We need Democrats for this?

Before heading out for summer recess, the Democratically controlled Congress is on the cusp of handing Bush two big victories—and the American people two big defeats.

First, the Dems, who were swept into power on the promise of ending the Iraq War, appear ready to fork over another $163 billion to Bush so he can keep waging it and his hapless Afghanistan campaign.

Even people like Dave Obey and Nancy Pelosi, who say they oppose the Iraq War, have been busy greasing its wheels.

Oh, they loaded up the bill with laudable things, just like they did last time when they increased the minimum wage while continuing to fund the war. This time, they got the Republicans to agree to the new GI Bill and extended unemployment benefits.

But this is nothing more glorified than accepting a bribe for bloodletting.

And secondly, the Dems, under the pathetic leadership of Steny Hoyer, Pelosi, and Harry Reid, are caving on domestic spying and telecom immunity, as well.

With their support, it looks like the President will now be able to spy on U.S. citizens without a warrant and gobble up the international communications of innocent Americans here at home.

If you’re a citizen, beware.

But if you’re AT&T, you’ve got it made.

The new bill says no one can sue the phone companies for invasion of privacy so long as the Attorney General affirms that they were working on intelligence matters authorized by the President after 9/11.

You can bet Mukasey will be glad to affirm that.

Here’s the exact language, courtesy of Brian Beutler of the Media Consortium:

“Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a civil action may not lie or be maintained in a Federal or State court against any person for providing assistance to an element of the intelligence community, and shall be promptly dismissed, if the Attorney General certifies to the district court of

the United States in which such action is pending that...the assistance alleged to have been provided by the electronic communication service provider was in connection with an intelligence activity involving communications that was authorized by the President during the period beginning on September 11, 2001, and ending on January 17, 2007.”

As Russ Feingold says, this FISA deal “is not a compromise; it is a capitulation.”

And capitulation is the calling card of Steny Hoyer, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid.