Senator Feingold is a Throwback to Senate Glory Days
The secret Russ Feingold knows is that people respect you if you do what's right. Here's a nice piece on my Senator and neighbor from the Nation's William Greider. He ties Russ to some giants of old but forgets the one who likely influenced him the most.
A Peculiar Politician:
The Washington Post runs an obligatory account on page 8, quoting Mr. Anonymous Democrat Strategist on the unwisdom of Feingold's gesture. The New York Times story on page 24 quotes the esteemed constitutional authority Dick Cheney. The House Repubican leader (who replaced the corrupt House leader who resigned) denounces Feingold's resolution as "political grandstanding of the very worst kind." Like the Republican impeachment of Bill Clinton for fellatio in the White House? Go away, Feingold, let us get back to the people's business.
The real story--naturally overlooked by cynical editors--is that an honest truth-teller is loose in the fun house and disturbing the clowns. Man bites dog, senator defends Constitution.
Feingold has a reputation for such quaint deviations--a naïf who voted against the war in Iraq and the Patriot Act. On principle! How naïve is that? He talks like he might run for President, yet he seems tone-deaf to the artful resonances of power politics--the cutesy games insiders play and the press cherishes. Hey, what is this Constitution thing anyway?
The senator is peculiar in this era of decaying democracy. There was a time, believe it or not, when his type was a familiar presence in the Senate. I think of Sam Ervin of North Carolina, a conservative Democrat on most matters but always a lion on the Constitution. Ervin is remembered for his heroic role in the investigation of Watergate. Old-timers remember that before Watergate, Senator Sam led courageous hearings on the illegal spying on civilians by the Army and FBI (Democratic scandals predating Nixon).
When liberalism was in flower, the Senate always included a good mix of such maverick voices. They were party loyalists but departed on principle in ways that sometimes kept the majority honest. Voted against the President's war in Vietnam and never let up. Ernest Gruening of Alaska, Wayne Morse of Oregon, Albert Gore Sr. of Tennessee. Phil Hart of Michigan was his own one-man reform party. George McGovern of South Dakota was another. He forgot Bill Proxmire, surely a huge influence on Russ and all of us who grew up in the Glory Years of the great Packer teams and the great Sens. Nelson and Proxmire.
Meanwhile, the right is trying to spin the censure motion to rally their base. Call for Censure Is Rallying Cry to Bush's Base
They're pretty desperate if that's all they've got.
A Peculiar Politician:
The Washington Post runs an obligatory account on page 8, quoting Mr. Anonymous Democrat Strategist on the unwisdom of Feingold's gesture. The New York Times story on page 24 quotes the esteemed constitutional authority Dick Cheney. The House Repubican leader (who replaced the corrupt House leader who resigned) denounces Feingold's resolution as "political grandstanding of the very worst kind." Like the Republican impeachment of Bill Clinton for fellatio in the White House? Go away, Feingold, let us get back to the people's business.
The real story--naturally overlooked by cynical editors--is that an honest truth-teller is loose in the fun house and disturbing the clowns. Man bites dog, senator defends Constitution.
Feingold has a reputation for such quaint deviations--a naïf who voted against the war in Iraq and the Patriot Act. On principle! How naïve is that? He talks like he might run for President, yet he seems tone-deaf to the artful resonances of power politics--the cutesy games insiders play and the press cherishes. Hey, what is this Constitution thing anyway?
The senator is peculiar in this era of decaying democracy. There was a time, believe it or not, when his type was a familiar presence in the Senate. I think of Sam Ervin of North Carolina, a conservative Democrat on most matters but always a lion on the Constitution. Ervin is remembered for his heroic role in the investigation of Watergate. Old-timers remember that before Watergate, Senator Sam led courageous hearings on the illegal spying on civilians by the Army and FBI (Democratic scandals predating Nixon).
When liberalism was in flower, the Senate always included a good mix of such maverick voices. They were party loyalists but departed on principle in ways that sometimes kept the majority honest. Voted against the President's war in Vietnam and never let up. Ernest Gruening of Alaska, Wayne Morse of Oregon, Albert Gore Sr. of Tennessee. Phil Hart of Michigan was his own one-man reform party. George McGovern of South Dakota was another. He forgot Bill Proxmire, surely a huge influence on Russ and all of us who grew up in the Glory Years of the great Packer teams and the great Sens. Nelson and Proxmire.
Meanwhile, the right is trying to spin the censure motion to rally their base. Call for Censure Is Rallying Cry to Bush's Base
They're pretty desperate if that's all they've got.
posted by Faithful Progressive at 12:55 AM
8 Comments:
The New York Times reports that the Dutch government has decided to upgrade the compulsory “cultural integration” exams prospective immigrants have to take before obtaining a visa to the country of Erasmus...in order to “filter away all unwanted religiously conservative individuals”
“A lesson, about the Netherlands' nude beaches, is followed by another: homosexuals have the same rights here as heterosexuals do, including the chance to marry.
Just to make sure everyone gets the message, two men are shown kissing in a meadow.
The scenes are brief parts of a two-hour-long film that the Dutch government has compiled to help potential immigrants, many of them from Islamic countries, meet the demands of a new entrance examination that went into effect on Wednesday
”
Or course citizen of certain countries with high numbers of “religious conservatives” such as Israel and the US are exempted from taking the exam…but the Dutch government wants us to believe this shouldn’t be interpreted as blatantly racist double-standard directed at Arabs and Mohammedans!
But there’s even worse that sheer racism at work here: ironically, by focusing its message on nude beaches, swingers clubs, hash bars…etc. the Dutch government is contributing to the distortion and debasement of Western culture in the eyes of its critics, thus reinforcing their prejudices.
Just like their Neocon friends in Washington and Tel-Aviv, the Muslim-bashers of Amsterdam and The Hague are useful idiots feeding the anti-Western narrative of Osama Bin Laden and Ayman Al-Zawahiri.
Instead of promoting humanistic and secular values by building schools and universities with modernist secular curricula in the Middle-East and South Asia, instead of telling prospective immigrants the world over that Europe is a beacon of humanism and democracy, we’re content with provoking Muslims gratuitously.
In Hitler’s Germany, Jehovah's Witnesses were forced to accept blood transfusion and force-fed ham so they could become “good Germans”.
In Guantanomo’s prisons, Arab and Muslim detainees were routinely forced to watch gay porn movies while listening to the Israeli national anthem
I guess this must have paved the way for the Dutch government’s new immigration law…
I'm still trying to make the connection between Dutch cultural integration and Russ Feingold...
The 'rally cry for republicans' criticism does not hold water and should be exposed as being shallow. Yes republicans are on the defensive, but they were looking for anything to try and slow the bleeding. From Swift Boats to censure, democrats have learned nothing if they have not realized that there will always be efforts to shout down what should otherwise be debated.
I think it is the 'maverick' label that annoys dems most, that Feingold can't be brought to heel. Some dems are criticizing Feingold from taking the focus away from the DP World port issue, where democrats were 'out Roving Karl Rove' and using the matter for pure political gain. Then there were those who want hearings. For democrats to expect that republicans would call for hearings to investigate NSA spying and debate censure is delusional. Russ Feingold's call for censure is simple, and strikes a positive chord with those who are losing faith in government.
I sent Russ a 'thank you for standing up' note yesterday, and for reminding me that right is right, even if everyone else is against it.
Feingold isn't doing what's right for America, he's doing what's 'right' for him in hopes of winning the dem nomination for president in 2008.
sickofspin, you know this because...?
sickofspin,
You know, your comment is, coincidentially I am sure, the very same partisan spin that republicans are using. Imagine that!
That Feingold has presidential aspirations is no secret. Saying so is spin? Hardly.
Note: Look at how many Senators have distanced themselves from Feingold and his censure proposal. That's a clue as to how much validity it has. Nada. If Harkin supports it, you KNOW it's partisan hack crap.
sickofspin,
It is a slippery slope when you start throwing labels of 'partisan hack crap' around. Coming from you...
It is partisan spin when the best you can come up with is the same catch phrase that republican spin machines are spitting out. What is your source for Feingold's presidential ambitions, the 'no secret' element of your comment? The republican spin machines?
Here's some advice- if you want to avoid the label of regurgitating republican spin, point to something other than a republican party talking point to make your argument.
Hey RJ and Spin:
I agree with RJ. I've known Russ for well over 20 years--he's partisan but no hack. He was my state sen before my US senator. He has worked hard for small business, is a deficit hawk (always has been), and goes his own way. People here love him--hack would be the one word no one here would use.
FP
Post a Comment
<< Home