Where do Kerry, Hillary and the rest of the Dem '08 hopefuls stand

[smoogatz]

on censure? I'm not voting for anybody that doesn't have the balls to back fightin' Russ Feingold on this thing.

[TayTay]

1. I called Sen. Kerry's office yesterday around 1:00 pm

I asked about the censure resolution and if Sen. Kerry was backing it. I was told he was in favor of it. I mumbled thanks and hung up.

[smoogatz]

3. What does "in favor" mean

in practical terms? Will he go on the record as being in favor of censuring Bush?

[TayTay]

5. Usually 'in favor' means you vote for it

when it comes up for a vote.

[smoogatz]

6. Usually.

It could also mean lip-service, knowing that it won't come up for a vote.

[TayTay]

7. AHm, why would someone call a Senate office,

ask if they were in favor of a pending resolution get a positive response and then immediately suspect that the person on the phone was not savvy enough to figure out what they were talking about. This makes no sense and sounds like grousing for the sake of grousing, without facts or sense.

[smoogatz]

8. Not sure I understand you.

What I'm saying is that having staffers say that Kerry supports the resolution is in fact the expression of a fairly lukewarm degree of support; kind of like saying that he supports Feingold's right to offer such a resolution, or that he appreciates Feingold's passion, and just slightly more fervent than saying that he likes Feingold's tie. If Kerry actually came out and personally made a statement of support for the resoultion--on the record--that would indicate another level of commitment, no? And the big, obvious way to send a clear message of support is to offer to co-sponsor Feingold's resolution, which I'm pretty sure Kerry hasn't done. Which leads to the obvious question: how come? What political calculus does he need to work out before he can get on board?

[TayTay]

9. I think the best way to show the love is to say he will vote for it

which is what he did. Plainly.

[smoogatz]

10. Empty Gestures R Kerry. It's not going to come up for a vote.

So he risks nothing, but sounds kind of okay doing it. A lot like Lieberman voting for cloture, then against Alito, isn't it?

I have to say--wow. Fast response, after all this time.

[TayTay]

11. Ahm, no,

See, this is the way it works.

A bill comes up. You vote for it or against it. Sen. Kerry has said he will vote for it. That means he is for it.

What part of that is so hard to understand.

Some people have a hard time accepting that someone has said yes to them.

BTW, where is Sen. Feingold today and what is he doing to promote his own censure motion? Or doesn't he care? Is he going around asking for support or has he given up?

[smoogatz]

12. Harkin's agreed to cosponsor.

Harkin Signs on to Censure Measure
By Erin P. Billings
Roll Call Staff
Wednesday, March 15

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) has become the first co-sponsor to Sen. Russ Feingold’s (D-Wis.) controversial resolution to censure President Bush for authorizing an allegedly illegal domestic surveillance program.

http://www.rollcall.com/issues/1_1/breakingnews/12561-1.html

THAT's how it works.

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[zulchzulu]

2. Kerry supports Feingold

I called his office on Monday and was told by a staffer that Kerry is 100% percent behind Feingold's resolution. A press release was pending. There was another DUer who called and got the same message.

[smoogatz]

4. That's good to hear.

I've publicly had my doubts about Kerry, but this is encouraging news.

[Mass]

14. Again. As some people who have called senators have said

Harkin, Kerry, and Boxer are the only ones who have said unconditionnally that they would support Feingold and vote for censure.

If you want more, may be you can call or email to Kerry and ask him to co-sponsor.

[Fredda Weinberg]

16. Here's the message I left at johnkerry.com

Now that the censure motion submitted by Senator Feingold has a second, please publicly announce your support for this measured response. Whether or not you think the president had good intentions in his actions, the principle of checks and balances must be upheld.

I have contributed to this website in the past and will again - please be the leader in whom we can invest our hopes.

[mtnsnake]

15. Neither Hillary or Kerry officially supports Feingold's censure move yet

unless I missed something. Maybe they know something about it we don't, and are being cautious for reasons we're not aware of. Who knows. I'm sure we'll find out more about it soon. In the meantime, get out the popcorn!