The Washington Post had an online Q & A with Jane Mayer, author of The Dark Side, a new book about many of the Bush Administration's illegal torture and FISA activities. When asked (by a New Yorker) about the willingness of so many Democratic Senators and members of Congress to go along with Bush, her answer was as follows:

New York, N.Y.: In your interview with Harper's yesterday, you said that[sic] this about why war crimes prosecutions are unlikely: "An additional complicating factor is that key members of Congress sanctioned this program, so many of those who might ordinarily be counted on to lead the charge are themselves compromised." What did you mean by that? Who specifically is compromised " who might ordinarily be counted on to lead the charge are themselves compromised" -- Nancy Pelosi, Jane Harman, Jay Rockefeller? -- and how are they "compromised"? Jane Mayer: The ranking members of the Senate and House Intelligence Committees were briefed dozens of times about the CIA's interrogation and detention program over the past seven years - so any member who has held one of those posts has arguably been complicit. Some say they tried to object, internally. But either because of the threat of violating national security, or, because of the fear of the political price of dissent, these figures in both parties would find it very hard at this point to point the finger at the White House, without also implicating themselves.

That makes so much sense. Now we know why the FISA bill was passed last week.