Guest blogged from DC by Margie Burns
Listening to Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) for fifteen minutes is worth a week of the para-discourse from elsewhere on national television. Feingold said on Meet the Press this morning that he will introduce a resolution to censure George W. Bush “in a few days.â€
The censure resolutions will focus on two huge issues:
• Bush’s process for getting us into the war in Iraq, including misleading statements and misuse of intelligence before the war; and
• “the outrageous attack on the rule of law,†including illicit electronic surveillance and other surveillance, and administration approval of torture. “This administration has assaulted the constitution,†Feingold said briskly.
Feingold said that he has talked with the Democratic leadership about the resolution, adding that it might provide an opportunity as well for Republicans uncomfortable with the administration but unwilling to use impeachment.
Questioned by Tim Russert about whether the resolution would pass, Feingold said basically we’ll see how it goes. He commented, “There’s a lot of support in the country for actually impeaching the president and the vice president. 
He characterized the resolution as a reasonable and moderate measure, to avoid tying the Senate and the House up for months in an impeachment trial.
When Russert asked whether the president would be the only person censured, Feingold said that Dick Cheney was obviously equally culpable on Iraq and might be included. “Vice President Cheney has been one of the worst actors in American history in this situation†– the war – Feingold said. And maybe Attorney General Gonzales would have to be included on the issue of the rule of law.
“But obviously, the buck stops with the president.â€
Clear, crisp and bold – everything we lack in the public discourse on our most important topics, most of the time, from most of our public figures allowed air time by the arbiters of the air waves.
To hear the difference between statements actually worth hearing, and what passes for political commentary in the nation’s capital, turn to (picking a random example) Chris Matthews on any given Sunday morning. If Matthews has any claim to be playing ‘hardball’ on his MSNBC program of that name, he’s not even making the claim on NBC’s Chris Matthews show. And rightly not.
This morning, he and panelists chewed over the non-proposition, ‘how can Republican candidates for president successfully handle the unpopularity of Bush and the Iraq war?’ – Short answer: they can’t. – or mostly not: Matthews kept the topic in tight rein by NOT mentioning Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX), the only GOP member of Congress who has taken a principled stand against the Iraq War from the first.
For the record, anyone who talks about an ‘exit strategy’ for Iraq is engaging in para-discourse. Strategic retreat is always difficult, but that doesn’t make it impossible – much less unnecessary – or something to be postponed. As Feingold answered when Russert asked him about a possibility of “cataclysmic violence†if we leave Iraq, “We now have cataclysmic violence.â€
Feingold added that “right now, we’re holding the bag in Iraq.†If we leave, things might get worse or they might get better, but either way, other nations in the region would be better positioned to effect change without the provocation of US presence in Iraq.
With the ‘situation’ in Iraq (EUPHEMISM ALERT) worsening by the week, America’s presence an inducement to guerrilla attacks, and a cost of $60B for the US just in the six months of the so-called ‘surge,’ much of the nation is by now pretty well aware of what’s happening. Even mild-mannered Olympia Snowe (R-ME), appearing on Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer, lamented that “the Senate is not reflecting the will of the American people.â€
Yet self-proclaimed media honchos in the nation’s capital still persist in talking as though America were majority PNAC.
Same with other topics besides Iraq. For my money, the suspiciously early emphasis on election 2008, partly caused by the Democrats’ inept front-loading of the 2008 primary calendar, is mainly a way of keeping impeachment and election fraud off the table, or off the big board. Yet Matthews et al. persist in discussing Election 2008 as though it were day after tomorrow, and as though there’s nothing unusual about that.
They also frame discussion of “Hillary†in terms of whether ‘a woman’ can run for president or can win the White House, with some narrow political wrangling over perceptions of “Bill.†Much talk about whether ‘a woman’ can be perceived as ‘tough’.
Not said: the operative words about the Clintons’ backstory: Squalid. Sordid. Went along with the War on Iraq until it became overwhelmingly unpopular, then began a foot-dragging rear-guard action to retain a little credibility on the war, while keeping the war itself going. Went along with administration justifications for torture. Went along with administration stonewalling on Abu Ghraib, Pat Tillman, and Jessica Lynch. Went along with illicit surveillance.
The same superficial psychobabble gets applied to Elections 2000 and 2004. NBC’s David Gregory asserted today that “George Bush is president because Americans thought he’d be tougher in the age of terror.â€
Wrong. GWBush is president not because of ‘toughness’ but because of Ohio and other states’ scandalous lack of proper vote counting, throwing the election to the loser again. But election fraud – a cause of first importance to Americans along with impeachment and ending the war in Iraq – is being sidelined by our fishyfishy early ‘election’ season for 2008.
I realize that probably one reason the estimable Senator Feingold doesn’t get more air play, BTW, is that he happens to be goodlooking and a divorced officeholder as well as someone of ability and someone who tries to do good things on occasion. Prominent media personalities tend to shy away from that kind of combination. Tough. Stiff upper lip, guys. If you restrict air time for individuals saying exactly what needs to be said, you’ll lose even more credibility as journalists, assuming that’s possible.
I personally support impeachment of both Bush and Cheney, because I think it essential to the integrity of the nation. Also, we need the legal process of discovery that would come with impeachment. But an officeholder of Feingold’s caliber who supports censure has a good chance of seeing it through. If the Senate lacks the two-thirds vote to convict, and the House lacks the stomach to impeach in the first place and neither can handle even this restrained move against the administration, then that Congress may find itself in different hands, yet again, in 2008.
Oh, a little slap on the hands! Wonderful. These are just the pansies I want running my country! Where do I turn in my Constitution?
Give ’em another good frowning, Dems! That’ll teach ’em!
“We really gave THEM another good frowning”…
…while our country is going down the drain…
You have to vote Democrat, because look at all the good frowings we gave Bush & Cheney!
HOW ABOUT DUAL IMPEACHMENT?????????????
Yeah, I think the censure is a waste of time. Dems are spending way too much time being careful and going step by step. Time will be much better spent preparing the impeachment articles, it has to be easy since Bush has admitted on camera of committing crimes. The added bonus of impeachment , it will stop all pardons and commutations.
Why isn’t Feingold coordinating things with others? The Dems seem a little scattered these days. There is a big push for impeachment all over this land and the Dems need to get the party started. Don’t allow Bush to run out the clock. Think of impeachment as your duty and quit worrying about what people will think and how the Repukes will spin it. Law breaking presidents, VPs and AGs should not be allowed to remain in office. (Where is Gonzo’s statement that the WH does not determine DOJ policy?)
Get rid of those f*ckers NOW! They don’t understand WRONG or CENSURE or MISTAKE or ILLEGAL or LAWS in general.
What Chris said… only with the “u” and in bold.
Censure Gonzales. Impeach him so that a real Attorney General, loyal to the Constitution not the person in the office of president can help us get our country back. The deck is stacked…meaning the whole DOJ is stacked in D.C. and the D.C. Court of Appeals. We must have a new A.G. before success is possible against this dictatorship.
Then, Impeach Cheney first, so that there is no way he could become president.
Then, get Bush. Impeach his ass, too, but last.
Without confidence in the U.S. A.G. to help him around the law, and without Cheney to help him rationalize, Bush would collapse like the walls of an empty tick. Yuck!
How the fate of the United States fall into the hands of wimpy milquetoasts and extremist chickenhawk fascists?
Adam
It seems to be the inevitable consequence of these personalities’ world views. Milquetoasts survive only by manipulation of politics, and so they naturally become pros at it. Fascists’ will to power and wealth is so consuming that they naturally end up running things. We need a personality type whose will to justice is stronger than these in order to have a decent society.
I used to like Feingold. I wonder what he accidentally said on some mobile phone call or had hidden in his house when they came sneaking and peaking that has him so bottled up now.
Don’t for a minute think that at least half of these Democrats who are playing coy are doing so because Rove has something REALLY JUICY on them and they hope to protect their reputations and careers. Personally, I think they DESERVE the camps when the neo-fascists have enough power to close them down and take them away.
Do they honestly think, we’re going to say, “Yay! They’re censuring! That’ll show ’em!!!”??? What planet are the Democrats on??? They are “out of touch” with the public. They actually think they are doing a good job! LOOK AT THE APPROVAL POLLS, YOU IDIOTS!!!
The DCCC and DLC have convinced most Democrats that their polls are low BECAUSE of all the investigating they are doing, rather than because they are NOT DOING ENOUGH.
This battle was lost when Bush v. Gore came down and we didn’t burn down the Supreme Court and have some “instant impeachments” of a certain five justices.
It’s too late now. They own the media. They own the three branches of justice. They commit criminal acts on a daily basis and go unchallenged.
Wear orange Monday, but it’s too late.
Impeach the misinterpreter in chief after impeaching Cheney.
He’s at it again????
Feingold Calls for Bush’s Censure — 3.12.06
http://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/...95&page=1
Something tells me it won’t happen this time either.
Censure is gonna be fruitless.
Testing the waters maybe before they jump in ?
Censure may be the first step in the discovery process and force the rubberstampers to go on record, at least that’s what I’m hoping Feingold means to do instead of swiftboating the impeachment process. Anyway, here’s what I posted over at Raw Story article on Feingold’s announcement:
The US is in denial as bush is one false flag operation away from absolute power. Will it be too late before people snap out of the brainwashing and come to their senses to realize capitalism can be corrupted and turned into fascism just like marxism was and turned into communism?
Who won in that long cold war, or for that matter any war? Unassailable democracy were brainwashed to believe— the superhero power on earth! Yeah right, but I’ll tell you who has won in all wars, international bankers with the corrupted portions of both governments and their intelligence services as their playthings.
The Shining City On The Hill—the big delusion—is filled with mere corruptible mortals. How arrogant or ignorant of us to believe that just because we had the most evolved system of check and balanced government it could not ultimately be compromised. Just where are those check and balances in all the new executive orders and acts now on the books?
I pray to the source of all life that those who have been compromised have enough conscience and humanity left to expose themselves or at the very least stop obstructing and vote with god truly as your witness so our last safeguard of real democracy will not be wasted and IMPEACHMENT of the latest “elected†mafia crime family and exposure of the international war banking dynasties will prevail. May the world’s masses wake up to the unending war and enslavement of humanity that is underway. It’s a slim hope, but hope nonetheless and you’re welcome to join me in my prayer.
If impeachment isn’t pursued then an untouchable president precedent will be established!
Imagine if we had been spending $7.5 billion a MONTH over the last several years to find energy alternatives instead of spilling our blood and treasure in the desert on behalf of big oil and Halliburton. Go Russ, go!
I could not agree with Ancient more! I also hope that Floridiot is also right…that Feingold is testing the waters and giving more Republicans the opportunity to see that their constituants support doing what is right to rid our country of any leaders who break the law, even if it means impeaching the V.P. and the Prez. The voters want to see Congress stand up to this administration and take on the Constitutionally mandated responsibility of throwing the crooks in jail.
It is for lack of acting that people are so disapproving of Congress. But, Democrats cannot be blamed for voting unanimously. Without 17 votes from the Republican Senators, they can’t get any bill passed. There’s no problem with the ‘majority’ in the House of Reps. The problem is in the Senate where there are only 49 actively voting Democrats. 49 do not even make a simple majority, let alone the super majority vote of 66 needed to change direction in Iraq. Without the Republicans coming to their senses, there will be no change in Iraq. The Senate is not controlled by only 49 voting Democrats, except in caucus only. I wish MSM would be clear on this. The problem, then, is that the Senate Republicans are still supporting the president instead of the Constitution and instead of supporting the troops. The Republican Senators are still playing party politics as if there are no serious issues before them, or are they intimidated by Bush’s unchecked power? What do they have to hide? I hope their constituants write them, call them, badger them to do the right thing and stop just making bushies richer and stop allowing Bush and Cheney and Gonzales to trample our Constitution and any law they don’t like.
Voters must bring pressure on their representatives, especially in the Senate, or make it clear that they will not be re-elected!!!!!
The same 17 Republican votes along with the unanimous 49 Democrats in the Senate will also be needed to IMPEACH where a ‘conviction’ is made to throw the dictators out.
The censure would attack the office of the President of my country. It would aid and abet the enemy. What other traitorous act does the Democrats contemplate?
From an old ex-Democrat
Hey Rosemary, talk about traitors, your president let our country be attacked on 9/11 either by incompetence or collusion! He lied us into an illegal preemptive war that even he admitted had nothing to do with 9/11 but has cost nearly a million human lives, is ultimately responsible for running that war so poorly as to cavalierly jeopardize the lives of those who truly do the sacrificing for years now, has nearly broken our military, broke international and our own laws including torture and illegal spying on Americans, ignores laws passed by congress with signing statements, is leaving our children’s children immeasurable debt, is refusing to deal with global warming no matter what the cause at the entire planets peril, outsourced his job to the most vile, greedy vice president in history, continues to stand by an obvious conspiratorial liar for an attorney general, and has completely ruined America’s moral standing in the world! He lies with impunity and is destroying that which you derive your basic rights as a citizen of this country–the Constitution. Our founding fathers put impeachment in the Constitution to save us from traitors exactly like him. HE HAS DONE MORE TO DESTROY THE INTEGRETY OF THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENCY THAN ANYONE COULD EVER HAVE IMAGINED. And you have a problem with censure; what planet do you live on?
I have listened to him and he sounds like a broken record? No proof of anything (which he has admitted) but, he says he believes the president and white house has done illeagal things! How about doing something that the democratic party ran on? The only thing that can be said is minimum wage! How about our borders? How about our colleges? How about crime? How about drugs? How about protecting our freedoms and keeping the fight against terroist over seas in stead of in New York? I have talked to men and women returning from Iraq and they all agree that the truth about success there is not told here on our news…
Let’s have some truth for a change!