As usual, a Republican Moderate melts like a warm turd in the rain. Arlen "Trust the President" Spector pleads for mercy:

"I counsel my colleagues, both Democrats and Republicans, to work hard to avoid an impasse. We don't need a constitutional confrontation," said Sen. Arlen Specter (news, bio, voting record) of Pennsylvania, the panel's top Republican.

A Constitutional confrontation is exactly what we need, because a Constitutional crisis is exactly what we've got.

Leahy:

There's really nothing to look for, for a Compromise, because that is not acceptable to me. What we're told we can get is nothing [no oath], nothing [no transcript], nothing [no public].

They came up and said, 'This is our offer. Take it or leave it. Accept these papers where we've erased 100 pages or more so you don't even know what's on there [with 18 days missing]. Do a closed door hearing where the public has no idea what is said and they're not under oath, and if you don't like that, take it or leave it.' Well nobody's going to take that."

If the Democrats weaken on this, the legislative branch will have no power to investigate anything an all-powerful executive does. Farewell, Constitution! Those really are the stakes.