Why wouldn't Fiengold make a good VP?

[fujiyama]

I was wondering what others think about this idea (which may sound crazy at first). I personally admire him more than anyone else in the senate for the fact that he voted against the PATRIOT Act. That took a LOT of courage.

The PATRIOT Act is not very popular with many people, especially in some of the mountain/ western states. Many libertarian leaning people might find him an interesting choice, and he would have a good chance in keeping liberals in the dem. camp for November (especially if a DC "insider" like Kerry or Edwards in nominated). I also think he would go well with Clark...But if Dean gets the nom. he would probably choose someone with more national security/foreign policy experience.

Also he's quite moderate on guns, which helps pretty much everywhere.

BTW, isn't he facing reelection this year? How's he doing? He's one senator I really want staying in the senate (that's if he wasn't the VP instead).

[lcordero]

1. I wish he was running for the number one slot

He's facing re-election for his Senate seat. I don't know what the polls have been indicating but I think that he should be as close to invincible as anybody can get.

[fujiyama]

2. Yeah I would love...

to have him as president instead. I wish he had run. He would have had a great shot of getting the nomination.

People may think he's too left or some other such nonsense, but I think he really has a good grasp of right and wrong, and what this country needs...

I still can't admire him enough for voting against the PATRIOT act. God, to be one out of one hundred. Wellstone, Kennedy, Boxer...they all left him on that one. He knew he would run again for Senate...

[lcordero]

8. I feel that Feingold is the one that can make the contest in

between the Democratic Party and the Greens, and force the Repugs into becoming a permanent minor party.

[LiberalFighter]

4. I do hope he gets re-elected.

I haven't heard much as far as his competition.

[HereSince1628]

13. Nooo, the senate needs democratics, too.

Re-elect my senator to 6 more years!

[LTR]

3. Great guy

He's a Wellstone disciple. Inspired by him immensely. Much of the same principles, but a little less confrontational. Balls of steel. Love the guy, and proud that he's representing me.

He is running for re-election this year. So far his top Repug opponent is a guy that runs a successful car dealer operation in Milwaukee (another guy named Russ - Russ Darrow). At least he has name recognition. Stupid car commercials are on all the time.

Russ Feingold is still pretty well respected here. At least by me.


It helps that the other Wisconsin senator is also a Dem - Herb Kohl, and his Milwaukee Bucks are doing better than expected this year. Also been in office quite a while.

[LiberalFighter]

6. I will have to remember to NOT patronize that business

if I ever move back to Wisconsin.

[mark414]

7. Darrow supports Feingold

The ironic thing about Feingold's opponent for his seat this year is that...Russ Darrow once donated money to Feingold's campaign and was quoted in a newspaper talking about how great of a man Feingold was. You can be sure that they'll be using that in the ads.

I know I'll be voting for Feingold. One of my neighbors works on his campaign and always talks about how genuine and what an all around great guy he is.

[LTR]

18. Welcome aboard!

I'll have to check it out. Good scoop!

[LTR]

22. Yep, here it is

http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.asp?NumOfThou=0&txtName=darrow%2C+russ&txtState=WI&txtZip=&txtEmploy=&txtCand=Feingold&txt2004=Y&txt2002=Y&txt2000=Y&Order=N

[newyawker99]

27. Hi mark414!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[saltpoint]

5. It was Senator Feingold's 'Yea' vote that --

-- confirmed Bush's appointment of John Ashcroft as Attorney General.

I otherwise love the man, but I may never grasp why he voted to confirm Ashcroft.

[lcordero]

10. here is why:

http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0101-04.htm

Presidents, Feingold said, ought to be allowed to choose their Cabinets. Rejecting nominees on ideological grounds, he argued, would hamstring the ability of a new administration to implement the agenda on which it was elected.

Reasonable Americans might quibble with the suggestion that Bush was actually elected - for my part, I wrote a book this year to make the case that political chicanery, not votes, but the Texan in the Oval Office. But Feingold made a good point when he argued that denying Bush his pick might lead to the denial of a future Democratic president's progressive nominee for attorney general.

Feingold never quite understood that those of us who objected to the Ashcroft nomination were less concerned about the man's ideology - objectionable as it may be - than about his penchant for praising the Confederate cause. We also worried about how wide his eyes seemed to grow when he spoke of limiting constitutional protections.


Keep in mind that Byrd gave a yes vote too. Byrd happens to be a very wise 85 years of age.

[saltpoint]

14. You're right about Byrd. I wonder if --

-- Feingold's vote against PATRIOT actually proves his mettle?

Anyway, I hope he wins re-election in Wisconsin by a landslide and goes on to help our party shape public debate.

Thanks for your post, Icordero.

[lcordero]

16. prove his mettle? I think that it elevated him to a status that no

other public official will ever see.

[saltpoint]

21. Well, that's a bit strong.

He's bright and dedicated and progressive and I love him.

That's going to have to be enough.

[mndemocrat_29]

9. He's running for reelection

That's about the only reason that I can think of why he wouldn't make a great VP: he won't alienate the base, yet he has an appeal that would draw moderate voters, he's from the swing state Midwest region, and he's been elected statewide twice. It wouldn't do to have him run statewide and nationwide (though, unlike Lieberman, a Democratic governor, Jim Doyle, would replace him).

If he did give up the race to run for governor (I don't know the filing dates, so I'm not sure if he could, this is just speculation), would retiring Rep. Gerald Kleczka be a good replacement (he'd be 60)?

[lcordero]

12. He's been drawing conservative Republicans because of his

trade views and fiscal common sense.

http://www.startribune.com/stories/1519/4334366.html

[mb7588a]

15. Former Congressman Barrett would be a good

replacement too. He rep'd the Milwaukee area for a long time before his district was basically removed. He lost to Doyle for governor.

[LTR]

17. Barrett's running for Milwaukee mayor (nm)

[AP]

11. Because he'll give lots of red-staters a reason to vote for Bush

which might not exist if he weren't on the ticket.

[fujiyama]

19. Why?

Sorry but your reply makes no sense. I see no reason why Fiengold would alienate a lot of voters in red states. As I stated, it's difficult to paint him as some sort of out of touch north east liberal. His record is consistent and would attract many moderates. It's more populist than leftist and realistically speaking his voting record is not that much more liberal than Edwards, Kerry, and Lieberman, except on what I view as crucial key issues such as IWR and the PATRIOT Act, and various economic issues. Granted, even if Kerry and Edwards had voted against IWR and the PATRIOT Act, it's true, it would have still passed.

But that's no reason to just go along with them. It's about principle and taking a stand.

Another thing that we are not keeping in mind is how close the midwestern states were last time. Gore won many of them by less than 1%. That's not at all a comfortable margin and it makes me very nervous about these states (Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa). I think Fiengold would very possibly appeal to many in the region, as well as other states where the manufactuting sector has been hit hard, like Mi, Oh, and Pa.

We're losing, or in danger of losing, many states over gun control. Fiengold offers an alternative of the stereotypical northeast liberal...which is more populist economically, more liberal socially, but more moderate on guns. I also don't really believe most Americans are also so fond of the PATRIOT Act. I think they're really suspicious of it, especially in the western states like Arizona and Nevada.

There are many red states, other than the south we have a fighting chance at. This is not to say we shouldn't write off the south, but we need not obsess over the region.

[AP]

26. Because he's arguable the MOST liberal senator. He'd be a dream

for Republican fundraisers. The race would be about stopping Feingold from being a heartbeat from the presidency.

[andym]

20. Feingold would have been fantastic President, but

Russ Feingold is an honorable man. And honorable men have a difficult time against people who will play dirty.

In his last bid for re-election, Russ did not take contributions from large contributors. At a bid financial disadvantage, he barely won re-election.

As for VP, he would be good, but it's probably better if he stays in the Senate.

[waldenx]

23. he will be Attorney General

I guarantee it.

[jsw_81]

24. We need Feingold in the Senate

The vice presidency should go to Bob Graham, a loyal Democratic senator who has fought the good fight for over three decades. And the fact that he has won five times in Florida doesn't hurt, either. Feingold is stil young and will have his big chance later on.

[IrateCitizen]

25. Agree 100% on Feingold's importance in the Senate

He is much more valuable there than he could ever be as VP.