Feingold Still the One

E. J. Dionne, Jr. of the Washington Post writers group tackles the issue of Senator Russ Feingold's censure move of the President. The piece is a good one and the more I look at Feingold's move, the more I wish that there had been coordinated effort behind this. Of course, the Democratic leadership has been in cut and run mode for so many years that I doubt anything would have come of that.

The difference in this case, for me in hindsight, is there might have been a better moment to unleash this bomb on the lying and law-breaking President. As Dionne says:

But at a moment when Democrats have Bush on the run, Feingold's proposal was a
tad inconvenient, a conversation-changer at a moment when Feingold's colleagues liked the way the conversation was going just fine.

Fair enough. Still, I am going to support Feingold because he is one of only a few principled politicians and he is not afraid to speak his mind and take the tough stance ... unlike his cowardly partners and the braying masses on the other side of the aisle.

But the Dems as a minority party are going to have to start making some positive moves or the Republicans will walk all over them again in the 2006 elections. Dionne says:

Here's the problem: Feingold and the activists are right that Democrats
can't just take a pass on the wiretapping issue because Bush's legal claims are
so suspect -- even to many in his own party. The opposition's job is to raise
alarms over potential abuses of presidential power.

But Democrats, unlike Republicans, have yet to develop a healthy relationship between activists willing to test and expand the conventional limits on political debate and the politicians who have to calculate what works in creating an electoral majority.

For two decades, Republicans have used their idealists, their ideologues and their loudmouths to push the boundaries of discussion to the right. In the best of all worlds, Feingold's strong stand would redefine what's "moderate" and make clear that those challenging the legality of the wiretapping are neither extreme nor soft on terror.

Give the Republicans credit, their discipline is to be admired. But it can also be their weakness. Jackboot displays are eventually frowned upon by the American public.

Ich Bin Ein Tasty Pastry

Charlie Sykes greets conservative bloggers before beginning the march on the Waukesha County Board. Chris, from spotted horse, stands behind Charlie.

Don't Touch That

The Center for Disease Control has issued a warning about a new virulent strain of sexually transmitted disease. The disease is contracted through dangerous high-risk behavior. The disease is called Gonorrhea Lectim and pronounced "gonna re-elect him." Many victims contracted it in 2004, after having been screwed for the past four years. Naturalists and epidemiologists are amazed at how this destructive disease originated only a few years ago from a bush in Texas.

Even More Clueless on the Right

My erstwhile buddy, Chris at spotted horse, has a thing or two to say about Russ Feingold, none very appetizing. Chris and his goon friends are happy to use foul language or insulting names to describe Feingold or other politicians/regular people they disagree with, but when someone says something that even remotely seems to slander someone they support (very remotely) then "Oh my gosh look how terrible the left is."

Chris, his full title is: Senator Russ Feingold. He has more class in one finger than you will ever be able to acquire in your lifetime.

Clueless on the Right

Funny line of the day:

"They don't have a clue."

Pat Robertson, Republican religious leader regarding his thoughts on the American populace's ability to determine whether Iraq is in a civil war or not.

Pat Robertson saying someone (anyone) doesn't have a clue is like Patrick McIlheran quoting conservative publications as proof of his contentions ... neverminding that the bias is obvious.

As Father Mulcahey said: "Jocularity, jocularity, jocularity."

Conservative Line Dancing

Saw this comment at The Talent Show. Reworked it a bit, but the thought is consistent with my own.

It's been suggested by many right-wingers that disagreement with the president after 9-11 was partisan.

If this is true, then why isn't knee-jerk acquiescence every bit as partisan, and every bit as dangerous?

Feingold No McCarthy

Right wingers still do not get it. Their new spin in the surveillance wars is whether Bush had the authority as commander in chief to order the NSA to copnduct surveillance, without going through the FISA motions. Their answer being yes, of course.

Senator Feingold has simply pointed out that 1) It's illegal. The President is not above the law (remember Nixon), and 2) If this is allowed to become precedent, what happens in the future when law is again ignored.

Our founding fathers would be aghast at the right's willingness to acquiesce to everything this administration wants.

Give away some of my rights to feel safer, you betcha they bray in unision. Eventually there will be none.

Feingold has been the only person to stand up to the Bush dictatorship...his fellow Dems are cowards.

Polling for Help

The latest NBC News and Wall Street Journal poll has President Bush's approval rating at 37 per cent. He's still more popular than bee stings. His cohort, Dick Cheney, cannot say the same.

Be Chaste, Lady Liberty

Looking Very Bedouin

New York...Land of the House of Saud

Cut and Run

I see that Peter DiGaudio (Texas Hold 'em Blogger) cut the link from my post here on the marriage amendment to his at his site. Conservatives, for the most part, are whiners and babies. Peter obviously can dish it out, but can't take it.

I Agree With Sykes...Help

It's weird. I find myself in agreement with Charlie Sykes. There needs to be an investigation and ultimately, Lee Holloway has got to go ... hopefully to jail.

Truth is, I find him as disreputable as Scooter Jensen and Chuck Chvala. Maybe the three of them can work on license plates together someday.

Impeach George Bush.

Crocodile Tears

It's getting old. Rightie bloggers are adding their tears to the recent rains and are flooding our streets with their lamentations for Scooter Jensen's family. Apparently Chuck Chvala's family needed no tears.

They were both guilty and deserved what they got ... sorry for the families, but Scooter and Chuckie should have thought of that ahead of time.

Get off your pedestals, hypocrites.

He's a Crook...Good Riddance

Conservative bloggers are oozing tears over poor Mr. Scotty Jensen's guilty verdict. This despite the fact he was found guilty of three felonies by a jury of his peers...fellow citizens. If these bloggers were alive in 1944, I'll bet they would have lamented the death of Mussolini.

"Ah, but he was a principled man and the trains did run on time."

Yeah, It Will Get Ugly

Peter DiGaudio at Texas Hold ‘em Blogger worries that the homosexual marriage debate could get ugly. Huh? What planet have you been residing on, Peter? The debate regarding homosexuality, in general, has been ugly for decades and most of the vitriol has been targeted toward homosexuals. This is news for you?

Besides being clueless, Peter is certain that the statistic claiming that 10 percent of the population is homosexual is a bald-faced lie. More like one or two percent he opines. Peter must have information that we other, mere mortals, do not have access to. Having said that, rather than be disingenuous like Peter, I’ll simply say that the answer is virtually unanswerable for many reasons. But then, does it really matter?

And sorry, buster, the only people claiming that homosexuality is a lifestyle choice are the nutbags on the right…including guess who. But then, I’ve forgotten, Peter knows all and Peter knows best. Not being homosexual, I don’t know the reason(s) for being homosexual. I do know, though, that it is not something you just decide to do one day. Fact is, the only people I know who are trying to have it both ways are conservatives.

Peter goes on to say that he can’t imagine Abraham Lincoln lining up with the homosexual movement. Considering that Abe would have preferred the status quo of slave vs. free states rather than go to war, and the only reason the Emancipation Proclamation was written was for the sake of political expediency, then Peter’s hypothesis about Lincoln is just so much hot air.

Peter whines that people are being labeled "bigots" for supporting the amendment. Boo hoo. Later in his own piece, Peter uses the terms “feminazi,” “militant homosexual movement,” and “black-robed federal mullah.” Can you spell hypocrite, Peter?

My favorite, though, is when Peter states that what two consenting adults do in the privacy of their bedroom doesn’t concern or bother him. Then he complains that being told to embrace, celebrate or even sanction their right to privacy…well, he draws the line there. Hmmm. What was your statement about not being able to have it both ways? It either concerns you or it doesn’t, Peter. Make up your mind.

To finish his piece, Peter laments about how awful the left is and warns us that people like himself may vote for the amendment if we don’t start being nice. Screw that. Your piece has already identified you as pro-amendment and anti-constitution. So what’s the difference?

They came for the communists, and I did not speak up because I wasn't a
communist;
They came for the socialists, and I did not speak up because I was not a
socialist;
They came for the union leaders, and I did not speak up because I wasn't a
union leader;
They came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak up for me.

Maybe Later

Just been tired...and busy. Have been helping my ten-year old with two school projects. I think he is finally understanding that he actually has to do some work at times. Of course, I think he became just a little depressed when I impressed upon him that he had at least another 11 years of schooling.

Have been working on my free agency bids for the fantasy baseball league in which I compete. This could be a good team. Managed to free up some salary cap room by trading off younger players with mediocre seasons...and acquired a good young pitcher and relief pitcher. If free agency goes as I hope, will have added Andruw Jones to play center field and Adrian Beltre at third base. Beltre is coming off a poor year, but his gold glove caliber defense will be useful.

Way to go, Russ. I'm sure my conservative blogger brethren will howl and whine about his censure move, but he did the correct thing. Bush and his cronies are a danger to America. The wiretapping was ILLEGAL. You can spin it anyway you want...it doesn't matter.