What's wrong with Feingold?

[madmunchie]

What's right with Feingold?

He has voted against Patriot Act 2x

He voted against giving * authority into going into the Iraq war

He stood up alone to censure *

Where did he come down on the Medicare Bill?

How about budgetary issues

Women's issues

[benburch]

1. The usual objection...

None of the Nazis here in Amerikkka would vote for a Jewish person for President.

[madmunchie]

3. how many nazis are there?

[benburch]

21. Well, Bush polls at around 37% now...

So, excluding the very stupid, I'd say 35% of us are Nazis.

[Totally Committed]

5. Let's be honest, it's not just Jews...

The same could be said of those of color and women as well, if we are talking about voting or even nominating for POTUS. We haven't come nearly far enough where bigotry is concerned.

TC

[Mass]

10. That or "He has been divorced twice".

Just repeating the excuse you see the most, not that I believe that.

[Ishoutandscream2]

20. Well, St. Ronnie was divorced, but "only once"

I guess in cuckoo land, that beats "twice.":silly:

[NYCGirl]

25. Giuliani was also divorced twice. And his first wife was his cousin. NT

[htuttle]

18. I don't remember his religion ever coming up in his Senate campaigns

I can't recall it ever being an issue -- even once. He doesn't try to run on it like Lieberman or the Christian rightists do.

[MadMaddie]

19. The neo-cons will make an issue of religion...

The neo-cons will cheat to win anyway they can!!

[Totally Committed]

2. Not much is wrong, that I can see...

I like Russ a lot. He seems like a stand-up guy.

TC

[madmunchie]

4. Is he considered pretty liberal?

[Totally Committed]

6. I would consider him a strong Progressive...

"Liberal" is such a tough term to pin down.

TC

[blm]

31. I go with strong progressive as more accurate, too.

Strong progressive with a major streak protective of established process. Or, so his past voting record indicates.

[nickinSTL]

7. what's wrong with him?

The most I can think of is that he believes that a President has the right to name whoever he/she chooses to any post...and he will vote to confirm almost anyone.

To his credit, he did oppose Alito, but I don't think he's opposed any other Bush nominee (Roberts, Gonzales, etc.).

[Mass]

12. No, he voted against Gonzales, but for Ashcroft and Rice.

[nickinSTL]

22. sorry, didn't have the votes in front of me

n/t

[radio4progressives]

13. He led the Filibuster (or tried extremely hard to) against Alito..

He didn't just oppose Alito, he tried very hard to lead the Filibuster..

[Mass]

14. Feingold led the filibuster against Alito (?)

I must dream.

[TayTay]

16. He did support it

but he did not originally call for it. I believe Sens. Kennedy and Kerry first broached this in the Dem. Caucus on Jan. 24th or 25th. Sen. Feingold did sign on and did vote against cloture and against Alito. He was also a good questioner during the Alito Confirmation hearing in Jan.

Sen. Kerry did reference him in his remarks on the confirmation of Alito by the whole Senate:

"Judge Alito had numerous opportunities in the hearings to define the limits of the unitary executive, but he refused to answer my colleagues' questions. He didn't answer when Senator Leahy asked him whether it would be constitutional for the Congress to prohibit Americans from using torture. He didn't answer when Senator Durbin asked whether he shared Justice Thomas's view that a wartime President has inherent powers - beyond those explicitly given to Congress. He didn't answer when Senator Feingold asked what, if any, limits there are on the President's power.

"We all understand that under Article II, the President has primary responsibility for the conduct of foreign affairs. But, the idea that the President can simply disregard existing law or redefine statutory limits at will in the areas of foreign affairs, national security, and war is a startling one. And it is one that I cannot accept.

"We needed to know what limits Judge Alito would place on the executive branch. We needed him to go beyond simple recitations of Supreme Court case law. We needed to know what he actually thought.

"Sadly, however, Judge Alito did not give us those answers. In fact, he failed to give us answers on many questions of critical importance. He refused to answer questions from Senator Leahy, Senator Kennedy, Senator Feingold, and Senator Biden on the question of the power of the presidency. He refused to answer questions from Senator Schumer, Senator Durbin, and Senator Feinstein on whether Roe v. Wade was settled law - an answer that even Chief Justice Roberts was willing to give. He refused to answer Senator Leahy's questions on court stripping; Senator Leahy's and Senator Feinstein's questions on Congressional power and the Commerce Clause; Senator Feingold's questions on affirmative action and criminal law; Senator Schumer's questions on immigration."

It was my understanding that they were in agreement on this and Sen. Feingold supported Sens. Kennedy & Kerry's call to filibuster.

[MH1]

23. Huh???? Why did Kerry have to lead it then? n/t

[blm]

24. Actually, he WOULDN'T stand with Kennedy to lead a filibuster. That's why

Dems lost two weeks of planning for it.

Kerry was scheduled to be in Europe for his own committee duties, but was forced into standing with Kennedy when no one else from judiciary committee would do so. That led to more attacks on him for his motives, even though he had said for two years, he would lead a filibuster on court nominees if he had to. Unfortunately, he had to.

[karynnj]

29. He didn't even disclose how he would vote on cloture

KERRY and KENNEDY led this - and took all the abuse and dirision. To my knowledge, Feingold didn't speak either to the media or in the Senate on filibuster. (He did a better job on the judiary committeee hearings than Biden or Kennedy - but over all the committee did a lousy job.)

You may have private knowledge that he was doing something behind the scenes, but I know that on lists of who was on board here and on Kos he was a definate maybe - with some people saying that his view on the President getting his nominees might make him a yes for cloture - which he voted no on.

[kerrygoddess]

30. I've got NEWS for you - Kerry led the Alito Filibuster

It was Kerry and Kennedy that first brought the notion of a filibuster of the Alito nomination to the Dem Caucus. As a matter of fact, I have it on good authority (my contacts in his office) that Kerry and Kennedy had been querying on support of this for days before it was announced.

Word has it through my sources, that Kerry actually announced a filibuster to his colleagues on Wednesday in the Democratic Caucus and asked them to consider it, before leaving for Davos. - http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=1784

As a matter of fact as of that Monday, I knew that there was a possibility that Kerry was planning this.

I'm not sure how you missed that Kerry led this as it was all over DU, DKos and every popular liberal blog for days. I've got beaucoup links to back up the fact that Kerry led this - http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/index.php?s=Alito+Filibuster

Please do us a favor and provide proof to your claim.

[SaveElmer]

8. I have a problem with the way he went about Censure...but

I wouldn't think twice about voting for him for President...and I don't think the fact that he is Jewish has any bearing. Anyone who would vote on that basis isn't gonna vote Democratic for the most part anyway. And, it may actually help him in places like Florida...

[Jackpine Radical]

9. Check it out for yourself.

And as far as the Jewish thing goes, anybody who wouldn't vote for a Jew probly wouldn't vote for a progressive anyway.

http://feingold.senate.gov/

[Armstead]

11. From his website, here are some positions

You can see a lot of his specific positions on his Senatorial website. Personally, I'd describe him as a Common Sense Progressive....In other words, he is an unapologetic progressive while also focusing on the specifics of issues to move in that direction.

Here are a few samples from his website. There's a lot more detail on the site itelf.

http://feingold.senate.gov

1)HEALTHCARE -- All Americans deserve adequate health care and it is far past time for Congress to take action on this pressing issue. I support a state-based, American-style approach to health care reform, where each state, with the federal government's help, comes up with a plan to make sure that all of its residents have health care coverage. Such an approach would provide universal health care for all Americans by encouraging the flexibility and creativity that are necessary to ensure nationwide access to high-quality, affordable health care......To move health care reform forward I worked with Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) to introduce S.934, the Reform Health Care Now Act, which would force Congress to debate health care reform within the first months following enactment of the bill. This legislation does not prejudge any outcome, but it does force Congress to act. My bill would require the Senate and House leadership to address the health care crisis with the same sense of urgency that the millions of Americans without health care feel every day....

2)CONSUMER ISSUES -- I have introduced legislation on a wide range of issues that will protect and preserve American consumers' rights. I believe we can restore competition to the radio and concert industries, give farmers, employees, and consumers a choice of forums to resolve contract disputes, and increase seniors' access to lower priced prescription drugs.

3)Radio -- During the debate of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, I joined a number of my colleagues in opposing the deregulation of radio ownership rules because of concerns about the impact on consumers, artists, and local radio stations. Since its passage, the effects of the Telecommunications Act have been far worse than even I imagined...A diverse range of people are rightly concerned about the effects of concentration and consolidation in the radio and concert industries....On November 18, 2005, I reintroduced S. 0258 , the Competition in Radio and Concert Industries Act of 2005, which I first introduced in June of 2002 and reintroduced in June of 2003. My bill would help restore competition to the radio and concert industry by putting independent radio stations and concert promoters on a more equal footing. This will help promote competition in the industry, enhance local input and diversity, and promote consumer choices.

[CrispyQ]

15. I like this site for a quick bird's eye view,

including the political philosophy graphic at the bottom!


http://www.issues2000.org/Senate/Russell_Feingold.htm

[madrchsod]

17. he practices Judaism?

i didn`t know that...

he`s my canidate for president

[hopein08]

26. Yes, in fact, his sister was Wisconsin's 1st female rabbi... n/t

[autorank]

27. NOTHING...other than normal human flaws that we all have. n/t

[blm]

28. Nothing's wrong with Feingold himself. He was wrong to not even discuss

censure with any other senator before he offered it in the media. And he's wrong for offering censure as an ALTERNATIVE to impeachment, and even using impeachment as a "bad for the country" bogeyman to make his case.

Feingold's case for censure is strong enough and he didn't need to offer it as an alternative to impeachment which carries the only LEGAL REMEDY for Bush's wrongdoings. He pre-judges impeachment case, which no senator should do.

But, he's a good senator in the overall sense. He seems to respect process alot, which adds to the mystery of why he chose to skirt process by moving for censure without discussing it with senators he KNOWS are with him on NSA spying wrongdoing - like Kennedy and Leahy who had already submitted formal requests for NSA documents for further examination.