Bill Schneider awarded Russ Feingold CNN's "Political Play of the Week"

[DeepModem Mom]

Said Feingold's call for censure was risky, but, in essence, Democrats need to get a damn spine. Harked back to Reagan taking risks, and gathering a movement around him that succeeded. Said that's what politics is. Said Feingold chose a difficult case for censure, spying on suspected terrorists, but he earned the Play of the Week.

[Skinner]

1. I'm shocked.

Usually Scheider is a complete RW ass-kisser.

[Mass]

3. He still is. The last thing the GOP wants is that this story disappear.

They want that it remains in the news because they have the dillusion that it is their only chance to win 06 by firing the base and that most people do not care about the NSA domestic wiretappings.

Schneider is not doing that because he admires Feingold, but because he thinks it will help the GOP.

JMO.

[JohnnyCougar]

6. That's fine with me.

Even 29% of Republicans support censure. It will hardly rally their base.

[Mass]

7. I agree.\nt

[DeepModem Mom]

4. Yep -- a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. nt

[flpoljunkie]

8. Schneider has surprised me more than once, mostly this past year.

He has really laid into the emperor and his administration at times. Let's hope he keeps it up. Kudos to Schneider!

[AlCzervik]

14. AEI's potted plant.

[Neil Lisst]

2. even a blind hog finds an acorn every once in a while

and that's the name of that tune, about Schneider, that is

Good call for Feingold. It was a great play.

[Eurobabe]

5. Wow, I am shocked too....

At least one Dem we know has a spine!

[LiberalEconomist]

9. Herr Schneider's message is not

Feingold and censure per se rather it is: "democrats have no spine." This goes with the other meme: "democrats have no ideas." This is supposed to burrow into the minds of the voters for this year's elections.

[dansolo]

13. Exactly. To the GOP, it's a win-win

If the Democrats were to actually challenge Bush, the Repubs get to throw out the out-of-the-mainstream, bush-haters characterizations, and if they don't, then the Repubs get to characterize them as weak, while getting to steamroll over them on policy. The key is for Democrats to stand on principle, and not concern themselves with how they will be portrayed. If only more Dems were like Feingold, Dean, or Murtha.

[flpoljunkie]

10. Transcript up!

Our senior political analyst, Bill Schneider, is joining us now live -- Bill.

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Wolf, Senator Russ Feingold's motion to censure President Bush has been called foolish, bold, reckless, courageous, self-serving, and principled.

We call it the "Political Play of the Week."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SCHNEIDER (voice-over): Senator Russ Feingold isn't afraid to take a stand. He was the only senator to vote against the Patriot Act after 9/11 and the first senator to propose a deadline for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq. Now he has moved to censure President Bush for authorizing wiretaps without a court warrant.

SEN. RUSS FEINGOLD (D), WISCONSIN: Congress should censure a president who has plainly broken the law.

SCHNEIDER: Republicans are scornful.

REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER: If he's more interested -- interested in the -- in the safety and security of the terrorists, as opposed to the American people.

SCHNEIDER: Democrats are nervous.

SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MINORITY LEADER: I think that people should cool their jets and let the process take its course. SCHNEIDER: Conventional wisdom say Feingold's move will backfire and rally Republicans. "Russ Feingold, Karl Rove's Secret Weapon," a conservative blogger writes.

Knowing heads say Feingold is positioning himself for the Democratic nomination. He has certainly become a hero to the left. A liberal blogger urges readers to "donate your spine to Senate Democrats."

Here's another possibility:

REID: My personal conviction is that Senator Feingold did this as a matter of principle.

SCHNEIDER: Imagine that. Acting on principle need not be political suicide. Ronald Reagan gave Republicans a healthy injection of principle just when they needed it, after Watergate. It did them a world of good.

Now people are asking, what do Democrats stand for?

DONNA BRAZILE, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Look, at -- at some point, the Democratic Party and the leadership must grow a backbone.

SCHNEIDER: Spines, backbones, they help you stand up for what you believe. Of course it's risky. That's what a "Play of the Week" is all about.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0603/17/sitroom.01.html

[DeepModem Mom]

11. Thank you, flpoljunkie!

[flpoljunkie]

12. Anytime, DeepModem Mom!