FISA Cloture Stopped

48-45 and it wasn't even close. Nelson (NE) and Pryor were the only aye votes on the Democratic side, I think. That also bodes well for immunity, as 51 votes could not be mustered. (update: Blanche Lincoln and Mary Landrieu also voted for cloture. See below.)

There was a LOT of action on this from the progressive movement. And Harry Reid actually redeemed himself a bit by being so forceful about the protection of the prerogatives of the Senate. Good for our side. We win a round. Yay.

Now there'll be a vote on a 30-day extension for the existing statute so that time can be given to work out a final bill. More in a minute...

...apparently Mary Landrieu cravenly switched her vote to "aye" after she knew it wouldn't be decisive. What a waste of a Senator.

...I truly wish the Washington Post would put someone who knows something about FISA on the beat to write the story, because wiretapping and spying will NOT expire if the Protect America Act expires. That's just a complete falsehood.

...Cloture on the 30-day extension fails by the same count as the initial vote, 48-45. Where we're at now is anybody's guess.

...Apparently Mitch McConnell hinted at a short extension in his final remarks. That's it for the day.

This is definitely a rebuke of the President, and that's a good thing.

UPDATE: Greenwald:

By blocking an extension, Republicans just basically assured that the PAA -- which they spent the last seven months shrilly insisting was crucial if we are going to be Saved from The Terrorists -- will expire on Friday without any new bill in place. Since the House is going out of session after tomorrow, there is no way to get a new bill in place before Friday. The Republicans, at Bush's behest, just knowingly deprived the intelligence community of a tool they have long claimed is so vital. Is the media going to understand and be able to explain what the Republicans just did? Yes, that's a rhetorical question.

The problem is whether the Democrats will think the public is paying attention, or whether they'll follow up this defense of the Constitution with yet another capitulation.