"Senator Ried threw a temper tantrum", or similar smears, will soon be the wingnut take on the Democrats holding their breath and stomping up and down to finally start investigating what really happened in the run up to the war and the White House's apparent complicity or wilful ignorance in disseminating faulty intelligence to bring this nation to a fervor.

Bottom line, Ried got his way.

Senate back in public session

Immediately after returning to public session, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Pat Roberts says Republicans have "agreed to do what we agreed to do."

That, of course was after the GOP leadership took to the microphones to whine about Ried's tactics.  "Stunt" or not, what is "shameful" is not that the Dems had to resort to this maneuver, but that the GOP has stonewalled real accountability and has ignored their obligation to honor the Separation of Powers Doctrine by providing cover for the cabal in this administration for far too long.

Whatever it takes, keep fighting, nice job.

UPDATE:  KOS Details the 23 official attempt the Dems have tried to get the promised Phase II going since March of 2003.  Atrios points to Americablog's account of Frist acting like a baby and Actually Liveblogs the Senate Shutdown here, here, here, here, and has some video here.

HOTLINE BLOG:  Back In Open Session

Did the Democrats' maneuver work?

Here's what Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN) just announced on the Senate floor.

"The Majority Leader and the Democratic Leader will appoint three members from their respective parties to meet and report back to the leadership no later that the close of business on 11/14."

They'll report back on the progress of the phase two review on pre-war intelligence. That portion of the review deals with how policy-makers used intelligence and what they said publicly and privately about it.

Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) defended the probe on the floor of the Senate, saying the phase two report is moving along towards completion. (For a great backgrounder, click here.)

A footnote: several Democratic aides tell us that Sen. Reid and Sen. Jay Rockefeller decided on today's tactic after reading Murray Waas's account on NationalJournal.com of how senior members of Vice President Cheney's staff, including Scooter Libby, may have intentionally withheld crucial documents from the Senate staff. [MARC AMBINDER]

BONUS UPDATE FROM AMERICABLOG

Yikes, even GOP suck-up Matt Drudge is now reporting on [Senator Trent] Lott questioning whether Karl needs to go.

Just before that he was standing up behind Frist and the gang, crying the blues.  I wonder what really was said in that closed Senate meeting to get Lott to find his inner angel; or did he just leap from a sinking ship?  But even questioning the tenure of King Karl's reighn is damn near high treason comming from a GOP leader.