Feingold assails Dems on Bush censure

[sabra]

http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/14098410.htm

Feingold assails Dems on Bush censure

Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Wisconsin Sen. Russell Feingold accused fellow Democrats on Tuesday of cowering rather than joining him on trying to censure President Bush over domestic spying.
"Democrats run and hide" when the administration invokes the war on terrorism, Feingold told reporters.

Feingold introduced censure legislation Monday in the Senate but not a single Democrat has embraced it. Several have said they want to see the results of a Senate Intelligence Committee investigation before supporting any punitive legislation.

Republicans dismissed the proposal Tuesday as being more about Feingold's 2008 presidential aspirations than Bush's actions. On and off the Senate floor, they have dared Democrats to vote for the resolution.

"I'm amazed at Democrats ... cowering with this president's numbers so low," Feingold said.

[saigon68]

1. Good for Him

Here is a picture of cowering>

These DINOS are like the draft dodgers (like Cheney) I once knew. !!!


They are COWARDS and people with NO COURAGE OR CONVICTIONS.

[hollowdweller]

2. Democrats are too timid.

It plays into the whole weak on defense stereotype to be too timid.

[heirs_of_liberty]

65. True, but look at what they are doing to Weldon?

Problem with majority governments is that they cannot investigate themselves. The NSA mafia was built to certain specifications with certain capabilities, thus anything they are capable of doing, someone IS doing. We have seen that time and time again, and especially with surreptitious surviellance that if the capability was developed it was.

The problem is we have already seen many times on many different levels what incredibly evil horrors the CIA Mafia, it's foreign branches and a compliant, servile misadministration are capable of allowing to happen or doing!

The inherent risk in criticizing any more than this counterproductive, violent, useless, pointless, ill planned, bloody and immoral Iraq War itself goes beyond the range of political safety. These guys are such expert, arrogant and sophisticated liars that getting into little details like this does not pay.

At least until after the election!

[Kenergy]

3. imo, he's right

This was a golden opportunity for every Dem in congress to band together on an important issue.
I'm definetly getting the impression that a lot of Dems have been bought off.Sad.
Watch Russ on CSPAN presenting his censure bill...he's Presidential material.

[AndyTiedye]

27. Blackmailed, More Likely

After Bush**ler proudly announced that he had been spying on everybody,
the outrage in DC subsided really fast
-- after Karl called each of them up and told them what he had on them!

[heirs_of_liberty]

66. ...or what they already had, got them nominated in the 1st place

[pokercat999]

67. I'm just about over this democratic "party"......one voter

looking for a progressive political party with guts to replace one without any.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. Feingold rocks.

He's the only one who has any.

[jazzjunkysue]

23. ROFL!!!!!!

I want a pair.

[nookiemonster]

5. WTF is up with our Democratic leadership??

Oh wait.....nevermind.

Regardless, Russ is kicking ass. Kudos to him for taking this shit seriously.

[blockhead]

6. he is right...

I just jumped on the Russ bandwagon. Russ in '08.

[antonialee839]

25. Me too. Now all he needs is a running mate.

I think Wesley would fill the bill.

[LeinesRed]

36. YES, YES

Feingold/Clark Like that!

[Maccagirl]

7. This reminds me of the scene in Farenheit 9/11

when the Congressional Black Caucus was told to sit down and shut up. I had tears of anger then, and I do so again. I salute Senator Feingold. He must know that he is not alone. Does anyone have his fax or phone #?

[wordpix2]

15. www.feingold.senate.gov or email here:

[e-mail]

[Maccagirl]

22. Thank you!

Just fired off a supportive email.

[KOBUK]

54. Just shot off e-mail voicing my support !

[primavera]

56. And another...

People, be sure to take a moment and let Russ know that he is far more faithfully representing our concerns than are the Vichy Dems. He's gotta be feeling pretty low with the entire Party wimping out on him and needs to know he's the one on the right track, not the majority.

[riona]

57. done

[dancingme]

8. Wake Up So Called Leaders of the Dem Party

Russ Feingold is speaking TRUTH to your so called POWER!

[drduffy]

9. I was suspicious of Feingold

but has gradually impressed me as the best Democrat out there. So what if whatever he does also serves a political purpose. It firstly, serves truth and justice. That is better than anything anybody else is the f--k doing. He's speaking to out dire situation.

[Hardrada]

10. The other Dems don't wanna lose their perks

and their little lovenests. Besides they are all compromised by reels and reels of incriminatin' film.

[gulfcoastliberal]

11. Democrats = Republicans AKA VICHY DEMS

Anyone, please tell WHAT GOOD THINGS the dems have done since Bush was throned. Hopefully it'd be something substantional, but I don I'll get even that. VICHY DEMS VICHY DEMS VICHY DEMS!!!

[IndianaGreen]

12. Democratic Leadership publicly pee down its leg in knee-shaking fright

First, you saw the House Democratic Leadership publicly pee down its leg in knee-shaking fright, removing a major report on Republican corruption from its website. Why? Because they feared the GOP would yell at them about it. Now, a sane person would say - that would be great! If the GOP did that, it would call attention to the report, right? Yes, you are right - but today's congressional Democrats are apparently so afraid of their own shadow, so self-absorbed and comfortable in the minority, that they are afraid even to bait the GOP into doing what they should want them to do.

Then, yesterday, you saw Democratic Senators run for cover when one of their own - Sen. Russ Feingold (D) - courageously asked the U.S. Senate to stand up and defend the Constitution by censuring the president for breaking the law with his illegal, no-court-order domestic wiretapping scheme. Again, polls show the public believes the president should have to get a court order, and should not be able to simply make up laws on his own. Yet, Senate Democrats - cowering in fear in the comfortable confines of the Senate cloakroom - refused to back up Feingold.

http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0314-31.htm

[wordpix2]

51. you're right-Dem "leaders" afraid of Cheney Fudd, Dim$on, Fitzprobe Rove

& their incompetent, illegal hold on power that they were selected to head, not elected,

[Ksec]

13. "cowering" is a fine description of most of these nutless Dems.

We have the poll numbers. Its not like bush hasnt broke our laws ..repeatedly. And we dont support terrorists. We support the constitution . They support terrorists by driving this country and its freedoms into the ground, no different than what any dictatorship would do.

So I dont want to hear excuses. If they dont sign on theyre a bunch of cowering cowards.

[wisteria]

14. He was wrong to say this to the media. If he has comments to make

to his fellow senators, then he needed to say it without the media present. This was not diplomatic on his part and makes the party look divided in an election year no less. I'm not saying Bush shouldn't be held accountable, just that Feingold could have handled things differently.

[wordpix2]

16. how do you know he DIDN'T present this to senate leadership first?

And they told him to take a hike?

[karynnj]

37. Because Feingold said so on ABC and he's not a liar

[VegasWolf]

17. I agree with Russ. We need to humiliate and vote out all weakling

DINOs and replace them with people who will represent Democratic values rather than worry about "political expediency", "keeping our powder dry", feeding at the corporate trough and doing ANYTHING to keep their cushy jobs. Point fingers directly at them Russ!!!

[whathappened]

18. bs to that

these asshats need to be woke up and shamed into doing there jobs , if they can't be counted on there is no place for them in washington , let them fight for there jobs back home when the election come to town for there jobs , there are good dems out there who can run and can win on one thing , i'am a good dem and i will work for you all the time , and i will not be toned down when it comes to being a good american

[MH1]

28. I agree. n/t

[Exiled in America]

35. Bullshit.

[SemperEadem]

38. psst...

the Democratic party IS divided--has been since way before the election.

All Feingold did was shine a light on just how divided they are from their duties to uphold and defend the Constitution. They are waaaaaaaay too comfortable right now and there is no way they should be this silent about the rights of their law abiding and loyal constituents and the flagrant audacity of Bush and his boys to dare anyone to complain while they break the law.

[radio4progressives]

42. maybe he has for the past six years... and they're doing to him what they

do to us..

[jsamuel]

63. what you aren't realizing is that this is the natural consequence of Dems

passing the Patriot Act anyway after the filibuster

Feingold has had enough of their weakness of being scared to be seen as weak on national security.

[leftchick]

19. woohoo! Russ!

you are the manly man Democrat and the only one I will vote for!

:woohoo:

[MODemocrat]

20. Actually, it's pretty typical of the soft-on- Bush Democrats

Everything most of them are doing these days is within their best political interest. To hell with working on domestic problems and trying to fix a few problems. The politicians are pretty much cut from the same cloth. As long as they draw their hefty salaries, they don't give a damn about the rest of us. I don't want anyone to write to me asking for a contribution again. This country is going to hell in a hand basket with Bush in charge. Doesn't anyone care?

:scared: :thumbsdown:

[bpilgrim]

21. He Ain't the only one!

Give'm hell russ, they've earned it :toast:

peace

[jazzjunkysue]

24. He's a true patriot. The rest are nose pickers.

We love ya, Russ!!!!!!You've got my vote.

[PassingFair]

26. Make sure everyone signs the MoveOn Petition

http://political.moveon.org/censure/


And don't forget to pass it on to others!

[jamesinca]

31. Not only sign it, but pass it on

Not only pass it on, but write your Senators. Not only write your Senators, but call their office. This is my pissed off letter that I wrote to my senator. I am also going to call her office. I doubt they keep real good records of who called, wrote and signed a petition online, but they do see volume and that makes them take a second look.

Sen. Boxer-
Sen. Feingold introduced censure legislation Monday in the Senate but not a single Democrat has embraced it. Why?

By not supporting Sen. Feingold the Democrats are once again not missing and opportunity to miss an opportunity. This President has abysmal approval ratings, the Republicans are being out polled across the board, and the so called Democrat leadership is letting Sen. Feingold hang himself. He is being mocked in the news by the Republicans, they are turning this into a campaign stump, not a serious issue. This is a serious issue! I want my country back, and I want people in congress that are willing to do that work. Without that work the President will be able to say truthfully that warrentless wiretaps have broad support in congress.

The ACLU just released reports, obtained with FOIA, that the President has been spying on Americans because of their political views. That is in violation of the 4th amendment. That is an extension of his warrentless wiretaps, and the FISA courts not being used. That is an impeachable offense, censure is cowardly in this case. Shame on you for not having enough backbone to even be cowardly, shame on you!

[PassingFair]

32. Great letter, jamesinca!

I e-mailed my Senators and let them know that
I expected their usual correct behavior
(I'm in Michigan). Tomorrow, I'm calling them.

We need to keep up the pressure.

I also attended our local dem meeting and let
the locals know how I feel. MOST feel the same
way and some people showed up JUST TO BITCH
ABOUT OUR OWN PARTY.

I told them the correct thing to do was JOIN
the club and FIGHT for progressive leadership!

We WILL prevail, because we HAVE to!

[jamesinca]

50. Boxer will support Feingold

I just got word from her office that she will support Sen. Feingold. I feel like I owe her an apology or something.

[auagroach]

29. Dear Sen. Fiengold...

If this is some sneeky way to run a premptive '08 presidential campaign it's pretty clever not to mention courageous.

Sincerely, a future volunteer.

[kentuck]

30. They don't know it but their inaction is making Feingold stronger....

They must think if they ignore him, he will go away?

[depakid]

33. It's about time someone shamed them

Though I don't expect the majority will stop cowering anytime soon.

They've grown used to it over the past 12 years-

[BenDavid]

34. Damn Skippy Russ!

Most everyone is saying the Dems on this censure issue are over-playing their hand. Over-playing my ass. Hell, the Dems would fold a royal flush. With as much chit as bush has this country in at the moment, watch how the media portrays the Dems. Hell, even though bush is in the low 30's in approval the repugs still have the mediawhores on their side. The Dems have got to have some sembelance of order. The most important election to come down the pike is only 7 months away, and what are the Dems doing so that people would even consider voting to replace the repug now that holds that seat? The Dems instead of going on the Easter/Passover break need to meet as whole and come together on the major issues....Then present them to the public....The public is waiting, and unless the Dems come up with something quick to fill this void left by the repugs in Congress, then folks will just vote em right back in and we all will come in here on Wednesday November 8th and holler, wait till 08....Hell if that happens, turn out the light "THE PARTY" is over....

[SemperEadem]

39. I wrote mine..

Perhaps I needed to ask him why his train station doesn't have a parking lot so commuters can park in Secaucus...

anyway, here is what I added:

There is no reason why the citizens of this country must rise up and beg their Representatives and Senators in Washington, D.C. to fulfill their oaths of office to defend the uphold the Constitution of this land. Unless the 14th Amendment has been re-written and ratified without anyone's knowledge, the President may not circumvent the law and tread on the rights of "We the People" to his own selfish ends.

And you all were worked up over lying about a stain on the dress of an adult woman?

Please, refocus... and remember why you are in Washingon, D.C. and for whom you are there. I dare say, if I had to choose, I'd rather have a king than a dictator, but my Constituion is jealous of both, so I will have Liberty and Justice instead, since I'm a part of "For All".

[radio4progressives]

40. kicked and recommended.. excellent ...

:kick: :applause:

[kster]

41. Goddamn it, Democrats rule

Feingold is a Democrat and a lone voice, Republicans did not stand with Feingold neither, but yet we criticize ONLY the Democrats.

THIS IS HOW THEY TRAP US!!!

Democrats And Republicans ARE COWARDS!!!! PLEASE REMEMBER THAT!!!!

[PBass]

43. I don't see any statements on Clinton and Schumer's websites yet

Maybe they have not declared an official position yet? A Clinton staffer told me yesterday that there would be a statement on her website when she makes a decision. Don't get me wrong, I'm not shocked if Dems are wimping out. What I'm saying is that maybe they are waiting to see which way the wind blows, before taking an official position.

CALL YOUR SENATORS.

I'm telling Schumer and Clinton that they're never getting another fricking penny from me, if they wimp out on this one. I'm a busy guy, I can easily find more productive things to do in November besides wasting my time voting for wimps. I will stay at home and mop my kitchen floor instead.

I don't see how Dems can honestly expect to portray themselves as being 'tough on defense' when they won't even fight to protect the balance of power, or fight to protect OUR CONSTITUTION.

[kster]

44. Have you seen anything on Republican sites?

I'm just curious? I don't see how Dems OR THE REPUBLICAN'S can honestly expect to portray themselves as being 'tough on defense'when they won't even fight to protect the balance of power, or fight to protect OUR CONSTITUTION.

[bvar22]

45. The Democrats are not afraid of the Republicans.

The Democrats are not afraid of us (their constituents).

The Democrats ARE afraid of losing their BIG MONEY from their Corporate Masters
who have ordered them to lie down and play dead.

How progressive (is Middle America)? It doesn't get covered by the corporate media (imagine that), but mainstream polls consistently find that big majorities of Americans are not meek centrists, but overt, tub-thumping, FDR progressives who are seeking far more populist gumption and governmental action than any Democratic congressional leader or presidential contender has dared to imagine. In recent polls by the Pew Research Group, the Opinion Research Corporation, the Wall Street Journal, and CBS News, the American majority has made clear how it feels. Look at how the majority feels about some of the issues that you'd think would be gospel to a real Democratic party:

1. 65 percent say the government should guarantee health insurance for everyone -- even if it means raising taxes.

2. 86 percent favor raising the minimum wage (including 79 percent of selfdescribed "social conservatives").

3. 60 percent favor repealing either all of Bush's tax cuts or at least those cuts that went to the rich.

4. 66 percent would reduce the deficit not by cutting domestic spending but by reducing Pentagon spending or raising taxes.

5. 77 percent believe the country should do "whatever it takes" to protect the environment.

6. 87 percent think big oil corporations are gouging consumers, and 80 percent (including 76 percent of Republicans) would support a windfall profits tax on the oil giants if the revenues went for more research on alternative fuels.

7. 69 percent agree that corporate offshoring of jobs is bad for the U.S. economy (78 percent of "disaffected" voters think this), and only 22% believe offshoring is good because "it keeps costs down."

8. 69 percent believe America is on the wrong track, with only 26 percent saying it's headed in the right direction…

9. Over 64% of Americans believe that the Iraq Invasion was a mistake, and US Troops should be pulled out ASAP.

[beltanefauve]

46. Wimps?

Look at the votes to filibuster the Alito confirmation. The lines were drawn quite clearly that day.

[tjwash]

53. 72-25 with only 24 Dems voting for it, is hardly a "line in the sand"

[beltanefauve]

61. Exactly my point

The real Dems, the coerced Dems and the Vichy-Dems all showed their true colors that day.

[truthisfreedom]

47. i would, and i will, vote for this man for President of the United States.

he's no coke-fiend inside-trading eminent-domaining poppy's-friend-hugging guckert-fucker.

he's a real man who knows when to speak up and speak out. he's a real man who knows who to speak to...



me.




on edit: Hillary for Vice-President who doesn't shoot her friends in the face.

[NVMojo]

48. Feingold is the real deal, the rest of them are frauds

[Vinca]

49. Feingold is the only one who deserves our vote in 2008.

Censure is the very LEAST that should happen to the worst president in my (long) lifetime. It makes me furious that other Senate Democrats aren't supporting him. They aren't representing us, they're protecting their jobs - they think. Someone remind them it won't be a Republican backlash that votes them out of the people's house.

[populistdriven]

52. Stan Goff: "hundreds of Democrats who need spine transplants"

In the middle of a rant about the lies told by Bush and Rumsfeld he dropped that gem.
Tuesday 14 March 2006 http://www.iraq-war.ru/article/82287

~snip~
I thought it would be a good idea to find someone who is qualified to
discuss how feasible it would be to train 99 Iraqi battalions in less
than six months, as Pace now claims has occurred.

I decided that someone who was in the US Army for 26 years and who
worked in eight conflict areas, starting in Vietnam and ending with
Haiti, would be qualified. If he had served in two parachute infantry
units, three Ranger units, two Special Forces Groups and in Delta Force
that would be helpful as well. And just to make sure, if he taught
tactics at the Jungle Operations Training Center in Panama and Military
Science at the United States Military Academy at West Point, thus
knowing a thing or two about training soldiers, that would be a bonus.

That person is Stan Goff.

"This is utter bullshit," was Goff's remark about the Pace claim of
having 100 Iraqi battalions when I asked him to comment, "He must be
counting the resistance among his forces."

Goff adds, "That dip-shit Pace is saying he has 60,000 trained and
disciplined people under arms ... 65,000 with all the staffs ... and
almost 100,000 with the support units they would require. To train and
oversee them would require thousands of American advisors. It must suck
for a career Marine to be used so blatantly as a PR flak."

Goff mentioned that Pace "and everyone else" knows that the Iraqi
forces, "however many there are," are heavily cross-infiltrated.

"He Pace is saying that the Bush administration is going to empower a
pro-Iranian government with 100 ready battalions, when this
administration was handed this particular government as the booby prize
in exchange for Sistani pulling their cookies out of the fire during the
joint rebellions in Najaf and Fallujah," added Goff.

Further discrediting the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Goff
said, "To train 99 battalions since last September is a claim only the
average American might swallow. The right question to ask is, where are
they? Where are they headquartered, and where are they in operation?
Claiming operations security doesn't count, unless they believe they can
hide 100 units of 600 people each in Iraq ... from other Iraqis ... who
are often related to them."

He concludes, "These guys have become accustomed to saying any damn
thing, then counting on ignorance and apathy at home - along with
hundreds of Democrats who need spine transplants - to get away with it.
You can quote me on any of that." ~snip~

[Gregorian]

55. They're not cowering. They're greedy. Power corrupts.

Can't you tell it from their voices? I knew Dianne Fienstein as mayor of SF. But when she hit the Senate, her voice became that of a SENATOR. Big, bold, arrogant, smug. And greedy for power and fame.
They have their own gym. They have their own club of elite. They have travel. They have the world as their oyster.

That, Senator Feingold, is what you are up against.

[riona]

58. is it just me

or does anyone else wonder if some of our representatives are true democrats or just elephants squeezing into a donkey costume?

[No Exit]

59. Go Feingold!!!

Hey, Russ--don't you ever get tired of being right all the time??

[Critters2]

60. Russ for President!!

On Wisconsin!:woohoo:

[Blue_Tires]

62. ttt

for justice

[goforit]

64. Way to go Feingold!!!....Stand tall. A suppressed life isn't worth living!