Bill Frist threatens to re-structure the Intelligence Committee in order to block NSA hearings

With enough votes to force hearings to investigate Bush's warrantless spying program, Majority Leader Bill Frist has threatened the Senate Intelligence Committee, and warned it not to hold hearings, promising to re-structure the committee and ensure that hearings are not held.

From Glenn Greenwald:

The Senate Intelligence Committee was created in 1976 and, from the beginning, it has been unique in its structure and operation. Due to the urgency of ensuring that our country has nonpartisan and non-politicized oversight over the Government’s intelligence activities, the Intelligence Committee is structured so that -- unlike every other Senate Committee -- the majority is unable to dominate the Committee’s operation and agenda, and the minority has much greater powers than it does on any other Senate Committee.

Yet again, Republicans are threatening to radically change long-standing rules for how our government operates all because they cannot manipulate the result they want. From redistricting games to changing the filibuster rules, when Republicans are incapable (even with their majorities) of manipulating the political result they want, they use their majority status to change how our government works in order to ensure the desired political outcome.

Read the rest here