Why in gods name would anyone who calls themselves a democrat...

[LynneSin]

...even contemplate thinking that Carl Levin is some sort of deadweight that needs to be defeated in his next re-election campaign? Hell even when Russ Feingold pissed me off on his John Ashcroft vote I expressed my dissatisfaction (many times) but I still think he's one of our best senators down in DC.

I'm reading about the Hayden vote and there are people who are bad-mouthing Levin and I'm absolutely SHOCKED!!!! Beyond shocked. Here is a senator who voted AGAINST the Iraq War Resolution back in 2002. He has supported environment causes including protecting the Refuse. And he is a strong advocate in protecting a woman's right to choose. He has been a great senator and Michigan should be proud to have him as their representative.

But perhaps my view on senators are a bit jaded. I was a lifelong Pennsylvanian until about 5 years ago and for eight years Rick Santorum was my senator. And when you have Rick Santorum as your senator you could almost find a bit of love even for Joe Lieberman.

I am not upset about the Hayden vote. One thing I've learned from 5+years of following Bush appointees to his regime is that when we are in the minority he is going to get what he wants and if for some bizarre reason it doesn't happen he'll just appoint someone else just like the first one. We have more important battles to fight than this especially finding out why the FCC is doing NOTHING about phone companies handing over our records to the government. My senator, Joe Biden, is on the same committee as Levin. I don't know how he voted today and personally I don't care. I didn't even bother writing him on this one.

But seriously, before you start calling for the head of a senator who voted against something that perhaps you disagreed with, maybe first you should look at their entire voting record and judge him/her on their whole record and NOT one isolated incident. I can think of many DUers, stuck with 1 or 2 horrible senators in their home state, who would be honored to have Carl Levin represent them

[Richardo]

1. Dogma is a horrible thing for any political party, left or right

All a litmus test reveals are the limitations of the person administering the test.

I'm with ya, Lynne! Politics is a complex, messy game and you have to pick your battles.

[panader0]

2. We'll take Levin here in Az. Stuck with kyl and McCain

Kyl's latest sleazy ads on the radio claim that because Peterson wants to end the tax cut for the rich (which isn't mentioned) that he is in favor of "raising your taxes" God I hate that twisted kind of spin.

[LynneSin]

3. Hell I live in Delaware and would swap Tom Carper for Carl Levin

I'm ok with Biden - he's not that bad!

[kentuck]

4. Intra-Committee politics...

He was going to win the vote of the Committee regardless of how they voted. Who knows, they may vote differently on the floor??

[pecwae]

5. I'd be thrilled to have Carl Levin in NC!

Look what we're stuck with - Burr and Liddy Dole. At least Burr's office has actually answered my letters and email; Dole doesn't bother.

[Virginia Dare]

9. Ditto in Virginia

we've got Warner (somewhat tolerable) and Allen (beyond intolerable)

[whometense]

6. Totally agree.

And well said!!!

Nitpicking voting records is what Karl Rove does when he's trying to misrepresent what a democratic senator really stands for. We shouldn't aid and abet him in his evil endeavors. There's no senator you're going to agree with 100% of the time.

[killerbush]

7. Maybe a lot of people should look at Lieberman's whole record

Before they smear the man with insults, right LynneSin.

[LynneSin]

11. I'm challged by Lieberman in many ways

but I also know that when it comes to choice, environment and several other issues that are near & dear to my heart we can count on Lieberman.

However, if I lived in Connecticut I'd be voting for the other guy in the primaries. But in the general election I'd have a smile on my face even if it was Lieberman I was voting for. Because on Lieberman's absolutely worst day ever as a senator and on the absolutely best day ever for the likes of Santorum, Hatch, Frist, Lott, etc - Liberman is still the better senator

[LoZoccolo]

8. Because you can post all sorts of things on the Internet...

...and not have to be serious, and not have to worry about people laughing their ass off at you or getting mad at them for being ridiculous and destructive and unreasonable, or have people think you're crazy and obnoxious and avoid you.

People wonder why I have over 700 people on ignore. One big reason is because if I met these people in real life, I wouldn't want to give them so much of my limited precious time if they were going to waste it the way that they do. If people walk up to me at an Illinois Dem Net meeting or at Drinking Liberally and start saying crazy things, I start thinking about how to get away from them. It's got nothing to do with hiding from opinions, but managing my time as many very effective people do.

[LynneSin]

10. I feel honored - I'm not one of the ignored

To be honest, I have one person and that is for reasons outside of disagreeing with their politics. When I see stupidity like people calling Levin 'deadweight' for a vote that really wasn't that highly important of an issue, I want to see their message so I can call them on that stupidity (and I would hope people do the same for me if I'm acting that stupid).

[tabasco]

12. Mikulski is as solid a liberal Democrat that ever served.

I'm not as informed about this matter as I should be, but I trust Mikulski 100%.

[LynneSin]

13. I trust her even more than that

Yeah, I saw some beef against Mikulski and was absolutely flabberghasted. Are we now eating our own including the good ones that have been there for us?

[blm]

14. I dislike the Hayden vote - but I also HATED votes Feingold cast for Rice,

Roberts and most of Bush's team. But, that's Russ - and many Dems accept him the way he is, but extend NO courtesy to other senators for their own beliefs.

What I have a hard time forgiving is how only ONE senator on the Intel Committee signed the DSM letter of inquiry. And only TEN senators signed it overall. SHAME on the Intel Committee - only Corzine saw the import of the DSM.

The DSM was one of the most important pieces of evidence we had in proving Bush's Iraq invasion was an impeachable offense.

[LincolnMcGrath]

15. Maybe

They are simply expressing their dissatisfaction? :shrug:

[LynneSin]

16. There is one thing to express Dissatisfaction over a vote

Hell just do an archive search on many of the posts I've done about Russ Feingold - hell I've called him a snake in the grass who I trusted less than Joe Lieberman (ie - Roberts, Rice & Ashcroft votes in committee).

HOWEVER, I'm not calling for Feingold to be removed from office because I think my DU membership would be revoked and if not I'd probably be the first DUer on ignore by all 89k+ members. If you go to the thread there were many people who were discussing how he was a deadweight and how they should do something about it next election for Levin.

DU is a great place to discuss our dissatisfaction but I can't see how ANYONE could feasibly consider voting out a progressive liberal like Levin is just beyond me!