Unbelievable

When the PATRIOT ACt first had a vote in 2001, exactly 1 Senator voted against it. Now that Senator has the votes to scuttle the legislation and force changes on his terms:

The new Senate arithmetic that emerged this week is enough to place the renewal of major portions of the law in doubt. It was enough to inspire Senate Republican leaders to consider a backup plan in case Feingold's filibuster threat succeeded. Enough to prompt President Bush to dispatch Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to Capitol Hill twice in two days to lobby on the accord's behalf.

No luck so far, said the chief Senate sponsor.

"We've got a battle on our hands," Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., told reporters after Gonzales had departed Wednesday [...]

Moments later, the senior Democrat on the issue, Sen. Patrick Leahy (news, bio, voting record), D-Vt., told reporters that more than 40 votes exist to sustain a filibuster in a test vote Friday. White House allies said they would rather see the law's 16 temporary provisions expire entirely than give opponents another three months or more to keep whittling away at them.

The enormity of this turnaround hasn't really sunk in with the public. This is a bipartisan coalition concerned with protecting civil liberties that is going up against a President, a Senate and House majority, and literally dozens of interest groups who want passage. What that takes is leadership, and Sen. Feingold has it to spare.

UPDATE: What an incredible victory. Russ Feingold is the man.