Sen. Feingold Stands Up...Again

[IndianaGreen]

Published on Saturday, September 9, 2006 by CommonDreams.org
Sen. Feingold Stands Up...Again
by Dave Lindorff

Once again, Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI), has nailed it, doing exactly the right thing, acting in a courageous manner as a progressive politician should act.

It is clear to everyone in Congress that President Bush knows he's in deep political and legal trouble over his warrantless NSA spying program. It has been declared a violation of the Foreign Surveillance Intelligence law passed by Congress in 1978, and the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution, by a federal judge in Detroit. His justification for breaking those laws--that he is the commander in chief in a so-called "war" on terror--was summarily slapped down and tossed out by the U.S. Supreme Court in the course of its Hamdi v. Rumsfeld decision in June. And anyone who thinks honestly about why the president would have decided to violate the FISA law and avoid seeking warrants for the spy program from a group of secret, top-security-clearance-rated judges in a special FISA court that has only rejected four such requests in 28 years has to admit that Bush is clearly doing something outrageous (most likely spying on his political enemies in a replay of Nixon¹s actions‹the very crime that led Congress to pass FISA in the first place).

My own Senator Arlen Specter, a Republican who keeps playing at liberal to the home crowd in Pennsylvania but who has shown himself to be nothing but an enabler of Bush's constitutional crime wave, held hearings on the NSA spying. He huffed and puffed a little about its being illegal, and then came up with a proposal that, if passed by Congress, would retroactively exonerate the president of his crime against the Constitution, while establishing a new shortcut to permit the warrantless spying to continue unabated, and unmonitored by either Congress or the FISA court.

It looked like this atrocity of Specter's was going to pass into law, but Sen. Feingold, with the help of, not Democrats, but three Republican senators he rounded up who still respect the Bill of Rights and rule of law, managed to fend it off by way of a filibuster threat.

Feingold deserves all of our thanks for this move--so uncharacteristic of his feckless Democratic colleagues, who continue to cower at the thought of an attack by Karl Rove and his media minions.

http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0909-20.htm

[ananda]

1. :-)

"Arlen Specter, a Republican who keeps playing at liberal to the home crowd in Pennsylvania but who has shown himself to be nothing but an enabler of Bush¹s constitutional crime wave"

[Solly Mack]

2. Nice!!!!!

[saltpoint]

3. Thank you for your praise of Russell Feingold and the good work he does.

He's a very good man.

[LuckyLib]

4. Who are the three Repug senators. It would be helpful to know

who we can count on in these situations.

[lwcon]

5. Have you read Arlen magazine? :v)

I keep trying to give Specter the benefit of the doubt, because he often says the right things, unlike his colleagues. But in the end, it seems he always does the wrong thing.

___

Hey, the liberal light is always on at the Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy. Please stop by and say "hi!"

[IndianaGreen]

6. Specter's shady past includes the "magic bullet" JFK assassination theory

which made the Warren Commission disregard any evidence of a fourth shot, or a second shooter.

[gizmo1979]

10. I actually watched a show

on the magic bullet,and watched them recreate the shot perfectly.I'm now a believer that the bullet did just that.

[IndianaGreen]

14. John Connally died with bullet fragments still embedded in his body

Specter's magic bullet, which was found in a stretcher at Parkland Hospital, was in pristine condition.

[elocs]

7. Notice, with the help of three Republican senators...

If this administration is to be brought to justice, along with the calls for Bush's blood, scalp, and crucifixion, are to completely come to pass it is ultimately going to need help from some honest Republicans who are truly interested in the welfare of this country. I am concerned about the overconfidence and the zeal by some here as to what will be done to Bush after the Democrats take power. It's like bragging about being the Super Bowl winner before the game is played. It ain't over til it's over. It's hard to strut while you are eating crow and the humble pie served up by the Republicans if they retain power will be hard to swallow. The election this November will be the last chance to ever call Bush to account unless something so bad happens that the Republicans move against him also, but I don't know what that might be.

[emmadoggy]

8. LOVE Russ Feingold!! Go Russ!!

:applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :woohoo: :woohoo:

[blm]

9. HORSESHIT, Lindorff - praise Feingold, but the rest of the Dems aren't

"feckless" or scared of Rove.

Plenty of Dems are working on issues Feingold isn't working on. No one calls Russ "feckless" when he's not engaged on a specific issue. He's just being his usual quiet self or working on an issue that he has taken on.

Why do asshats like Lindorff have to LIE about other Democrats to make a point?

[Jai4WKC08]

11. That was my thought exactly

It takes more than 4 men to mount a credible threat to filibuster. If there's any truth at all to what Lindorff wrote (and it's more than possible there isn't), Feingold's effort had to include other Dems.

But hey, I'm not surprised. Counterpunch exists to drag down Democrats and set us against each other. It's what they do.

[CarlVK]

23. Does it kill you that some real fighting Dem got more press than Kerry?

that's just so....sad.

[blm]

26. No - just that the WRITER distorted his article to attack ALL Democrats

as if only 3 GOPs were supporting Feingold while all Democrats were feckless and hiding under the covers.

Did you ever read an article where it described the battles that any other Dem took on while Russ was described as "feckless" and afraid?

[CarlVK]

30. FALSE

If you actually read the article you can see that he mentions more than one Democrat actually doing something about removing the Chimp from power. Do you see the logical fallacy in your response to the article? If in fact Lindorff had attacked ALL Democrats, wouldnt that attack include Feingold?

[blm]

31. He's USING Feingold's action as a stand alone while calling all other Dems

"feckless" and fearful.

Are you trying to deny he said it? Read the article in FULL.

[Greyhound]

12. I'm telling you, this guy needs to be our VP and be put in charge of

politics and domestic policy, with Clark as Prez to conduct foreign policy.

[Parisle]

15. I Can Agree With That Ticket

---- A Clark-Feingold ticket would indeed put together the best talent, brains and philosophical statesmanship. (Note: Politicians not needed)

[NJ Democrats]

13. Russ Again!

He is such a great Sen. and I hope he gets the nom for Prez or VP so much

[CarlVK]

16. Viva Feingold!!!

Now if we could just get the rest of the Congressional Democrats aboard so he's not hanging his ass out there alone.

Circle the wagons, people!

[Sugarcoated]

17. Russ is a real statesman.

They are rare these days.

[politicasista]

18. And the rest of the Dems that fight Bush are afraid of Rove

This is another Dem bashing article meant to distract us from the November election period.

[Mass]

19. Great of Feingold, but the author is wrong. Other Dems stood up as well.

Durbin and Salazar signed the letter and, had this bill gone to a vote in committee, there would not have been that many Dems who would have supported it. This is why they withdrew the bill. With MOST Democrats and 3 Republicans against it, it would not have passed.

[blm]

20. Lindorff's intention was to distort the circumstances to ATTACK Dem party

and is merely using Feingold in his attempt to do so.

[CarlVK]

24. Oh BALONEY.

Lindorff was rightly shining a light on some of the only real fight left in the Congressional Democratic contingent, and one of TWO who actually are pursuing the course of impeachment - Russ Feingold (the other one is John Conyers).

I cannot believe you are trying to alchemaically transform this enlightened article into some sort of attack on Democrats. That's truly damn bizarre.

[blm]

25. Baloney back at ya - Feingold's for censure and specifically stated he was

offering censure as an ALTERNATIVE to impeachment because he said it is wrong to impeach a president while we are at war. Read the transcripts of his press interviews when he first submitted censure.

And it is no leap to say the article is an attack on Democrats when the WRITER of the articleLIES about the circumstances of the 3 GOPs joining Feingold and slams the rest of the Democrats as "feckless"....... other Democrats DID support Feingold and when other Democrats were pursuing OTHER areas of serious concern, no one attacked Feingold as being "feckless" for not fighting for them, did they?


So, tell me, what is enlightening about an article that distorts the FACTS and ignores the Democrats working with Feingold and singles out the 3 GOPs as if they alone are supporting Russ's effort?

[CarlVK]

29. Don't get mad at me because Feingold actually has balls

I'm thankful as hell that we have at least a few stronhg Dems in Congress....while John Kerry figures out how to make a fire and brimstone speech over stuff he should have so staunchly addressed two years ago, Hillary Clinton continues to drum for war, and a whole bevy of our "representatives" timidly speak on the errors that led us to war but NOT TOO LOUDLY or the conservatives might HEAR US.

[blm]

32. Listen - You are more than welcome to put up all the serious battles that

have been taken on by Feingold, I think that would be great.

But why pretend his actions during his career are more notable and important than the actions of others? My gosh, what have I missed all these years paying close attention to Cspan and perusing the National Security Archives that I missed all Russ's fierce battles?

Please list them that I might better learn - I guess I paid too much attention to IranContra, BCCI, CIA drugrunning, illegal wars in Central America, terror legislation, public financing of campaigns, and all the corruption of the last thirty years, and I missed out on Russ's many battles. Help me learn.

[ninkasi]

21. Feingold is a man of great integrity

He is exactly the kind of person we Dems should be electing to represent us. He has courage, intelligence, and a willingness to stand up for what's right, instead of what is merely politically expedient. I wish he could be our next president. Trying to repair the damage the Bush administration has caused will take all of the qualities that Feingold possesses.

[CarlVK]

22. Go Russ! Impeachment YES, GOP appeasement NO

[Vidar]

27. Applauding Feinglod yet again.

[zann725]

28. Feingold for AT LEAST "Vice President. The guy has...well, you know.

Go Russ! You've got my vote and support!