Arlen's Gambit

Arlen's got teeth!

Not.

Mr. Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican who has sharply questioned the propriety of the program since it was disclosed several months ago, said the White House had agreed to a bill that provides for the highly secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to “consider the program as a whole and to make a decision on it.”

The senator said the White House agreed to the review after weeks of arduous negotiations that concluded late Wednesday. “And the upshot of it is that there is a bill,” Mr. Specter said, emphasizing that President Bush had reserved the right to approve any changes.

This is the modern version of "or I shall taunt you a second time!". Really, now.

Arlen's committee is going to get to review the program...and Bush will still get the last say on anything they recommend. So basically, it's a waste of everyone's time. Bush won't bow to pressure. He has to be forced to do anything he doesn't want to do - kind of like a cat.

I'd feel bad about forcing my cat to do anything. Bush, not so much.