Reid’s dodges looked criminal as he kept repeating Bob Graham’s wild charges and talking about buck passing. The 3rd time he was challenged he had to admit he had been briefed at least once. It was a tragic effort on his part. He was seen as hiding his own responsibility while saying the war on terror could never extend to AQ agents and contacts here in the US.

How dumb are these national democrats? When did we agree to stop defending the homeland? When did it become the liberal policy to defend Al Qaeda agents once they reach our shores and now are in our midst – within reach of their bloody plans? What kind of risk does it take? If the FISA process cannot deal with all these situations in a timely manner, maybe Reid and his cohorts should find a process to codify Bush’s process.

Bill Clinton proposed monitoring all the internet traffic in the US in his second term, and that did not raise serious objections from his party. But now Bush’s program for monitoring communications between probable terrorists outside this country with people here in the US is now some kind of constitutional emergency? Gimme a break.

The Patriot Act was next and Reid tool pride in dismantling it. He wanted to know why it could not be extended for 3 months while the democrats try and make their case? The obvious response is why did they not make their case before now? It will pass if sent to the floor. The democrats want another mulligan on national security. This is insane. After years and years of Chicken Little screaming from the left we have seen no evidence of any misuses of its provisions. Provisions that have been long established when dealing with organized crime and drug dealers! But we have seen the effects of the Patriot Act on our safety.

Again, what do the Democrats think they are winning here? We can point to a host of foiled attacks and say these could have easily succeeded without a Patriot Act in place. The left screams due process, which is important. But it was foolish and useless due process which allowed the first 9-11 to slip through. And the left cannot wait to return to those times without a single, cogent reason as to why we need to.

Reid’s final flub came on Iraq. His comment was so bad it was embarrassing. When asked if the recent vote was not a clear indication of success, Reid said the last election was thought to be a success and 700 American soldiers had died since that election. It was terrible. Not only because a lot more than 700 Americans have died since the last election – just look at the annual deaths from the flu.

I must get on with the Holiday activities, so I will leave it to Mark Steyn to point out why the democrats are looking bad on Iraq as well.

The Democratic Party have contrived to get themselves into a situation where bad news from Iraq is good for them and good news from Iraq is bad for them. And as there’s a lot more good news than bad these days, that puts them, politically, in a tough spot — even with a fawning media that, faced with Kerry and Murtha talking what in any objective sense is drivel, decline to call for the men with white coats but instead nod solemnly and wonder whether Bush is living “in a bubble.”

History was made and the march to peace has taken huge steps forward in a region that has not experienced democracy. And this is now bad for democrats!

More on the end of the left can be found with Dr Sanity, Michelle Malkin, Alexander McClure at Polipundit and Stop The ACLU.

UPDATE:

Adding this link to the lead story from Memeorandum.