Seats Notably Empty at Censure Hearing

[Pryderi]

At the hearing, Sen. Patrick J. Leahy of Vermont, the committee's ranking Democrat, embraced Feingold's call to censure Bush. "I … have no hesitation in condemning the president for secretly and systematically violating the laws of the United States of America," he said.

But the hearing also dramatized, in the form of a long row of empty chairs, the hesitance other Democrats have about the resolution. Besides Leahy and Feingold, the only other committee Democrat who attended was Sen. Herb Kohl of Wisconsin. And he left without delivering an opening statement or questioning any of the witnesses.

Democrats skipping the session included Sens. Dianne Feinstein of California, Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts and Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware. Five of the panel's GOP members also were absent.

Feingold's resolution has been championed by an array of left-leaning blogs and the online liberal advocacy group MoveOn.org. But it has attracted only two co-sponsors — Sens. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.).

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/politics/la-na-censure1apr01,1,7596813.story?coll=la-news-politics-national


Why weren't Kennedy and Feinstein at the hearing?

[monktonman]

1. Pat leahy

at least my guy was there

[EVDebs]

2. Shame on those who don't support Sen Feingold's modest measure of censure

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2545275&mesg_id=2546256

Bruce Fein reiterated WHY this issue is so important. We are all at risk to the whims of an unfriendly administration. Emphasis on 'whims'. No accountability is anti-constitutional.

[henslee]

13. At least the line is drawn. Rather find out now who the wussies are.

[melissinha]

3. particularly Senator Kohl

I mean the guy is the other Senator from WI!!! Thats completely disrespectful.

[rodeodance]

16. Kohl came to the meeting--shows respect even though he does not agree

with Censuure.

[liveoaktx]

19. He actually came in before the meeting only to beg off

he wasn't AT the meeting after it started

[melissinha]

37. thanks for the info

No one was reporting the names of all Democrats attending or not attending..... except for the usual suspects....

[VegasWolf]

4. Remember all spineless democracts when election time comes! 3rd

party if no other options. It may take awhile to get enough representatives in any majority,
but at least they will have a spine.

[seriousstan]

6. B.S.! They plan on the "no other choice" approach.

Who do you vote for if not a Dem? Both parties do it. The Reps have the rich and stupid. Who else are they going to vote for? We have been doing it to the blacks and gays for years. Now it is being done to the politically active left. Shuck and jive.

[VegasWolf]

35. I PERSONALLY will vote 3rd Party rather than a DINO with a (D) after

their name. I will only vote for people who represent my values, like support for women's choice, not supporting the war-profiteers grab for OIL, etc. You can vote for Joe and Hillary and other DINO's but count me out.

[IndianaGreen]

5. A Senate has bowed to another Caesar!

The Beltway Democrats can speak about elections all they want, but their words are devoid of all meaning from now on. The U.S. Senate has succumbed to tyranny, much as the Roman Senate allowed Caesar to destroy the Republic.

We have lost the Republic to an American Caesar!

We have lost the country!

G-d have mercy on us all!

[cornermouse]

7. Or Kerry... or Obama... or Conyers... or Byrd...

But you get the idea.

[rodeodance]

17. list of members here:

http://judiciary.senate.gov/members.cfm

[rodeodance]

18. not many came to sit in audiance either.

[Marie26]

28. Does Kerry support the censure

or not? It's becoming increasingly difficult to tell.

[karynnj]

29. Since when were they added to the Judiciary Committee?

(or in Conyers case the Senate?)

[ima_sinnic]

8. my e-mail to Ted Kennedy

I'm on many e-mail lists including Ted Kennedy's action commnittee or whatever it's called. In their latest message he even mentions the upcoming Judiciary Committee hearings. I was so mad I was shaking yesterday and pounded out this response, which I plan to copy and fax to the other Democrats to receive on Monday (with a little word changing to account for the date):

WHERE WERE YOU TODAY, SENATOR?

Ironic you mention today's Judiciary Committee hearings on Bush's ILLEGAL wiretapping, because YOU WEREN'T EVEN THERE! You and your apparently uncaring, uncommitted fellow Democratic Judiciary Committee members left Senators Feingold and Leahy twisting in the wind, undoubtedly making them fodder for the right-wing smear, ridicule, and distort machine. As far as I am concerned, those two senators are among the very few patriots left now and will receive my full financial support and a commitment of time and effort to promote any candidates they are endorsing.

I've been on your e-mail list for quite some time now and at this time request that you REMOVE MY NAME from that list and forget about receiving any money or support from me for any future campaigns you may run. Your credibility just went down the tubes and I will no longer pay any attention to anything you have to say as it is sheer hypocrisy. This is the end of the Corporate Democrats.

This hearing was of excruciating importance. You had a chance to be a hero today but chose instead to side with the spineless wimps who are afraid even to QUESTION the blatantly illegal and arrogant actions of our fraudulently "elected" tin-pot despot. Whether you like it or not, you are beholden to We The People, whose taxes pay your salary and who rightfully expect that you will REPRESENT US.

Good day, Senator, and may the voters of Massachusetts replace you with a citizen and patriot who will do his or her duty to The People and the Constitution. And you had better not have the chutzpah to ask me for one thin dime.

Outraged taxpayer,
"ima_sinnic"

[zann725]

12. Shame on both Kennedy and Kerry for not being there...among others.

[ima_sinnic]

14. Kerry wasn't supposed to be there, he's not on the committee (nt)

[IndianaGreen]

9. A few articles as to the importance of this hearing to all of us

The fate of the Republic trumps all partisan considerations! Here are a few articles as to the importance of this hearing to all of us, and to future generations:

Published on Saturday, April 1, 2006 by The Nation

John Dean to Senate: Censure Is Necessary

by John Nichols

"(The) president needs to be reminded that separation of powers does not mean an isolation of powers," former White House counsel John Dean told the Senate Judiciary Committee Friday. "He needs to be told he cannot simply ignore a law with no consequences."

Arguing in favor of U.S. Senator Russ Feingold's motion to censure President Bush for illegally authorizing the warrantless wiretapping of the phone conversations of Americans, the man who broke with former President Richard Nixon to challenge the abuses of the Watergate era told the committee that Bush's wrongs were in many senses worse than those of Nixon.

"I recall a morning – and it was just about this time in the morning and it was exactly this time of the year – March 21, 1973 – that I tried to warn a president of the consequences of staying his course. I failed to convince President Nixon that morning, and the rest, as they say, is history," Dean, who famously told Nixon that there was "a cancer growing" on his presidency, explained in testimony submitted to the committee. "I certainly do not claim to be prescient. Then or now. But actions have consequences, and to ignore them is merely denial. Today, it is very obvious that history is repeating itself. It is for that reason I have crossed the country to visit with you, and that I hope that the collective wisdom of this committee will prevail, and you will not place the president above the law by inaction. As I was gathering my thoughts yesterday to respond to the hasty invitation, it occurred to me that had the Senate or House, or both, censured or somehow warned Richard Nixon, the tragedy of Watergate might have been prevented. Hopefully the Senate will not sit by while even more serious abuses unfold before it."

Republicans on the committee attempted to dismiss Feingold's motion as a partisan gesture, rather than a necessary reassertion of the system of checks and balances that has so decayed since Congress ceded its oversight role in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Utah Senator Orrin Hatch was particularly aggressive in echoing Republican National Committee talking points, denouncing Feingold's motion as nothing more than an attempt to "score political points."

But Dean rejected that claim, as did Bruce Fein, a lawyer who served in Ronald Reagan's Justice Department and who joined Dean in testifying in favor of the censure motion.

http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0401-23.htm

Published on Saturday, April 1, 2006 by the Agence France Presse

Watergate Figure Returns from the 'Dark Side' to Condemn Bush

John Dean, a key figure in the Watergate scandal who helped bring down then-president Richard Nixon, told a Senate hearing that President George W. Bush's domestic spying program was a worse abuse of power.

"I think it is important that the committee sometimes hear from the 'dark side'," the former special counsel to Nixon told a hearing on a Senate censure motion made against Bush.

"No president that I can find in the history of our country has really ever adopted a policy of expanding presidential powers for the sake of expanding presidential powers.

"I think that is what we have going on in this presidency."

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0401-03.htm

[KoKo]

10. I can't fault Kennedy for not showing up. The media would make "HIM"

the issue and not Feingold's Censure. But all of the others could have shown up and at least asked the witnesses questions. There wouldn't have been anything unfair in that. They could have even just stopped by and sat in their seat just to show support. It might play well to the Dems who run away from any controversy but it stirs up more anger with those of us on the left. The one's they call the 20 percenters...

When are we "20 percenters" going to have some "tip-o-the hat" given to us?

Seems the Repugs do everything they can to show support for their "20 to 35 percent" WINGNUTS... Whereas we on the Left Dem side just want our Constitution honored and not shredded. Would think that would be a pretty mainstream Democratic ideal. One worth fighting for. :shrug:

[OKthatsIT]

38. who cares...maybe he's too old to carry the torch

its time to stand up and take a stand...AND NOT BACK DOWN

[GeorgeGist]

11. Why weren't Kennedy and Feinstein at the hearing?

Does the word "Compromised" ring a smell.

[IndianaGreen]

15. DiFi supports Bush's dictatorial power grab

I am convinced that a core group of the Belway Democrats want the same power that Bush has for themselves were they to win the White House in 2008, the Constitution and the Republic be damned!

[BeHereNow]

20. Those empty seats are the seats we need to empty-

Every "democrat" who failed to take a seat
at the hearing needs to be replaced by
a representative of "WE, the PEOPLE."

Just more proof that they work for the
same corporate masters as the republicans.

We are officially a one party system.
The corporate party of puppets.

BHN

[VegasWolf]

21. Hillary,Kerry, Biden,Zell!!! Where the fuck are you??? I don't hear you!!!

:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:

[BeHereNow]

22. Can I add one thing to that?

:grr:
Fucking corporate whores.
All of them.
BHN

[karynnj]

30. Hillary and Kerry aren't on the committee

They can certainly read (or watch) the hearings - they are not suppose to participate.
Zell is no longer in the Senate

[VegasWolf]

34. They aren't saying one damn word publically!!! They are cowards! That is

why I associated Zell with them as a group. When they grow a spine, let me know!

[Trillo]

23. Now we know who cares about following the U.S. Constitution,

and who cares about giving the Constitution lip service.

[Bob3]

24. we should send the ones that didn't show up slinkys

I mean if they aren't going to show any backbone we should let them know what we feel.

[Jack Rabbit]

25. Let's hear it for our Congresscritters, so loyal to the people and freedom

Portait of Marshall Petain from NNDB

[HuffleClaw]

26. did they pull the usual scheduling trick?

to ensure some couldn't make it?

[Marie26]

27. Cowards

I watched some of the hearing & I will give Graham & Spector credit for actually staying for the whole thing; in contrast to how so many Dems. either didn't attend or left early. Sadly, the fact that the hearing was on a Friday also probably had something to do w/it. Why stick around to save our democracy when you've got a pressing appt. to go golfing?

[lovuian]

31. This is showing the democratic party is a house divided...

The DLC is hanging together but it is not in step with the American people ... I think Dean will reflect a newer type of Democratic Party...

[bvar22]

32. When Joe "Hairplugs" Biden turns down a chance to get on TV,

something is seriously, SERIOUSLY wrong.

The Democratic Party is a BIG TENT, but there is NO ROOM for those
who advance the agenda of THE RICH (Corporate Owners) at the EXPENSE of LABOR and the POOR.

[high density]

33. What's up with Ted Kennedy?

He keeps sending me these emails blasting Bush and/or Republicans, but he can't stand with Feingold during this?

[VegasWolf]

36. That is a damn good question!! nt

[superconnected]

39. It's beginning to look a lot like being SOLD OUT again.

What good is voting in dems when they're on the republicans side.

I guess I should be happy there are a total of ... 3, who aren't just lip service.

Okay, I'm not happy about it.