FISA and Torture and Contempt, Oh My

Democrats=Backbone Dept.

FISA
Late word out of the House on Wednesday is Nancy Pelosi's statement that the Protect America Act will likely expire Friday night and it's all the recalcitrant Republicans' fault.
So despite the Senate's willingness — with the help of 12 Democrats — to approve a bill on Tuesday giving retroactive immunity to telecoms (and legal cover to the Bush administration) for earlier illegal wiretapping, the House defeated an effort to replace its much better and already approved bill with the Senate travesty.
But, again with the help of some Democrats, members also rejected an extension of the current terrible surveillance legislation approved in a hurry under a cloud of fear in August. So that expires on Friday.
There was such a flurry of activity that I'm positively breathless.
Bottom line: House Dems to Shrubya: FU
'Bout time, eh?
Unless they take it all back in the next two days.
TORTURE
The Senate approved a report that requires the CIA to abide by the same anti-torture regulations as the military. No more waterboarding, boyos, no matter if some Justice Dept. tells you it's okay.
CONTEMPT
A bill to direct the Speaker of the House to pursue a lawsuit against former White House officials Harriet Miers and Josh Bolten for hiding behind executive privilege and refusing to testify before Congress about its involvement in the firing of U.S. Attorneys who balked over pursuing specious voter fraud cases was dropped onto the House floor today.
Democrats have the majority, so it's expected to pass.
But what if a court disagrees? We'll see.

My take? This stuff has been cooking in the cloakrooms for a long time with lots of sturm and drang in the netroots over Dems footdragging. But to tell the truth, I suspect there's been a lot of strategy and tactics involved in all of it, some bad, some good. But now, it all looks pretty good.
P.S. There's another war funding bill brewing. Hmmm. Election year. 60 % hate the war. Well, I can dream, can't I?