To the Point

Democrats Flex Their Muscles and Shut Down the Senate

Democrats sent the Senate into secret session yesterday, enraging Republicans. But the parliamentary tactic worked, and the august body is resuming its delayed investigation into the intelligence failures in the run-up to the Iraq War. Majority Leader Bill Frist accused Minority Leader Harry Reid of "hijacking" the Senate. Is this a new phase in the way business is done in Washington? Was it a stunt as Republicans claimed, or a new strategy by the Democrats as public opinion turns against the war in Iraq specifically and the Bush Administration in general? Will it help shine a light on the Bush Administration's use of intelligence in the months before the war? Guest host Michael Goldfarb get perspective from journalists, historians, experts in defense and foreign policy, and staffers to veteran Democratic House and Senate leaders.Reporters Notebook: Chirac Seeks Calm after Six Nights of Riots in ParisFor the last six nights there have been riots in the poorer suburbs of Paris, disturbances that began following the deaths of two Muslim youths. At the scene of unrest, youths clashed with police, burned cars and hurled Molotov cocktails at municipal buildings. Emma Charlton of Agence France-Presse has more on how French authorities and politicians are dealing with the situation.