Angry with Feingold

[goddess40]

I called his office yesterday and asked him to vote against Rice and Gonzales so what did he do but vote for Rice. What is wrong with him? I am so disappointed in him. What do I do now? If he votes for Gonzales I don't know if I can continue to support him.

[eyesroll]

1. Again:

Russ Feingold has said repeatedly that he gives presidents wide latitude to choose their own Cabinet members. (This latitude does not extend to Court nominees, because said nominees, if confirmed, can serve for life.) He said this prior to confirming John Ashcroft. He said this prior to running for re-election in 2004. He said this during Campaign 2004. He said prior to confirming Condoleeza Rice, that he would vote to do so, for this reason. He will likely confirm the rest of Bush's nominees, for this reason. People who have paid attention to Russ Feingold know that he has voted and will continue to vote in this manner, and people who re-elected Russ Feingold did so either because they agreed with his position or chose to overlook it. It is not a betrayal of either his word to the voters or of his progressive values for him to do what he said, repeatedly, he was going to do.

[AllyCat]

4. I realize he says this, but just because the War Criminal wants

a perjurer in the Cabinet doesn't mean we support it. I'm also very disappointed although not surprised. I hope he does something exciting and just soon so we can get onto the stuff for which we elected him.

[dolo amber]

7. Plus...

He's HOT! :loveya:

[Lefta Dissenter]

30. too short.

:D

[ClassWarrior]

10. He also implied that he would not extend this same consideration...

...to any of Junior**'s Extreme Court nominees.

Russ is a class act who has his principles and sticks to them. Period.

NGU.

[Zebulon]

14. Thanks for your post

Some people might not like it, but I respect his position. With Feingold, even if you disagree with him, you know where he stands and why.

[goddess40]

22. Then he should not vote

to vote yes means he approves of her behavior - none of which is anything to admire.

If he abstained from the vote then that would send the message he wants sent.

[eyesroll]

23. It is my impression that the message he wanted to send

was that Bush was entitled to Rice as his Secretary of State.

:shrug:

[goddess40]

26. The right will market it as an approval of Rice

by abstaining Russ would be saying it isn't any of my business in the selection. But if that were really true he wouldn't have the chance to vote - the reason the senate has a chance to vote is because somewhere in the past it was decided that the senate was suppose to have a say in cabinet selection. It is suppose to be another form of checks and balances this country is sadly lacking these days.

[Magrittes Pipe]

28. You knew before voting for Russ that he was going to approve *'s nominees.

Or, if you didn't, you haven't been paying attention.

[goddess40]

37. doesn't mean I can't complain about it.

What should I have done -vote for Michaels? I don't think so, I like most of what Russ does - this just doesn't make sense. I know it does it to set precedence so that the republicans will do the same but we all know that's a huge joke.
The right thing to do would be to oppose those that won't do a honorable job. The next best thing would be to abstain. The worst is to rubber stamp people you know don't have the best interests of the country at heart. Russ is just wrong on this one, I still like him for all that he does do right.

[stray cat]

2. Ask him why he voted for her - he tends to provide an answer.

He is certainly one of the most independent and outspoken democrats in congress. He totally has my support. He was extremely tough questioning Gonzalas and frankly I trust his values and his judgement.

[goddess40]

27. It's too much like pointing out Bush's failings and then voting for him

He has a vote and he should use it for the purpose it was given to him.

[glitch]

3. He's great in a lot of areas - but this is one reason I wouldn't support

him for president. He needs a stronger idea of separation of powers and the role of Congress in the checks part of checks and balances.

[mb7588a]

32. a strong idea on the sep. of powers?

he's the ranking member on the Subcommittee for the Constitution... where campaign finance reform originated. He understands and respects the Constitution like none of us ever will.

[ralps]

5. On another thread it was mentioned that Feingold voted no on

Gonzales in Committee. I am also disappointed in how Feingold voted on Rice.
:hi:

[madison2000]

6. I never heard from Feingold regarding election fraud in Ohio

At least Kohl sent out a letter.

[Lisaben2619]

8. It's not just Feingold; it's this whole frickin' party.

I am so sick of Dems calling Greens "Spoilers" when it's the Dems who have done as much, if not more, to chase me away from the party than anything the Greens have done to attract me.

[ClassWarrior]

11. I see the party's current state as a prime opportunity...

...to get inside and start having influence on things. Chase me away?? And give up this golden opportunity to change things? Forget it!

NGU.

[AllyCat]

15. Agreed!

I've had it with this party. The Greens aren't the spoilers here...it's Republican Lite that is wrecking it for all of us.

[ClassWarrior]

17. I disagree Ally... Feingold's hardly RepubliCON Lite.

And the only way the Democratic Party is going to get more Progressive is if we infiltrate and make it so. Did you go to the county party meeting Monday night?

NGU.

[AllyCat]

18. No, poor writing...I wasn't talking about Feingold being RepLite

I'm talking about a lot of the other ones, Hilary Clinton for starters.

Feingold still has something left, and I hope it will start out with a bang with this Gonzalez bit.

Being a Green, I was unaware of the party meeting last night and probably wouldn't have been invited. I no longer see the Dems as being, in general, for the people. They are just as corporate as most of the Repubs.

I do hope someone comes from inside the party and gets them back on message. I might come back then. I like what Ed Garvey is doing with the people's legislature. Maybe some of that can filter into rejuvenating the Dems.

The way I see it, things are going to get worse before they get better. The Dems in office are, for the most part, trying to become more like the Republicans. And in 2006, the grass roots is going to cause a lot of them to lose to their Republican challengers by undervoting or voting for Indies. In 2008, maybe the Dems will get the idea.

That is, of course, unless someone such as you gets in there and makes some changes. Which I suspect you are fully capable of doing and you certainly sound willing to do it.

Go get 'em, CW!

[Zynx]

16. If Feingold is not enough of a Democrat for you...

GET OUT OF MY PARTY! Feingold is the best Democrat we have in the Senate. Even your hero Boxer voted for the Patriot Act, but Feingold said "No!".

[AllyCat]

19. Feingold IS about the best the Dems have, but Boxer was the

only one who stood up for not certifying the vote. Just goes to show there are some good firestarters in the group, but the ones getting all the press are those like Hilary Clinton (flame away,... but I can't stand her), who is into this faith-based solution for social problems, etc. I'd love to hear more about the Dems that are more and more standing together to fight the power.

The certification of the vote was more important than confirming Rice, and all but Boxer let us down in the Senate.

Standing up against the Patriot Act alone was a brave thing Feingold did, especially in an election year. It still carries weight with a lot of us. But on the last two prominent votes, in my mind he has let us down. I realize his policy on cabinet appointees, and I am thrilled with his words and vote against Gonzalez, but voting for Condi was voting for a known liar and it really got my goat today.

Don't worry. I'm not in your party anyway.

[Zynx]

20. Then you have no business in Democratic political discussions.

Democrats are a center-left party and if you want to try to drag them to the extreme left that's just too bad. This country does not want a real lefty.

[AllyCat]

21. Actually I thought this was a progressive discussion

but thanks for the uninvitation. The mods seem to think it's okay but feel free to take it up with them.

[mark414]

29. *ahem*

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Visitors may also participate in our discussion forums, which have become one of the most popular places on the Web for members of the political left to share ideas and discuss the issues."

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[BrainRants]

31. I thought this was a Wisconsin thread?

Rhetoric like this is analogous to the divisive stuff politicians like State Rep Mark Green are using to divide the people of this state using phrases like "out of touch Madison Liberal" when describing Gov Doyle.

IMHO, the "Indies" are much closer to our side than the right. I personally welcome their constructive criticism, regardless of whether I agree with it or not. In some cases, observations are more accurate when lobbed from the outside than when observed from within. Let’s be honest, we Dems have our own Kool Aid too.

Let’s concentrate on bringing down our mutual enemy.

You know…the whole “an enemy of my enemy is my friend” and all?

[CarbonDate]

33. Green is a U.S. Rep, not a state rep; FYI n/t

.

[eyesroll]

24. Russ Feingold showed up at the Dane County Green Party

election night HQ in 2002 to wish them well. They gave him a standing ovation and asked him to run for president.

(This is secondhand, but from a source I consider reliable.)

[dolo amber]

9. Eh-hem...

http://www.truthout.org/docs_05/012705X.shtml

;)

[ewagner]

12. I'm not surprised

As noted, it's his policy on cabinet members. I wish he would fight back but I understand his position...don't agree, just understand....

His policy of giving a President the cabinet members he wants is NOT enough reason to abandon Russ and vote for a Rethug......at least for me.

[mark414]

13. he had an explanation for his vote

i saw it posted on here a couple weeks ago...anyone have it saved??

[Lisaben2619]

25. As an aside, WI has TWO big "D" Senators.

Yet it seems that no one is suprised when "no one's senator" Kohl votes like he does. And this is the guy that Kerry had escorting him through the state during the campaign.

[rodeodance]

34. Russ votes his conscious. I trust him.

[Demrock6]

35. We cannot expect senators to bow to every wish.....

They know how to play the game and I think they are playing it well. I asked Senator Mark Dayton (yes I'm from Minnesota, dropping in to see my friends to the east) to stand with Boxer for the election fraud in Ohio. He did not want to set a bad precedent or congress choosing elections. It only took one senator and one rep to get it on the record.

Dem's had the bulldog attacks on Condi, and Gonzales. We got our points out and on the record with out coming off as obstructionists or far left and out of touch.

I support Feingold's choice.

You should drop over to the Minnesota forum. Lots of Feingold 08' supporters their.

[vireo]

36. A reason to feel better about Russ

Posted by William Pitt: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=203&topic_id=326363&mesg_id=326363

Today, Congressman John Conyers, Jr., Ranking Member of the
House Judiciary Committee, will be filing an amicus brief in the Ohio
Supreme Court with the support of Senator Russ Feingold and 17 other members
of the House of Representatives recommending that the Court not sanction the
attorneys who brought Ohio election contest in Moss v. Bush (no.04-2088).