This week, the censure battle resumes in the Senate with a Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday on NSA generally, and, on Friday, on the Feingold res in particular.

Should Dem hearts be stirring at this point?

I don't think so.

On current evidence, I have little doubt that these hearings are primarily window dressing, a bone thrown to GOP senators whose - let's be generous and call - consciences might be pricking them about a lack of NSA oversight. (It's not only Dems who are delusional, I think you'll find!)

But they also give the opportunity to Dem senators to hang themselves in public - a knack Judiciary Dems so clearly demonstrated at the Alito hearings - not to mention the way they scattered like rabbits from the media on the Monday after Feingold's TV appearance.

The GOP attitude may be gauged from this piece from the Chicago Tribune (put together by the copy desk - cynical bastards!), whose final two grafs are:

Specter said his intent was not to use the session as a political forum but to explore issues surrounding the proposed censure. He said he believed the proposal was baseless.

Specter said he had told his aides to notify the White House that an administration representative would be welcome to testify.

Of course, if, in the meantime, the Dems have got together and organized a solid, forty-man wall of support behind Feingold, the GOP will be kicking themselves for giving the Dems the platform.

What are the odds?

You don't need to be a fortune-teller to forecast Democratic tears before bedtime unless expectations from the Feingold res are dragged back from DrutherCon 1.