Today my favorite Rushbot told me he'd vote for Feingold.

[Jackpine Radical]

He made it clear that he disagrees with Russ on a lot of issues, but he's so disgusted by politics as usual that he'd vote for Russ on character issues alone.

Rushbot is pretty well-informed from his own perspective (i.e. Rush, Drudge) & we do a lot of recreational political arguing. He thinks professional politicians on both sides are more or less sold out to the corporations. He has the usual frantic hatred of anyone named Clinton or Kennedy, but understands his place in the economic scheme of things & doesn't imagine himself as likely to join the owner-class. His daughter is an out lesbian & he has workde to establish a decent relationship with her, but he opposes anything resembling gay marriage or civil unions. He's not a fundie, but is strongly anti-abortion. He's an ex-WI State Patrol captain, hates drunk drivers because of the accidents he has seen, and sees the hypocrisy of anti-pot laws.

Whn I mentioned Russ's divorce, he didn't bat an eyelash. Well, both he and his current wife are into their second marriages, so he couldn't say a lot.

I have always found it interesting that Russ carried WI about 10 points ahead of Kerry, which means a lot of people voted for both Bush & Feingold.

I think Russ is a far more viable candidate than the party bigshots (in both parties) can imagine. Interestingly, he'll be in an off-year so he can run without giving up his Senate seat. He's gonna surprise everyone in 2008, and they're gonna have to do a Dean-scream political assassination to hold him down.

[bluestateguy]

1. But he's a Senator

And senators have up or down voting records that can be torn apart in 30 second ads. We all know that the context of those votes can be very nuanced and complicated when taken in context, but that all kind of gets lost in the rough and tumble of a campaign.

For those reasons, my choice for the nomination is a governor, or better yet, a non-office holder like Wes Clark.

[politicasista]

2. Can we just focus on 2006?

I like Clark and Feingold, but we need to focus on 2006 and fixing the the elections so that they can be fair otherwise 2008 will be a non factor.

[Telly Savalas]

11. To succeed we need to focus on both short and longterm strategies.

While it may be premature to anoint a 2008 candidate at this point, it's still useful to talk about the direction we want to see the party go. This will naturally lead to the question of who we want at the helm in a few years.

[safi0]

7. Certain Senatos

Have a more liberal voting record. But its generally acknowledged that Russ has the most consistent voting record of any US senator

[Telly Savalas]

10. Anybody has things which can be torn apart in 30 second ads...

if the people making those ads have no qualms about distorting the truth.

[safi0]

13. Not only does

Russ have the most consistent voting record, he's also willing to defend any vote he's made. Were not going to hear him say anything like: I voted for it before I voted against it, and if anything like the Swiftboat liars came out against him he'd defend himself immediately

[leyton]

17. Senators aren't necessarily failures.

Kerry, I admit, was badly hurt by his voting record - but let's admit, it was muddled on the most pressing issue of the day (the war in Iraq). And he wasn't exactly Mr. Populist.

Other Senators who lost lost for other reasons just as much as a voting record. Dole was challenging a popular and charismatic incumbent, and he was also undercut by Trent Lott compromising with Clinton on some legislation. McGovern was challenging a wartime incumbent, couldn't figure out who he wanted his running mate to be, and was leading an anti-war movement. Goldwater was way out of the mainstream and the country wasn't about to change Presidents after the shock of the Kennedy assassination (just like Bush would have easily won reelection in the wake of the 9/11 shock).

We should be cautious, of course, with Senators, because so many of them speak Senatese as opposed to plain English, and because they often have inconsistent voting records. But I think Feingold would be a strong candidate and though he is a Senator he has neither of these weaknesses.

[safi0]

18. I agree.

As someone who's seen him in one of his lisening sessions, he doesn't really sound like a Senator

[trudyco]

3. What's the down side of him?

I'd rather have another choice than Hilary (though I think she'd make a good VP) and no way do I support Mr Bankruptcy Biden.

[Jackpine Radical]

4. That's an interesting question.

He's generally quite liberal, and squeaky clean as far as anyone in WI has been able to find out, but he marches to his own drum, which sometimes causes him to take wildly unpopular stands. He voted to impeach Clinton, for example. He also voted for the Ashcroft nomination & cast the sole dissenting vote against the Patriot Act. All of these votes make internal sense, and were indeed inevitable, if you uderstand where he's coming from.

[bluestateguy]

5. One correction

He threatened to convict, but he voted to acquit. He did vote against Robert Byrd's motion to dismiss the charges.

[Jackpine Radical]

8. Stipulated. Thanks.

[blm]

14. Impeaching Clinton was a crime against the Constitution.

There was no high crime or misdemeanor committed by Clinton.

When the constitution was written, high was the term for "of office"...and Clinton did not commit a crime of office.

If he would vote to impeach Clinton, why wouldn't he even sign the letter of inquiry into DSM which would indeed show a crime of office?

Just curious how he balances his decision making in regard to holding the executive branch accountable.

[Jackpine Radical]

22. Valid questions.

You've persuaded me Feingold has feet of clay.

Now I'll have to decide which is the more perfect paragon of liberal virtues--Hillary or Joe Biden.

[blm]

23. I don't think Feingold has feet of clay at all. I think he can be a pretty

tough guy when he deems necessary. I'm just wondering about WHEN he deems necessary.

I am also concerned that he didn't work with Wellstone and Kerry on their Clean Elections bill and chose instead to work with McCain on McCain-Feingold, which was a considerably different bill.

But, then, not everyone is an advocate of public financing of campaigns. Of course, he may also have changed his mind in that regard after watching how McCain-Feingold has been applied.

[Callalily]

6. May be viable, but I have my doubts

Yes, I think Feingold would make a viable candidate, but let’s keep in mind his martial status, or lack there of. Remember when Dean was running and Dr. Judith Steinberg (say Judith Dean) did not want to campaign, she just wanted to practice medicine, something she trained all her life to do, but unfortunately was forced to campaign by the faux media? Well what did said media to do her, they ripped on her for her choice of apparel, this exceedingly intelligent woman, how sad. Anyway, the same fate will succumb to Feingold. Everyone will forget that he was the only one who voted against the war in Iraq, everyone will forget that he never takes pay raises. They will only focus on his divorce. How sad. He could be a viable candidate. That said, I think Obama Barack is a viable candidate. I think our country is ready for a black leader. He’s intuitive, he’s intelligent, he’s dedicated. Hopefully he’s not jaded.

[Jackpine Radical]

9. I certainly acknowledge the divorce as a potential problem.

It was in fact just about the first thing I brought up to Rushbot.

But I'm not convinced it's a fatal issue for him.

If they didn't have the divorce, they'd find or make up something else. I do think that divorce is no longer the stigma it once was.
Think St. Ronald & Nancy, for example.

I'm far more worried about Diebold than about the other D-word.

[liberalpragmatist]

12. I have some concerns about his electability regardless

Wisconsin is a very interesting state politically and I wouldn't be so quick to assume that a politician that does well in Wisconsin will necessarily translate well in other parts of the country, especially in Southern states, for example.

That said, I am certainly open to a Feingold candidacy. I don't think he is definitely unelectable or anything - just that it would be interesting and I don't how it would play out.

I also admit to having some concerns with Russ as president - I deeply admire him and love him as a senator, but I'm not sure if his "lone wolf"-status would play well as president - he may not have a sufficient base of support in Congress.

That said, these are all just concerns and I'm sure he'll have responses. I may well support him if he runs and if he's the nominee, he'll certainly have my vote.

Now if only some other Democrats in the Senate will follow his lead on Iraq in proposing real exit strategies.

[leyton]

19. I don't think he'd do exceptionally well in the South,

but I think we'd be hard pressed to find a Democrat who would. I think that of all the Southern states, Arkansas, Louisiana, West Virginia and Florida are the ones in reach (they are the only ones with Democratic Senators) and Feingold would definitely have a shot at Florida. In addition I think Feingold has a certain touch that would work in every part of the country. If carrying Southern states is the issue, we might do better with an affable midwestern progressive Senator with good character than a Southerner with fewer political assets.

You are probably right to question whether a maverick would make a particularly effective President. My hope would be that Feingold is a man of such character that he would enjoy enough respect and popular support that the rest of Washington would have to take heed.

[Eloriel]

15. What makes you think this

I have always found it interesting that Russ carried WI about 10 points ahead of Kerry, which means a lot of people voted for both Bush & Feingold.

That's a classic signature for election fraud. Just what kind of machines are used in YOUR state?

[safi0]

16. Nope.

Wisconsin doesn't use Electronic machines. As someone who did a lot of canvassing for Kerry-Edwards and also for Feingold's re-election campaign, I met a significant amount of people who voted Bush/Feingold.

[leyton]

20. Not everyone votes straight-ticket.

And luckily so, or else red states would never produce Kent Conrad, or Brian Schweitzer, or a number of other red-state Democrats.

[zulchzulu]

21. Lots of Repugs voted for Russ in 2004 in Wisconsin

Granted, the Repug candidate sucked pig anal drippings...but they respected his gumption and willingness to work with people like McCain and other factors.