Breaking: Harry Reid calls closed session in Senate

This took place just twenty minutes ago, and it's about time we're seeing some fighting action from the Dems.

The Senate's Democratic leader Harry Reid (D-NV) unexpectedly pulled the Senate into secret session Tuesday afternoon in order to have closed discussion of Iraq intelligence, Raw Story has learned. Specifically, the senator sought to discuss a Senate Select Committee on Inteligence report on the failure of Iraqi WMD intelligence.

The maneuver immediately shuttered the doors of the Senate and cleared the Senate press galleries. It has been invoked just 53 previous times in the history of the body. It was last used during the Clinton impeachment hearings.

Closed sessions were also employed in 1997 for the Chemical Weapons Convention, and in 1992 during debate over China's "Most Favored Nation" trade status.

Frist's response was to say that he's "very disappointed" with Reid's "lack of respect" for himself and the institution. Further, he called it a "political stunt."

The unknown quantity here is 'why now'? As Ed Schultz is pointing out, they either have something really big, or it's a huge political misstep. Follow the above link to see Reid's statement.