Deadline Extension

Remember last week when Harry Reid shut down the Senate for a closed-door, double-secret session, ostensibly to rip the Republicans a new one for not completing the "Phase II" portion of the investigation into pre-war intelligence failures (i.e., the political component; a.k.a., the fixing of intelligence to fit the "facts" the administration wanted folks to hear). Well, it seems some negotiations have been going in in the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence led by Senator Pat Roberts; via the WaPo:

The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence yesterday worked out a tentative arrangement for pursuing its inquiry into how the Bush administration publicly portrayed the intelligence on Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, with Democrats saying they expected some officials to be called to testify before the review is completed.

"There is a new resolution of the way we are going," Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said yesterday after the committee met in closed session for 90 minutes. Feinstein is one of six committee members charged with resolving differences over how to proceed with the "phase two" inquiry.
[...]
The most contentious part of the second phase -- comparing public officials' prewar statements to the intelligence available at the time -- has for now been turned over to the committee staff for additional work. The staff has been directed to collect major statements about Iraq's weapons programs by administration officials and members of Congress, as well as any relevant intelligence circulating at the time, whether it supported or undercut the statements, officials said.
[...]
The committee is not scheduled to meet again until next week. After that, sessions will be held as needed, with members and staff not expecting to be finished until next year.

But Laura Rozen over at War and Piece points out:

Forgive me if my recollection is incorrect, but wasn't Senate Intelligence committee chair Pat Roberts saying after Reid shut the Senate down last week to demand a status report on Phase II that the move was a "political stunt" since everybody knew that the report would be ready as soon as this week?

Well, yes. That is what he said; via CNN:

Appearing on CNN's "American Morning," Roberts said his staff informed Democrats of the status of the investigation "just two days ago."

He said his staff told Democrats the committee was completing "Phase 2" of its investigation.

But I guess, "nearing completion" means something completely different in the stretched time/space continuum that is the Senate. I originally noted that Bill Frist announced that the investigation report would be ready by November 14, but that was wrong. What he actually announced was that a 6-member, bi-partisan group would be formed and would report back on the progress of the report by November 14. Looks like they came in early.