It's about time.

You should have done this three years ago.

New Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid said Monday his party will launch investigative hearings next year in response to what he said was the reluctance of Republicans to look into problems in the Bush administration.

"There are too many unasked and unanswered questions and the American public deserves better," the Nevada senator said at a news conference. He will formally succeed Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., as party leader next month.

Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., who heads the Democratic Policy Committee, said the first hearing will be at the end of January and he suggested it might focus on contract abuse in Iraq. He said the policy committee, which has held occasional investigative hearings in the past, planned to convene at least one such hearing a month.

Dorgan said that with Republicans controlling the White House and both the House and Senate, "the congressional watchdog remains fast asleep in this Congress."

I had expected Harry Reid to be a milquetoast, but so far, he seems out to prove me wrong. Thank God.

The massive and blatant corruption in the Bush administration is one gigantic target. And because of total insularity, overbearing arrogance, and an acquiescent press, they haven't even bothered to be subtle about it.

So how come the Democrats haven't been screaming loud and long for the last four years?

You know why, and I know why: battered wife syndrome. The Republicans have screamed that the Democrats were being "obstructionist" every time they raised even MILD objections, and the right-wing media went along with it, and the Democrats were successfully cowed because they were treating it as a political problem instead of a question of principle.

But Reid may actually realize that you can't compromise with a bully. and Reid may actually realize that he will be called "obstructionist" by these clowns even if he gives them every thing they want.

He may have actually figured out that there is NOTHING that the Democrats can do that will make the Republicans behave in a bi-partisan fashion. There is NOTHING that they can do that will cause the Republicans to place country before party.

The only way to beat a bully is to stand up to him.

If he realizes that, good.