Russ Feingold is the ONLY Democrat that i can support

[dysfunctional press]

i think that he may be the only actual Democrat.

Thank-You Wisconsin!

[derby378]

1. Russ for President in 2008

:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

[yurbud]

2. You don't like Conyers, Cynthia McKinney, and others who took on Bush?

McKinney lost her seat and fought to get it back. Even most Senate Democrats kept their mouths shut to avoid that fate at the hands of the Bushies. I like Feingold, but he doesn't stand alone.

[still_one]

5. Feingold will probably run

mckinney and conyers probably won't

you can also add Kucinich, Boxer, and others to your list

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

14. I was heartbroken to learn that Boxer voted for the Patriot Act. I cannot

support her now.

[still_one]

15. I know, but she was right on 98% of the other issues

[mattclearing]

90. Or anyone else in the Senate who isn't Feingold. n/t

[yurbud]

20. it would be nice if we had a system where those who stood up for us most

consistently could run and win.

That said, feingold probably has a better chance than those who have done the best for us the last few years.

[gizmo1979]

3. I'll second that motion!

:toast: :bounce: :toast:

[stray cat]

4. Feingold is definitely at the top of my list

but I'm partial to competent, intelligent mavericks who put people and their integrity first.

[Individualist]

27. Mine too

Integrity matters!

[0007]

62. He's looking better all the time.

[hfojvt]

6. Perhaps you have forgotten

that he voted FOR Roberts for Chief Justice. I am not sure how he voted on Alito or cloture, but when I called his office late in the hearings, he still had not taken a stand against Alito.

Clearly General Clark is the only one with a perfect voting record and maybe Kucinich and Conyers and Rangel. And let's not forget Wisconsin's Tammy Baldwin - member of the Progressive caucus.

[jbnow]

8. He voted against Alito

and with the Dems on cloture. He has long felt the president has the right to have their nominations brought to the floor. It was a principle but he could no longer honor that when we got to Alito.

But Good Lord, he was the only Senator to vote against the PATRIOT ACT in 01. That took a lot of courage in those times (and with such an acronym as patriot act.)

[MessiahRp]

9. Actually he clearly HAD taken a stand

He voted against Alito. People here were upset because he said there would be no filibuster, but he meant that there wasn't enough votes for him to pull one off, not that he didn't support one.

As far as Roberts, Feingold's one flaw is believing that, for the most part, the President should get most of his nominees through. If Russ were to become President I think he would find that sentiment is not shared on the other side of the aisle, but it is the one character flaw I see in Russ. If you check the rest of Congress, Russ has a considerably better track record than anyone else out there and I have no problem backing him in a Presidential race.

I just hope WI puts another progressive in his eventually vacated Senate seat.

Rp

[hfojvt]

28. Predictions like that "there will be no filibuster"

do not help. And I called him before there was a filibuster, and he was not the one who led it when it happened. I do not want a Joe Namath who says "we're gonna lose. I guarantee it." It undermines the filibuster, if you make predictions like that.

To me Roberts was a no-brainer. He has infinitesmally less experience than anybody else on that court - and he should be Chief? There is no way in hell Republicans would let us put somebody with so little experience on the court. In fact, George Will had a fit about Sandra Day O'Connor not being the most qualified candidate.

[dysfunctional press]

11. "clearly general clark is the only one with a perfect voting record..."

yep- a perfect ZERO, seeing as he has NO voting record, seeing as he has never been elected to national office.

[hfojvt]

30. that was meant to be humorous

so obviously you are not telling me anything I don't already know here.

[charlyvi]

46. I got it.

And thought it was pretty damn funny!

[Jackpine Radical]

13. Yes, Russ voted for Roberts. Also Ashcroft, for that matter.

He has been consistent in voting for people he doesn't like unless there's some really major flaw in them. He does it out of respect for the Presidency, out of a belief that, under most circumstances, whomever the people elect to office should be able to choose the administration they want. That's a matter of principle with him, and he sticks to his principles even if you don't like it.

That's why, when he voted against Alito, it was such a strong statement. He also voted for the filibuster because he saw Alito as absolutely beyond the pale as a SC nominee.

Balance that with his lone vote against the Patriot Act.

In the 2004 election, you saw a lot of yards with Bush & Feingold signs. Kerry barely carried the state while Russ won by 10%. Wisconsin breeds a variety of Republican who will cross party lines to vote for someone they see as a principled maverick.

[dysfunctional press]

17. exactly.

the democrats can't vote against every nominee, just because it was someone nominated by dumbya- and Roberts, like it or not, was qualifed to the job...had there been an onerous reason to vote against him, russ would have done so.

[hfojvt]

33. he clearly was not qualified to be Chief Justice

How is a person with, what, two years experience on the Federal bench more qualified to be Chief Justice than any of the other 8 who all had more than 5 years experience on SCOTUS. It's ridiculous on the face of it. And the other 8 all had more experience than Roberts before they even got on the court. He simply was not qualified to be Chief Justice, not even close.

[dysfunctional press]

52. i'd rather have roberts than scalia in the job.

and he's got to be better than that piece-of-shit rehnquist.

i had absolutely no problem with feingold's vote.

[Windy]

18. I'm sorry, but Kucinich is not presidential material

While he has some great ideas, he is way out there.... And I know I'm going to get flamed, but that is my opinion.

Feingold is a much better candidate.

[Jackpine Radical]

24. I love Kucinich. I've heard him speak. But he's not an easy sell.

I hate to say it, but he looks like he should be wearing a pointy little hat & sitting on a toadstool, and you aren't likely to win a Presidential race with him.

[hfojvt]

37. Considering that the OP did not mention 2008

I did not think that was the subject matter.

It said: "Feingold is the only Democrat I can support. i think that he may be the only actual Democrat."

I support alot of Democrats for and in Congress and verbally and financially support them as well. That was what I responded to, not speculation about 2008, about which I could give a flying patootie. We need to win Congress first - in 2006 and in 2008. Without that, the Presidency means almost nothing (okay it makes a difference with SCOTUS, but with this Senate at best Kerry would only be able to put moderates on the bench.)

[LWolf]

58. I don't know about that.

If you listen to Democrats bitching about their so-called leaders, and how they want them to grow spines, how they want them to stand up and actually oppose the bush agenda, etc., you'll see that Kucinich has been doing this all along. He didn't give Bush any passes. He's spent the years since 2000 doing exactly what Democrats say they want their leaders to do.

I think he deserves more credit for that than he gets. He's been steadfast and consistent, whether it benefitted him politically or not.

I also don't think he is really "out there." He's been "spun" that way, but if you look at the things he works for, the things he stands for, I think you'd find that he's more in touch with people than he is given credit for.

I prefer Feingold to the other mainstream powerbrokers, and to a couple of potentials outside the halls of congress. But Feingold vs Kucinich? Kucinich will win with me every time.

[leesa]

35. General Clark is the only one with a perfect voting record???

Is he in the Senate or the House? What are you talking about? What about his stint with the School of the Americas training terrorists? Has he explained what that was all about?

[stray cat]

36. Perfect voting record is relative - I have no problems with Feingold

He explains his voting decisions to anyone who asks - and I generally trust his judgement and rational. To get a perfect voting record for my one ideas means I would have to win a seat in the senate and their is no way that will happen. I'll take Feingold over anyone else out there.

[Jersey Devil]

72. Clark has a perfect voting record? Where?

Look, I really like the things Clark says, but how in the world can you claim he has a perfect voting record when he has never held office?

[natrat]

7. what about that scumbag harold ford w/ his playboy bunnies and $2k suits

[cspanlovr]

10. yes, yes, yes,

Russ for US.
Campaign Slogan: FREEDOM
Not FEAR

12. ya - loved him on the Stephanopoulous show this morning

where he is bringing a motion for censure on Bush for breaking the law - regarding spying without authorization.

:bounce:

[Clarkie1]

16. What a silly statement.

I liike Feingold, but you don't help the image of his supporters much with that kind of a statement.

[Name removed]

19. Deleted message

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

[mzmolly]

57. I kind of doubt the sincerity of some ...

IYKWIM?

[charlyvi]

59. What does that mean?

mzmolly.

[mzmolly]

76. That means that anyone who singles out Feingold as the ONLY Democrat

is either ignorant or full o' crap. It's a great way to be divisive isn't it? One can take part in all sorts of conversations trashing every damned Democrat but one.

[charlyvi]

85. No. I mean literally.....

what does the acronym literally mean?

[mzmolly]

86. AHHHHHHHH

IYKWIM? = If Ya Know What I Mean ... :hi:

[yurbud]

21. Would GOP figure out a way to smear him for being Jewish?

Given that both parties try to outbid each other in support for Israel, it would have to be a pretty covert attack, so I'm wondering how they would do it.

[charlyvi]

22. I don't think they'd go the Jewish route,

I think they'd concentrate on his divorces.

[yurbud]

25. how many? I was going to say they couldn't because of Reagans, but...

then I remembered they went after Clinton for adultery when nearly half of Americans and 99% of Congress has done it.

[charlyvi]

43. Two.

Larry Sabato, the most over-quoted man in politics, says:

"This is the end of his presidential hopes, at least for 2008," he told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
"The Democratic Party is much more tolerant of things, but a twice-divorced single man would have very little chance of being elected president," Sabato added. "That is not something that would appeal to any red state."

[yurbud]

60. only if the media tells them not to accept it.

[charlyvi]

61. I'm thinking the only people it would bother are the ones who

wouldn't vote for Feingold if their lives depended on it. But the media would probably pound and grind the line.....How can he manage a country if he can't manage a marriage....and other such swill. They would create the "moral lapse" thing.....a la Big Dawg.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

23. Rove and the Religious Rightwingnuts would find a way. eom

[yurbud]

26. carefully targeted, but seems like it would leak back to Jewish voters

somehow.

[natrat]

29. like any of this makes any difference

[Jackpine Radical]

31. Every time I hear about Russ' Jewish background, I think of

a 2004 house party I went to for him that was held at a local doc's house. The doc is an Egyptian psychiatrist, & the event was enthusiastically attended by every Arab-American in town. Russ is no knee-jerk Zionist. I know a good many of those docs put money into the Republican party in the past, but Russ had them turned around.

[flpoljunkie]

38. Feingold discusses Israel, Palestine situation in a May, 2002 interview

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Politicians/Russ_Fein...

Q: What about the current crisis in Israel and Palestine, which just seems so despairing? What is your position?

Feingold: Well, I have long believed that Israel should seek to give up the so-called Occupied Territories in return for security, and that a Palestinian state should be established. I have felt that way all my life. I think it is unreasonable to ask the Israelis to do this in a context where there is no guarantee at all that suicide bombers will be controlled.

Even though Ariel Sharon would've been my last choice for prime minister, I do agree with his spokesman who said given what has happened in the last few weeks that Israel is, in fact, on the front line of terrorism. I think that is true. But that doesn't mean that the Palestinian people themselves don't deserve self-determination and a state. They do. So the tragedy right now is that the people who are running the show are the very conservative elements in Israel along with the scariest people on the Palestinian side who, quite frankly, are big fans of bin Laden.

Q: There is absolutely no defense for these suicide bombings. But I have to believe that Sharon isn't helping anyone's cause by attacking Arafat the way he is.

Feingold: I don't know what he thinks he's accomplishing by this image of Arafat holed up in this building. I don't get it. If there is some rationale, I'd love to hear it. I don't think it's helpful.

Q: And the Israeli military seems to be taking steps that are going to sow resentment among Palestinians for another generation.

Feingold: That's true. But they're in a terrible dilemma. I don't know how you explain to your families that you're going to sit back and twiddle your thumbs while suicide bombers strap bombs to themselves and kill your kids. Who would put up with that?

I believe that the Israelis and the Palestinians, by and large, want peace, they each want their own country, and they want to get along, and they are going to get along. I know it sounds unbelievable, but I know enough about this, having been there, that these are sophisticated people. It's not like in Pakistan, where people have been told about Jews for a thousand years but don't know any. The Palestinians know the Jews. And the Jews know the Palestinians. And they know they're not really different. And they know they are from the same background. And they know if they coordinated that they could be an economic success and a real basis for a rebirth in the Middle East.

[yurbud]

40. this would be the best reason to have a Jewish president--like Nixon going

to China, he'd be the only one who could force what he said in that interview to happen without being called anti-semitic.

[flpoljunkie]

42. Feingold not among those who spoke at the recent AIPAC policy conference.

Several Dem presidential hopefuls are among those listed.

http://www.aipac.org/PC2006/overview/speakers.html

This Year's Speakers

Richard B. Cheney, Vice President of the United States
David Albright, Founder and President of the Institute for Science and International Security
Daniel Ayalon, Israel's Ambassador to the United States
Anne Bayefsky, Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute
Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN)
Randy Beardsworth, Assistant Secretary for Strategic Plans at the Department of Homeland Security
Stephen Berk, The Schaffer Professor of Holocaust and Jewish Studies at Union College
Congresswoman Shelley Berkley (D-NV)
Nathalie Biderman, Director of the European Near East Forum
Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO)
Congressman John Boehner (R-OH), House Majority Leader
John Bolton, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations
David Brog, author of “Standing With Israel: Why Christians Support the Jewish State”
Daniel Byman, Director of Georgetown’s Security Studies Program
Patrick Clawson, Director for Research at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Senator Susan Collins (R-ME)
Congressman Artur Davis (D-AL)
Yaron Deckel, Washington Bureau Chief for The Israel Broadcasting Authority
Ron Dermer, Minister for Economic Affairs at the Israeli Embassy
John Edwards, Former Vice Presidential Candidate
Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Giora Eiland, National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister of Israel
Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY)
Shai Feldman, Director of The Crown Center for Middle East Studies at Brandeis University
Wayne Firestone, Executive Vice President for the United States at Hillel International
Jeffrey Gedmin, Director of The Aspen Institute, Berlin
Amos Gilad, Director of Policy and Political Military Bureau, Ministry of Defense, Israel
Daniel Gillerman, Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations
Newt Gingrich, Former Speaker of the House
Daniel Glicksberg, Deputy Director of The Ayalim Foundation
Dore Gold, President of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs
Gidi Grinstein, President of the Re’ut Institute
Jason Grumet, Executive Director of the National Commission on Energy Policy
Maj. Gen. Dan Harel, Defense & Armed Forces Attache for the Israeli Embassy
Husain Haqqani, Visiting Scholar at The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Congresswoman Jane Harman (D-CA)
Brig.-Gen. Michael Herzog, Visiting Scholar at The Washington Institute
David Horovitz, Jerusalem Post Editor-in-Chief
Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD)
Avi Isacharoff, Arab Affairs Correspondent at The Israel Broadcast Association
Jeremy Issacharoff, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Israeli Embassy
Raminder Jassal, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy
Paul Jureidini, Associate at Armitage Associates
David Kay, Former IAEA/UNSCOM Chief Nuclear Weapons Inspector
Congressman Mark Kirk (R-IL)
Gal Luft, Director of the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security
David Makovsky, Director of the Project on the Middle East Peace Process at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Shavit Matias, Israeli Deputy Attorney General
Jonathan Medved, General Partner of Israel Seed Partners
David Menton, The Britain Israel Communication and Research Centre
Benjamin Netanyahu, Chairman of the Likud Party, Israel
via satellite
Ehud Olmert, Acting Prime Minister and Chairman of the Kadima Party, Israel
via satellite
Congressman Bill Pascrell (D-NJ)
Amir Peretz, Chairman of the Labor Party, Israel
via satellite
Richard Perle, Resident Fellow, the American Enterprise Institute
Rev. Glen Plummer, President of the Christian Television Network
John Podhoretz, Columnist for The New York Post
Simon Rosenberg, President & Founder of the New Democrat Network
Shmuel Rosner, Chief United States Correspondent for Ha’aretz
Barry Rubin, Director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center
Robert Satloff, Executive Director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Dan Senor, Former Senior Advisor to Presidential Envoy Paul Bremer
Yossi Shain, Professor of Comparative Government at Georgetown University
Nina Shea, Director of the Freedom House’s Center for Religious Freedom
Eynat Shlein-Michael, Counselor for Middle East Affairs at the Israeli Embassy
David Siegel, Spokesman at the Israeli Embassy
Kenneth Stein, Director of the Institute for the Study of Modern Israel at Emory University
Pastor Victor Styrsky, Pro-Israel Activist
Mark Warner, Former Governor of Virginia
Larry Weinberg, Executive Vice-President of Israel21c
Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL)
Lt.-Gen. (Ret.) Moshe Ya’alon, Former IDF Chief of Staff

[radio4progressives]

80. Susan Collins is Jewish? Wow, now certain things are making sense..

I had wondered about her close alliance with Lieberman ...

now i get it.

[dogday]

41. He is a stand-up guy

He is willing to do what the others are not... They are worried about their political careers, he is concerned with our Government and the laws that are being broken by our rerpresentatives....

[stlsaxman]

32. Support for what? And why?

I can support Dean as DNC chair. I support Reid and Pelozzi as minority leaders. I support Al Gore as spokesperson against Global Warming....

and I do support Feingold in all matters he addresses. He's not the ONLY Democrat doing the hard work.

Now if you mean for President, I concur. Seeing as Dean and Gore are, for all practical purposes, out of the running, Feingold is tops on my list.

The list of actual Democrats may be larger than you think. Look around, they're there! ;)

[dysfunctional press]

50. support for pretty much anything he says or does...

i'd like to see him run for pres in 2008, obviously- his would be the only campaign i'd be willing to volunteer for, or donate to, or vote for.
any other candidate/nominee will have to get by without my vote or support- although i'm on the fence about Gore- i was/am pissed at him for 2000 and his god-awful campaign and running mate..but after seeing his global warming show- i only wish that THAT al gore had shown up for the 2000 election campaign- we might not be in such a fucking mess right now- countrywise.

[stlsaxman]

67. understood re being pissed at Gore after Florida 2000 debacle

but i soon came to realize he and his team did everything they could (unlike Kerry) before the SCOTUS took the case...

I've watched all of his speeches and am waiting to see the Global Warming show, and I must say, if Gore should decides to run I would support him all the way.

At this point it's Russ!

[mzmolly]

82. THAT AL Gore did show up. Many so called progressives did not.

Those same people attempt to blame Gore for their own ignorance.

[Rowdyboy]

34. How sad for you.....

[dysfunctional press]

48. I know what you mean...

I got stuck with a party full of gutless wonders, hypocrites and hacks- i might as well have become a repug- but i preferred to hang on to my idealistic soul.

[Rowdyboy]

75. No, you have no idea what I mean....

I always feel pity for people unable to accept the fact that compromise is a necessary part of politics. Even if Feingold were elected, he wouldn't be "pure" enough eventually.

[dysfunctional press]

84. compromise is one thing-

capitulation and complicity are others.
get yourself a dictionary, and when you've learned the difference- send it along to the DNC.

[Southsideirish]

39. Al Gore is the ONLY one I can support. n/t

[politicasista]

44. What about the other Democrats that stuck their necks out for you?

Like Gore, Kerry, Kennedy, Boxer, and so on.

[dysfunctional press]

71. hahahahahahahahahahahaha....

kerry stuck his neck out...?

when was that, exactly...?

and gore?

you weren't in this country for the last two presidential elections, were you?

[EFerrari]

45. Don't forget to rate the thread, DUers.

:kick:

[pstans]

47. Russ For President.

Come join us at www.russforpresident.com.

There is going to be a chat with other Feingold supporters at 9 pm eastern at that site. See you there!

[PassingFair]

49. I will canvass for him.

And I don't take that lightly.

[Joey Liberal]

51. Other Dems in the Senate BETTER support Russ

It will make me sick if the other Senate Dems do not take a stand with Russ. You know Carl Sheeler from Rhode Island would!

[blm]

65. Yeah - I'm still pissed how some didn't support the DSM letter of inquiry.

I hope more support Feingold on censure, at least.

[radio4progressives]

81. Have you called Senators Boxer and Feinstein yet?

I've called both offices, non-committal..

will call again..

[charlyvi]

53. If Russ runs, I will vote for him.

If Wes Clarke runs, I will vote for him. If Warner runs (I hope not) I will vote for him. And, yes, if Hillary runs I will vote for her.

My candidate doesn't have to be perfect. When I look at the other side, I think to myself: MY CANDIDATE JUST HAS TO MAKE A GOOD START! Whoever he or she is will just have to stop the avalanche, staunch the flow. The rest will come in due course.

[eallen]

54. I'm glad Russ Feingold finds other Democrats he can support.

[upi402]

55. kucinich, jackson-lee, conyers,

there are some, but they get black-balled from media exposure.

[dysfunctional press]

70. i prefer a candidate with a realistic chance-

of winning in a national election.

[Terran1212]

56. McKinney, Lewis, Conyers, Lee..

[dysfunctional press]

69. have no realistic chances at the BIG chair.

[K8-EEE]

63. My Senator Has Earned My Support....

BOXER!! Don't exaggerate...there are a lot of good dems, but we need MORE and we need to lose the Liebermans of the world altogether.

[blm]

64. I prefer anti-corruption and open government leaders, but Feingold has

other good qualities I appreciate.

[UTUSN]

66. So if it can't be FEINGOLD/Dem, who, what party will it be?

I wonder about "might as well have become a Repuke" and "hang on to my idealism". Equating one person with all-principles-under-heaven leaves most of the principles aside.

[dysfunctional press]

68. nobody in no party.

if russ doesn't run in 2008, i won't vote for president.

[Jersey Devil]

73. You're not the solution - You're part of the problem

Instead of fighting to replace the appointed heir to what may very well be the worst president in American history you will sit idly by and allow them to have another 4 years to destroy our country because you can find no Democrat who can walk on water for you and pass your purity test other than Feingold.

[dysfunctional press]

83. no- the problem is people who accept the status quo in either party.

the crop of democrats have been nothing but enablers of this administrations evil policies...and i'm through with continually being forced to hold my nose to vote for the lesser of two evils.
(i'm looking at YOU, john kerry...)

[mmonk]

74. I'm with you on that.

[NoodleyAppendage]

77. Hear! Hear! He's got my vote....if we are allowed by the money Dems.

I'm convinced that Hillary's camp will start the dirty tricks campaign against Feingold soon if he continues to make gains with the grassroots.

J

[JackBeck]

78. I've been feeling for quite some time

that Feingold-Clarke would be an amazing ticket to run on.

[leftofthedial]

79. What about Harkin?

see here

[MissB]

87. Isn't it a bit early to start these wars on DU?

Sheesh. It is only March 2006.

[upi402]

88. LOL, I think you may have a poit there!

:rofl: :popcorn:

[mdmc]

89. Wisconsin rocks!