California Democratic Party to Consider Censuring Senator Feinstein

[rodeodance]

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/28655

California Democratic Party to Consider Censuring Senator Feinstein
Submitted by davidswanson on Mon, 2007-11-12 21:20

A resolution has been created to censure Senator Feinstein for her outrageous votes in the last two weeks as a member of the judiciary committee. There are many other votes that she has taken that have made many of us wonder when she became the Joe Lieberman of the West. If you know any people who are E-board delegates and who will attend the CDP E-board meeting this coming weekend, please contact them and ask them to vote for the resolution which follows:

Whereas the Democratic Party stands firmly against racism in any of its manifestations and for gender equality, and Senator Dianne Feinstein voted to confirm Judge Leslie Southwick for a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit despite his record of clear racism and gender discrimination; and

Whereas the Democratic Party abhors torture and stands firmly against its use by the United States at all times and places, yet Senator Feinstein voted to confirm Judge Mukasey as United States Attorney General – thereby elevating to the highest position in law enforcement a men who refuses to renounce the right of the President to resort to torture, or to recognize waterboarding as a form of torture; and..............

[mike_c]

1. K&R-- I would LOVE to see DiFi censured into retirement....

She is a DINO to the bone.

[BrklynLiberal]

2. Great idea. It can be her pre-retirement gift.

[rinsd]

3. That headline is quite incorrect.

The Progressive Caucus of the Democratic Party of California is introducing a resolution to the executive board.

To claim the party is considering said action is not true.

[cascadiance]

13. They are members of the Democratic Party... And perhaps the PC is the REAL Democratic Party now!

Since we seem to have been hijacked to the point where the Democratic party is not democratic in its principles any more (small d).

[rinsd]

15. The headline is misleading.

And you can see from the posts replying to the OP that people do not understand the difference.

[cascadiance]

21. I think the Progressive Caucus is spearheading this effort, but ultimately...

I think they want the resolution within the CDP to do the censure. And if they succeed, then it will in fact be a California Democratic Party effort.

[rinsd]

22. Its a big step going from the Progressive Caucus to the CDP.

Said move would have to wait until the next executive board meeting wouldn't it?

[Freddie Stubbs]

44. If this does not pass will it prove that the PC is NOT the real Democratic Party?

:shrug:

[cascadiance]

78. And then show that perhaps a new party is needed, and leave this one behind to the corporations!

and their so-called "centrist" policies.

[huskerlaw]

4. YAY CDP!!!

Sometimes I *really* love being a Californian.

:woohoo:

:yourock:

[LiberalFighter]

62. I wish they could do that to Evan Bayh in Indiana but

the State Party is owned lock stock and barrel by him.

[OregonBlue]

5. Go get her. We need these war mongers out of the party!!

[fooj]

6. Right f*cking on! This is good news!

Hell, I would even support a RECALL effort...

[rurallib]

7. !!! I'l believe it when I see it

then:bounce: :toast: :party:

[EVDebs]

8. As a Californian, I would have to agree after those votes.

I'm a Green but recent articles by Peter Byrne, see

The Feinstein Files
http://www.peterbyrne.info/feinstein_files/index.htm

about her and her husband's connections to defense leave a bad taste in my mouth. If you can't hold Bushco accountable you certainly won't be able to hold your own...but you gotta at least try.

[caligirl]

14. Have always tried to give our senators room for differences, this is the end of it. vote for censure

[John Q. Citizen]

9. There you go, easier and faster than a no confidence initiative

and it sends a message.

[Joanne98]

10. YAY!!!!!!!!!!

[babylonsister]

11. GREAT NEWS! nt

[Disturbed]

12. Dino Fi is a disgrace to the Dems.

This Censure is the least the Dem Party should put forth. She will be in office
until 2012 & will do a lot of damage until then.

[mrdmk]

16. Who do I snail mail, e-mail or call to expedite the censuring of Senator Feinstein?

Senator Feinstein's speeches and voting record about war, torture and wire taps are appalling to say the least. I am wits end with her actions at this point.

[onenote]

17. is this being put before the Party's exec board, or just the progressive caucus?

Its a bit unclear from the linked article whether this resolution is being put before the eboard of the California Democratic Party or is a proposed resolution for the Progressive Caucus to consider.

Anyone have details?

[rinsd]

18. Its appears to be a resolution from the Progressive Caucus to be voted on by the executive board.

[onenote]

19. the wording of the resolution seems to suggest it isn't even for the CDP board

"Therefore be it resolved that Progressive Caucus of the Democratic Party of California expresses its disappointment at, and censure of Senator Feinstein for ignoring Democratic principles and falling so far below the standard of what we expect of our elected officials."

Why would the CDP board "resolve" that the Progressive Caucus expresses its disappointment. WOuldn't that be something the progressive caucus would resolve?

Very confusing

[rinsd]

20. Good point.

I don't see anything on their website - http://www.progressivecaucuscdp.org/page/page/3469753.htm

Could this be a resolution for the Progressive Caucus to review at the Execeutive Board meetings which also have separate meetings for each caucus?

[Liberty Belle]

30. The E-Board meeting for the CDP is this weekend,

and if this passes committee, it could be brought before all delegates.

no doubt the leadership may attempt its usual trick of bringing up controversial measures that it wants to quash at the tail end of the last general session, so any progressives on the e-board should be advised to stay to the bitter end.

[frebrd]

23. Well deserved!

At one time I admired D.F. I was living in Oakland the day that San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk were assassinated. Feinstein was the one who found them and it fell to her (as head of the Board of Supervisors) to announce the news and generally deal with the press. I admired the way she handled herself.

Years later when she ran for Governor I rooted for her even though I no longer lived in California. When she became a Senator I thought she'd be a good one.

Well, I was wrong.

I also thought Pelosi would be a good Speaker.

I'm now seriously doubting my own judgement.

[cascadiance]

24. I've not voted for her for the last two elections (primary or general)...

I recall seeing her start her downhill slope when she supported the Communications Decency Act heavily along with the rest of the Telecom Bill. At the time I was ready to cut her some slack, but a Libertarian in that case (not many times I draw on opinions of Libertarian) helped wise me up to her duplicity that I've seen grow and grow over the years to our detriment (the public's). Voted against her in the primaries and for the greens in the general both times.

[Freddie Stubbs]

45. The lack of your vote did not stop her from winning both of those by landslides

[cascadiance]

48. Unfortunately for us, and I think many of us see the problem with that now...

The problem is that neither the Democratic Party or the Republican Party puts up (or tries to promote) anyone that is a significant challenge to her. Both are motivated to keep her in anyway. In the case of the Republicans, they know that she's probably the most "Republican" senator they can hope to get in California, so they do the same thing that Republicans in Connecticut have been doing with Lieberman for the same reasons, which is not to put anyone strong in to challenge her. Same for the Democratic Party (or at least the DLC and the DCCC leadership control who is more beholden to the corporatist agenda than they are to the real Democratic Party constituents). They see someone like her as DLC serving as they can get and don't want to upset the applecart, even if there are many of us in the party who aren't happy with her.

[Freddie Stubbs]

64. What specifically did the Democratic Party do to promote Feinstein in the primary?

:shrug:

[cascadiance]

79. So, are you suggesting that she'd win as an independent?

Just letting her run "as a democrat" gets her votes... Though Lieberman was able to pull it off, I doubt that many will allow that sort of event to happen again the same way.

[Freddie Stubbs]

85. How would the party not have 'let' her run as a Democrat?

:shrug:

[IndianaGreen]

25. But, but, DiFi is a distinguished member of DLC

and she thinks that enabling Bush is the only way to justify her Senate seat to her corporate sponsors.

Al From loves DiFi!

:sarcasm:

[Freddie Stubbs]

71. California voters love her too

She won the Democratic Primary and General Election by landslides just last year. She even won a larger percentage of the vote last November that Barbara Boxer did in 2004.

[Jade Fox]

87. Why?

She's been bad news since the 70s, hasn't she?

[Freddie Stubbs]

88. Apperently most CA Democratic voters do not believe she is 'bad news'

[Canuckistanian]

26. Oh, damn straight

She's actually been MORE dangerous than Lieberman with her votes.

At least with Lieberman, YOU KNOW he holds no alliances with Dems.

DiFi is SUPPOSED to be a Democratic leader, if not a vocal supporter.

Good for the California Dems!

[Maraya1969]

27. Click on this link to keep her in the loop.

http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactUs.EmailMe

[AntiFascist]

28. Excellent, let this be her legacy n/t

[in_cog_ni_to]

29. WOO FREAKIN' HOO!!!!! GO, California!!!!

:woohoo:

K&R! Censure that warmongering wench!:grr:

[Progressive Friend]

31. K&R!

[mconvente]

32. Proud to be rec #50

She has been AWFUL with her recent votes and needs to go!

[diva77]

33. she should recuse herself from voting on anything war-related since she's a wartime profiteer

and she should be censured for not having recused herself thus far :mad:

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article12106.htm

Senator Feinstein's War Profiteering

By Joshua Frank

02/28/06 "Brickburner.org"

-snip-
But what we don't hear about is how Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein and her husband are also making tons of money off the "war on terror."

The wishy-washy senator now claims Bush misled her prior to the invasion of Iraq. I don't think she's being honest with us, though. There may have been other reasons she helped sell Bush's lies. According to the Center for Public Integrity, Feinstein's husband Richard Blum has racked in millions of dollars from Perini, a civil infrastructure construction company, of which the billionaire investor wields a 75 percent voting share.

In April 2003, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers gave $500 million to Perini to provide services for Iraq's Central Command. A month earlier in March 2003, Perini was awarded $25 million to design and construct a facility to support the Afghan National Army near Kabul. And in March 2004, Perini was awarded a hefty contract worth up to $500 million for "electrical power distribution and transmission" in southern Iraq.

Feinstein, who sits on the Senate Appropriations Committee as well as the Select Committee on Intelligence, is reaping the benefits of her husband's investments. The Democratic royal family recently purchased a $16.5 million mansion in the flush Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco. It's a disgusting display of war profiteering, and just like Cheney, the leading Democrat should be called out for her offense.

And that's exactly why the Bush administration is so darn bulletproof. The Democratic leadership in Washington is just as crooked and just as callous.

More on Feinstein's War Dollars

Senator Feinstein's husband has a nice profile at SFGate. Richard Blum has scored bundles from this war and the millions have been deposited in his accounts, which he undoubtedly shares with his wife (even if they aren't, she's certainly reaping the benefits as her salary could not possibly afford a $16.5 million mansion).
Here are the basics:

Blum holds over 111,000 shares of stock in URS Corporation, which is now a defense contractor. Blum is the acting Director of URS which bought EG&G from Carlyle awhile back. URS has banked on the Iraq war, scoring a phat $600 million contract. They have seen their stock price more than triple as a result. Blum cashed in over $2 million on that venture alone and another $100 million for his investment firm.

If this was a Republican senator's spouse you'd bet the liberals would be up in arms. But since Feinstein is a Democrat -- mums the word. Partisanship trumps ethics.

-snip-

[Kaleko]

42. Makes my blood boil. So, how can we get DiFi's war profiteering racket into the courts?

Some attorneys must be looking into it by now...

[cascadiance]

49. The problem is that if she's pushed out, we get a Republican appointed by Arnold to replace her!

That's what both sides (the progressive Democratic wing of the party as well as the corporatist wing of it) understand. Therefore given that one side wants to keep a corporatist like her in, and the other wants to keep a potentially even worse Republican out that would replace her, we're at the stalemate where we are now.

As I said before, a recall of Arnold might be the only solution if you really want to pursue this line. Obviously as others indicated, you probably wouldn't have success before the 2008 election, as there probably isn't enough time to get him on the ballot, nor does he at this point have any big flaws that one can go after him with at the moment. But I think over the next three years, we should be prepared at a moments notice to go after him if he does (perhaps if he supports this electoral vote scam proposition or things like that, he can be made vulnerable again). If he does, for the reasons I gave in an earlier post, that might help push Feinstein either into running in the recall election (and get out of the Senate that way), or put someone else in as governor who we would rather have to choose her replacement if we are able to push her out for the corruption issues that are likely lurking under the surface now.

[RufusTFirefly]

51. That's why censuring makes sense

It's a symbolic acknowledgment that we know what she's been doing.

She can't be recalled anyhow, at least not according to the state constitution.

[cascadiance]

53. I agree...

It is the most practical thing we can do at the moment, and it WILL be on her record if she should decide to run again in 2012 and perhaps not make her nomination then a foregone conclusion. It allows the Democratic Party to be on the record for wanting to support a more progressive agenda than what she's been doing in congress, so that hopefully that will also help make sure other Democratic candidates for congressional seats from California try to pay more attention to their constituents than the DLC trough too.

This being on her record might be one more thing to point to to force her to retire then if she needs to be persuaded to do so. I still would like to find a way to get her out earlier than that, but minimally we need to make sure that she's no longer our senator at that time. This is a good move by the Progressive Caucus and I hope they are successful.

[Sam Ervin jret]

54. If they where all held to this standard there would never be a vote for defense spending. No quorum.

[AikidoSoul]

73. Is Joshua Frank a credible reporter? He can't even spell

Even though I've read about this once before, I haven't seen anything else about how her husband makes tons of money off of the Iraq war, and war in general. Is this for real?

It seems strange that Californians would put up with this shit. None of us should allow war profiteers to be elected to public office... it's much, much too dangerous to our country's future.

It's amazing that it's allowed at all. It should be illegal.

[diva77]

82. unfortunately the mainstream media has failed to report on Feinstein's wartime profiteering

if you google around, you'll find plenty of blog articles and independent papers reporting, but not a single mainstream source that I could find (there might be - but I couldn't find it)

Do you believe everything you read in the NY Times just cuz the spelling is correct?:hi:

[kelligesq]

34. Hip hip hurray. Now can you follow up with censure of Pelosi ? n/t

.

[rufus dog]

35. Which Candidate do you think DiFi will support? N/T

[bonito]

36. You know very well it will be Clinton

Unless she pulls a Clinton and votes for Kucinich if she thinks it's in the bag for the former.

[rufus dog]

40. Yes, I do feel that she would be a Clinton Supporter

Points to you for calling me out on it.

[mnhtnbb]

37. Great idea. Hope it works. What a pathetic excuse for a Dem she is.

[diane in sf]

38. I want to know where to go to help support this censure. I am appalled by

DiFi's Republican voting and war-profiteering ways.

I can't stand what she is doing. How dare she call herself a democrat!!!

[FunMe]

39. That Skank!

YES! Finally that sell out who does not speak for We The People deserves what she is getting.

Her husband is making mega $$$ for his defense-related company. And that's all she cares about.
THAT SKANK!

Someone here once said "that's not nice". Well it's not suppose to be nice!
Why? Because she has not been nice to We The People and has forgotten her duties as a US Senator. She needs to be kicked out of MY party!

[Lindsey]

41. I'm still disgusted with her for voting for the bankruptcy bill. As a

Californian, I also wish we could recall her. She is NO Democrat. She's pathetic and a disgrace.

[Hubert Flottz]

43. If the weakest(the school children) should be held accountable,

so should the most powerful...

DiFi campaigned for Joe Lieberman, because she is just like him...

[flordehinojos]

46. human being to human being speaking: Feinstein, you deserve it. I hope they do it.

[EV_Ares]

47. Maybe she is up on the fact of a movement in the republican party

of some of the leadership for a possible Lieberman VP spot on their ticket and she is competing for it, lol, whatever, she appears to be more on their team lately.

[mntleo2]

50. Feinstein and Schumer make Dems into abetting criminals

...thanks to the Makasey vote and others. Thanks to their votes, no longer can the Dems say they "did not know" about the outrageous acts of treason this administration does, thanks for their support of horrible people and policy. This woman deserves to be impeached not censored along with her buddy Schumer. I hope they are held accountable when the Democratic administration takes power along with the other criminals they were in bed with, as prosecuting of war crimes and treason should happen in 2009.

Cat In Seattle

[meowomon]

52. She and Lieberman can just join the Rethuglicans already

Read her Wiki page, it reads like a damned rethuglican. This type of "Democrat" is killing any progressive agenda in our party.

And will someone let her know that her wig is so yesterday? She needs to update her Donna Reed do (don't).

[Freddie Stubbs]

90. If they switched parties the GOP would control the Senate

Is that what you want?

[spooked911]

55. beautiful

I hope it goes though

[redqueen]

56. Way to go, CA Dems!

:applause:

[Freddie Stubbs]

91. Way to go indeed. They refused to even consider the resolution:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rick-jacobs/feinstein-censure-killed-_b_73232.html

[rabies1]

57. Awesome!

They should go for it! K&R

[amb123]

58. Do it! Do it! Do it!

The Constitution will thank you.

:kick: :kick: :kick:

:yourock: :yourock: :yourock:

[happygoluckytoyou]

59. IN A RELATED STORY....

DIANE... THE REPUBLICAN-LITE OF CALIFORNIA OFFERED TO CARRY ARNOLD'S BABY...

IT WILL SURPRISE ME IF THE DEMOCRATS IN CALIFORNIA HAVE THE BALLS TO DO THIS...

----- I KNOW THE PEOPLE DO.... BUT DO THEIR REPRESENTATIVES???????

[cascadiance]

60. A link to this?...

The link in your post doesn't point to anything of this sort.

[AikidoSoul]

81. WTF?

:thumbsdown:

[cascadiance]

61. Considering starting a local censure proposition at our club meeting this Thursday...

That would support censure. If we can agree to it with a vote, and perhaps if there are other clubs with meetings this week they could do the same, those in the Progressive Caucus could use these votes to help justify to the other members of the party there that even in the short time that this was under consideration was made public that there is a lot of grass roots support for this move that it might help it get done.

Anyone else have club meetings this week that could do the same thing?

[sce56]

63. Error: You've already recommended that thread. My letter to the CDP

Subject Regarding Censuring of Senator Feinstein
From <[e-mail]>
Date Tuesday, November 13, 2007 8:20
To [e-mail] , [e-mail]
I have seen reports that the CDP is considering a censure of Sen. Feinstien. http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/28655 as reported at http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3710948

As a retired Army veteran with twenty years of service I would applaud any attempt to let Senator Feinstein know she is not following the majority of her constituent’s wishes by toeing the Republican line! I served in the Army with the understanding we were held to the letter of the law regarding the Geneva Conventions and our adherence to that law would hopefully keep us safe if we were captured and as we were always taught “Lead by example”. I further understand that her spouse is a defense contractor and her votes have enabled him to increase his profits from this endless war we have been subjected to as reported here http://www.bohemian.com/bohemian/08.08.07/byrne-0732.html .
I come from a family that has served this country my Father was in the CBI theater of operations in WWII I never served under fire but was definitely close to it first in 1975 almost having deployed to Vietnam during the fall of Saigon then living and working with in 20 Km of the Iron curtain for a tour in Germany during the cold war. My son did two tours of duty in Iraq for a war based on lies while letting the real perpetrators of 9-11 slip away in Afghanistan.

A very close person to me sent her the following letter

Dear Senator Feinstein,

I am so disappointed that you have supported the nomination of Michael Mukasey for US Attorney General. Any lawyer or educated person, let alone a former judge who cannot decisively say that water boarding is torture is unfit to serve and casts our country in a continuing terrible light to the rest of the world.

This is a total disgrace.

As a lawyer for more than 30 years in California, I am so ashamed and dismayed about our country's abandonment of its most basic obligations under our Constitution, international law and certainly the Geneva Convention.
When will this stop? As an active Democrat I am truly disappointed as well with the miserable lack of leadership on these issues.
Sincerely, original signed

I have heard many people wish that we could recall Senator Feinstein but it seems there is no clause to do that legally. Please do censure the Senator.

I would also ask that the caucus send a letter to the US House Judiciary committee in support of Rep. Kucinich’s resolution for the impeachment of Dick Cheney. It is high time we made our government follow the law of the land and stop shredding the constitution. I feel the Vice Presidents office committed a treasonous act by outing a covert CIA agent that effectively ended a program to end the propagation of nuclear weapons. It is time to remind the lawmakers of our need to uphold the rule of law and , to stop our loss of face to the rest of the world and reverse our slide towards Fascism in our country. Sincerely
xxxxxxxxxxx. xxxxx
USA, RET
xxxxx xxxxx, CA



http://www.progressivecaucuscdp.org/page/page/3469756.htm

Contact Info
Contact us at:

[e-mail]



or

contact Southern California chair Jo Olson at [e-mail] or

Northern California Chair Mal Burnstein at [e-mail]

[disndat]

65. ..and immunity for telcos

I read somewhere DiFi is going to vote against immunity for the telephone companies that were complicit in Bush's FISA spying.

[asdjrocky]

66. All bark, no bite. Too bad.

[Tom Joad]

67. about damn time. difi should not be allowed to torture us.

[ToeBot]

68. Cool, but instead of wasting time on measures that, in the end, mean nothing -

how about finding some way to replace her with a Democrat?

[Mrspeeker]

70. she is a democrat thats the sad part about it

Unless you saying replace her with a real democrat, which unfortunately are very few in numbers these days!

[Freddie Stubbs]

72. Her term expires in January of 2013

[Hawaii Hiker]

69. We need to prioritize,

though I'm no fan of Senator Finstein, we need to worry about the REAL issue happening in California, which is the Rethugs attempt to rig the election by splitting the states electoral votes....

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2007/10/rudy-and-his-fr.html

Time & money should be spent trying to defeat THAT measure instead of worrying about Sen. Finstein...

Just my opinion..

[redqueen]

75. Well why not do both?

Your post would make a great OP, btw. :hi:

[cascadiance]

77. I think if done properly, this measure won't be just about punishing Feinstein...

... but also sending a stern message to others in the state looking to run for public office as a member of the Democratic Party that there are principles to uphold that the party expects its members to adhere to, and that the party expects its elected politicians to serve the people where they serve, not the corporate or other special interests that seek to buy them out through weak campaign finance laws, etc.

Though perhaps we can't get rid of Feinstein, we might be able to at least get more progressive candidates running in 2008, or at least bend the existing candidates to be more progressive in their policies/votes, etc.

[GETPLANING]

74. They just need to form an Israeli PArty and get it over with.

I am sick of watching Congress-people vote for Israel and wrap themselves in the Stars and Stripes.

[happygoluckytoyou]

76. ALMOST A DEMOCRAT--- PRAISE HER UNTIL TIME TO REPLACE HER

IT IS SO TURNABOUT....
QUIT PICKING ON DI-FI --- RIGHT NOW WE NEED HER VOTES (WHEN WE CAN GET THEM) AND NEED HER TO THINK THAT WE CARE..... DON'T GO OFF ON HER UNTIL REELECTION TIME...

[MissDeeds]

80. Terrific idea

It's about time the party stands up against DINOs. Maybe this will be a wake up call for other Bush enablers and they will realize they do have to answer to the people who put them in office.

[Elspeth]

83. Censuring is not enough. We need to knock her out of the primary.

The LIEberman of the West.

[AtomicKitten]

84. This Californian says do it.

[rhett o rick]

86. This is hugely important. It is way past time for our party to let those DINO's know that we will

not tolerate their betrayal. Here is a rule of thumb: VOTE AGAINST EVERYTHING BUSHCORP WANTS, and you won't go wrong.

Those Democrats that support this fascist administration and their corporate sponsors should be censured.

DiFi wants to give a pass to those telecom's that violated the law and the Constitution. Wrong! Those corporations need to be punished severely to send a message that the Constitution and rule of law govern here.

[Freddie Stubbs]

89. This will not pass