http://usliberals.about.com/Tough Week for Political Party Mavericks: McCain and Feingold Both Garner Little SupportPolitical party mavericks have fared poorly over the past few days. Last weekend, independent-minded Republican Senator John McCain (R-AZ) came in a distant, disappointing fourth in the first Republican Party straw vote for the 2008 presidential nomination. (Bush-loyalist and conservative Christian favorite Senator Bill Frist won the straw vote of Southern Democrats. Repubs are reportedly unhappy with McCain for wanting to clean-up Senate ethics. )
And today, the equally independent-minded Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) delivered a clarion call to the Senate for censure of President Bush for breaking US law with years of warrantless wiretapping of Americans. Despite the admitted illegality of the NSA wiretaping program, Feingold's passionate speech garnered little support from other senators.
Wrote the New York Times in a March 11, 2006 editorial, "Take domestic spying, held up as another area of Republican revolt. The program violates the law. Congress knows it. The public knows it. Even President Bush knows it. (He just says the law doesn't apply to him.)
In response, the Capitol Hill rebels are boldly refusing to investigate the program — or any other warrantless spying that is going on. They are trying to rewrite the law to legalize warrantless spying. And meanwhile, they've created new subcommittees to help the president go on defying the law. "
Senator Feingold demonstrated courageous leadership today when he boldly declared "The President has violated the law, and Congress must respond. Congress must investigate and demand answers. Congress should also determine whether current law is inadequate and address that deficiency if it is demonstrated. But before doing so, Congress should ensure that there is accountability for authorizing illegal conduct.
A formal censure by Congress is an appropriate and responsible first step to assure the public that when the President thinks he can violate the law without consequences, Congress has the will to hold him accountable."
Americans in both the Democratic and Republican parties crave bold, principled leadership and action by its elected representives. BUT...the Senate, House of Representatives and top party leaders lately give such bold leaders the cold political shoulder.
Senator Feingold's speech today was remarkably similar to the much-heralded speech delivered by Al Gore in January 2006 with one big difference: Feingold was asking the Senate to take action, whereas Mr. Gore was not, as he currently doesn't hold public office. Feingold was requesting action to match the rhetoric.
I firmly believe that one day, we will look back and regard Senator Feingold's speech today as a urgent, historical call to return to democratic governance by the US Constitution.....and tragically, a missed moral opportunity to take the US off the "wrong track" cited by 67% of all Americans in early March 2006.
Take the time to read US Senator Russ Feingold's Speech Calling of Censure of President Bush. And be sure to compare it with the Landmark Speech by Al Gore on the US Constitutional Crisis Created by President George Bush.
We DO have courageous, imaginative leaders willing to stand-up and shout the truth.....that Emperor George Bush wears no clothes of legality or morality at all, and that he is surrounded by shameless sycophants of both parties who ignore reality for the sake of their own political (and financial) fortunes.
Support Al Gore and Russ Feingold today! We desperately need their fearless, moral leadership.
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