Pros and Cons of Senator Feingold's move to censure Bush

The two concerns I have are the timing of the move and the fact that he initiated it on his own. The following is just my personal opinion, so feel free to join in with your own pros and/or cons, if any, or even let me know if you think that any of these concerns are way out of whack.

THE TIMING OF IT - PROS & CONS:

Pros:
This could be an impetus, a wake up call, for people to come and support (by voting for) Democrats in November.

Taking a stand ANYTIME is better than taking no stand at all, considering how few stands Democrats have taken in recent years. The time to stand up to obvious corruption is ASAP, elections or no elections on the horizon.

Cons:
We're only months away from the elections that could have put us over the top in the House, yet Senator Feingold has put the Democratic Party into a somewhat precarious position where, because of his motion, the rest of the Senators now have to make their intents known at a time when some may consider it to be counterproductive to future plans regarding impeachment.

Considering it could serve as a rallying call to re-unite a Republican Party, a party that seemed to be coming apart at the seams, was this the right time to do this?

HE INITIATED IT ON HIS OWN - PROS & CONS:

Pros:
It's extraordinary that, finally, one Democratic spokesman has the courage and integrity to pubicly stand up for something that is so glaringly obvious that people shouldn't even question this move, something that shouldn't be a surprise to anyone, considering Feingold is right that Bush needs to be punished. This is such a novel concept for Democrats to step up with something like this, that maybe we're just not used to it or something.

Finally, after all the outcries and demands by us to get the ball rolling against Bush in terms of something legal, someone has done something tangible.

After being so frustrated watching our leaders turn the other cheek, take the high road, or not fight back, we finally have someone who's taking the fight to THEM.

This could energize the Democratic Party. At the very least, it seems to have energized the Liberal base of our Party for the time being.

Cons:
Senator Feingold initiated the censure move all on his own, instead of waiting to do it with full party support.

By initiating this move for censure on his own, he may have put Democrats into the precarious position where they almost have to say SOMETHING to reporters when asked about their intentions on impeachment now, which clearly is a subject they did not want to discuss just yet. Judging by their body language, it appears that Democrats didn't want to give away anything about their designs on Bush until all of them were on board together and especially when they may have been looking ahead to when we were in a position of strength after the November elections. Then we could have simply gone for the jugular and impeached through the strength of an entire party.

My own personal conclusion: I think Senator Feingold is a good man and he's doing something that he believes all Democrats should stand for. There aren't any of us who don't want to see Bush punished. I just wonder about the timing of it and the idea that went out on a limb all by himself to initiate it. One thing I think is for sure, he's put the rest of the Party into a position where they have to now take a stand, one way or the other.

Whether or not this was the correct move to make at this particular time, I think the Democratic Party has no choice but to join in as a unified group and find a way where they can throw their support behind Senator Feingold. To do otherwise could make us look like the same old wishy-washy party as usual. At the very least, support him or not, the Party has to come up with a response that shows it's unified. It's going to be like a friggin game of chess from here on in.

One thing I think we can all agree on: For the time being, Russ Feingold has made himself the "unique" Democrat...a pioneer, if you will.

CONS: None worth taking seriously.

Jeff, you've got to be the fastest reader on the face of the earth!

:toast:

What takes me forever is typing. Which is why most of my posts are so short!

no matter how fast you can read.

You've probably heard of it. It's called "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell. The only thing good about it is the title. It took me almost a month to get through the first 75 pages!

The president broke the law.

The only "con" is that it took so long.

Any Democrat who hesitates to CENSURE the president for breaking the law can just show their faces now. How can they call themselves an opposition if they don't? How could it be politically dangerous with Bush's approval ratings at 30-something, and a majority of the public supporting censure?

With Feingold's move WE ARE ON THE OFFENSIVE! That is the way to win political campaigns. ATTACK! The Democrats should not cower--how well has that strategy worked in the past three elections????

We need to attack and make the next election a referendum on Bush. We should never let up. Feingold's call for censure is only the bare minimum of the aggressiveness we need.

It's right there in the "Pros"...

"After being so frustrated watching our leaders turn the other cheek, take the high road, or not fight back, we finally have someone who's taking the fight to THEM."

And the bicameral Dem caucus understands this and is serving as a quiet accomplice in these efforts. It is a deceptively simple strategy. I posted these very thoughts in another thread:

This whole game plan started with that bicameral, closed-door meeting that happened just before Murtha came out 'on point' for strategic redeployment.

They send out ONE guy, who articulates a position, and takes ALL THE HEAT. The remainder of them either stay mum, offer qualified support, or use the "Devil's Advocate" stance to slowly, surely advance the position.

The GOP piles on, but the public starts screaming, because what these elected officials who are 'on point' are saying makes complete and total sense. The piling on appears hugely partisan, in addition to being bullying. No one likes a bully. Americans believe in debate, after all.

Feingold is the "Designated Senator," just as Murtha is the "Designated Representative." Both have the most important characteristic required to advance their theses--credibility. The second quality that they have, and it is a key one, is that both are unflappable. They won't be discombobulated by criticism, because their objections are succinct, clear, and unwavering, and they know how to keep their cool.

It's a slow process, that many would like to see go at a faster pace, but the finish line for this particular effort is November.

Slow and steady,
Wins the race.

The planning of these efforts was on target, the timing is perfect (you need to roll out a product months before you expect to see profit), and the sales technique is nothing short of masterful. The outrage that these John Wayne-like "lone heroes" have awakened in everyday people makes this a "MUST COVER" media issue. The piling on by the GOP only makes them look like bullying thugs. Remember how they said Murtha's plan was a nonstarter, dead in the water? Well, he was the headliner on MEET FATBOY POTATOHEAD this morning...that doesn't sound like he's dead in the water, does it?

We need to look down the road toward November, and we, the people, need to keep carping on these issues in every possible venue. That's how we win.

Thanks for sharing that. You could be very well right that all of this is happening according to plan. Ya never know.

:toast:

--and noting that the GOP are not responding effectively--we have momentum. All we need to do is keep the pressure on: http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/03/19.html#a7577

I despise Faux, but this clip is well worth a look. Brit Hume gets spitting mad, is unconvincing despite his highest possible dudgeon, and that Quisling Kristol actually praises Feingold's political skills! Juan Williams gets some fine slaps in as well!

and tried for crimes against humanity and negligent homicide in NOLA and lying about iraq and starting an illegal war

it gets Bush's illegal spying program front and center in the public debate, at a time when impeachment is impossible.

the Fascists will contenue to up plug the microphones and turn out the lights on all debate.