Feingold to oppose Mukasey.
By on Nov 4th, 2007 at 12:30 pm
Feingold to oppose Mukasey.
In a statement released this morning, Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) said he will vote against the nomination of Michael Mukasey. Feingold said that, while Mukasey has many “impressive qualities,” the country “needs an Attorney General who will tell the President that he cannot ignore the laws passed by Congress. Unfortunately, Judge Mukasey was unwilling to reject the extreme and dangerous theories of executive power that this administration has put forward.”
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Feinstein and Schumer are voting to confirm; exactly why is Feingold announcing his vote now? It smells of political positioning to me.
November 4th, 2007 at 12:34 pmGood Man, Feingold........There are still some Patriots left.
Be Careful of Private plane charters
November 4th, 2007 at 12:37 pmHurray for Russ!
Feinstein & Schumer should cut out the corporate licking.
The committee and us, the public, should demand that before any vote be taken....that Mukasey undergo waterboarding for a mere 5 minutes....and then report back with a personal opinion as to whether or not it is torture. If he doesn't know after experiencing it himself... god help us.
November 4th, 2007 at 12:46 pmYa, but is this enough to stop Mukasey?.
November 4th, 2007 at 12:46 pmRepublicans will be casting their 'Yes' vote collectively under Mitch McConnel leadership in the Senate, as usual.
All what Bush needs is one or two 'D' senators..and we know that Bush has senators Schumer and Feinstein already on his side.
"It smells of political positioning to me."
Was his lone "no" vote on the Patriot Act mere posturing as well? Any man willing to stand alone on behalf of democracy against overwhelming opposition for no political benefit to himself has earned my trust eternally.
November 4th, 2007 at 12:54 pmKudo's to Feingold. Now, we need his help in pressuring Feinstein and Schumer to vote against this latest torturer.
November 4th, 2007 at 12:54 pmLarry from arguewithmydad
Fine* American Waterboarding by Feinstein-Schumer LLC. *we use only Vichy Sparkling Mineral Water…
November 4th, 2007 at 12:58 pmI know one thing: I will never, ever vote for Diane Feinstein again. I no longer consider her my Senator nor a representative of my views. She's been flirting with the dark side for quite awhile and now I'm convinced she's gone completely over to it. As far as Feingold is concerned, I think he should be the Democratic nominee. Just read the shocking difference in the speeches given by Russ Feingold and Hillary Clinton on the Senate floor just before the Iraq War Resolution. The contrast between the way Feingold saw right through the Bush lies and deception and Hillary did not or would not, could not be more stark.
November 4th, 2007 at 1:04 pmat this point, a "no" vote is safe & worthless.
November 4th, 2007 at 1:10 pmFeinstein and Schumer are voting to confirm; exactly why is Feingold announcing his vote now? It smells of political positioning to me.
Comment by barfly — November 4, 2007 @ 12:34 pm
Gee, ya think? Is he up for re-election in 08?
Mukasey is a done deal, I have heard he'll get about 70 votes in the Senate.
November 4th, 2007 at 1:11 pmFeingold has always voted his conscience, regardless of the political fallout or political advantage.Sure, his vote of no will be of little value, but he's taken unpopular positions in the past, so don't be so quick to discount this one as political grandstanding.
November 4th, 2007 at 1:14 pm"Was his lone “no†vote on the Patriot Act mere posturing as well? Any man willing to stand alone on behalf of democracy against overwhelming opposition for no political benefit to himself has earned my trust eternally."
Comment by ignatov —
Let's speak to this specific instance. He already knew two other dems were voting to pass Mukasey, making his vote - what? Why did it take him this long? Leahy (and others) had already identified their positions, so what tangible good did this announcement do?
Being liberal, I learned long ago to look beneath the political surface. How about you?
November 4th, 2007 at 1:22 pmComment by BARTLEBEE
E-mailed her, received back the equivalent of a pat on the head.
She needs to be replaced by someone who still respects the Rule of Law.
November 4th, 2007 at 1:29 pmDo Schummer and Feinstein think we’re all BLIND?
Comment by BARTLEBEE — November 4, 2007 @ 1:33 pm
Not just blind, but stupid as well.
November 4th, 2007 at 1:38 pmLet Feinstein and Schummer know that if they don’t get with the party on this one that every single bill they introduce from now until the cows come home will be shunned. Squeeze them. Pressure them. Threaten them.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid needs to get involved in this. I don't think Feingold has the power to pressure fellow Senators. But Reid can deal a death blow to Senators who so blatantly and shamelessly go over to the Republican side, the way Schumer and Feinstein are doing. Let him take away all their committee memberships. Let him take away any position of prestige and power they currently enjoy in the Senate. Render them totally irrelevant. A party has got to stand for something. You can't just take such a big crap on the people who support the party, such as Schumer and Feinstein are doing, and expect to retain all your privileges and power.
November 4th, 2007 at 2:05 pmI have heard he’ll get about 70 votes in the Senate.
Comment by Keltoi at Night — November 4, 2007 @ 1:11 pm
How would someone know this? Hangin' around airport restrooms?
Mustn't... make... obvious... joke... about... "Deep Throat"...
November 4th, 2007 at 2:05 pmGood for Feingold! Schumer and Feinstein should take note of that. Unfortunately, there is not enough votes against Mukasey. But, I applaud Feingold of doing the right thing and listening to the American people!
November 4th, 2007 at 2:16 pmI know. Thats why I wrote this;
Reid and Pelosi need to leverage their positions. Reid can put the screws on if he had some gnads.
Comment by BARTLEBEE
That's right. I'm sure that if Republican Senators went so far off the reservation and opposed Bush, and if the Republicans still controlled the Senate, their Senate leadership wouldn't hesitate a second to play extreme hard ball with their own.
November 4th, 2007 at 2:23 pmI wish Russ could convince Schmuck Shumer (D-Israel) and Dyin' FindGold to embrace Democracy...but, they can't do it!!!
Gawddamnit we need Democrats with spines, balls, ovaries, hearts, livers, etc. Sh|t, I'll take one with a phu(king heathly spleen!!!!! This sh|t has to end!!!!
I'm done with the DemoCraps!!!!
November 4th, 2007 at 3:17 pmLet me be clear, Russ is a Democrat and Dyin' and Schmuck are DemoCraps!!!
November 4th, 2007 at 3:20 pmFunny how it took Feingold so long to realize that waterboarding is torture.I guess Feinstein & Schumer think it's not.
November 4th, 2007 at 3:44 pmFeinstein is a republican ,she couldn't get elected in San Francisco if she had acknowledged that yrs ago.And how did she serve the many minorities that helped her get started in politics in San Francisco ,she voted to bring a noted racially insentive judge to a prominient federal judgeship.now knowing that do you really think Feinstein supports the Dem party & what it stands for .
I don't know whether these Democrats are cowards or they're being blackmailed - or both.
What I do know, though, is that I'm sick to death of their broken promises.
The vast majority of the American people support them. The friggin' CONSTITUTION supports them. What the hell are they afraid of?
November 4th, 2007 at 4:23 pmIf the Democrats in the Senate had any real leadership, Schumer and Feinstein would have towed the party line but since Reid is milktoast to this administration the Dems are a fractured lot to say the least.
Feingold can continue to save his image as a maverick and a Senator who appears to be for the people but he was hedging on his vote until it was safe for him to vote no.
If the vote had come down to the wire, Feingold like the rest of his Jewish bretheren in the Senate would have voted the way AIPAC would tell him to vote.
November 4th, 2007 at 4:53 pmpart of the coalition of the good. Keep it up Russ.
November 4th, 2007 at 5:54 pmBig deal. Unless someone blocks the vote all together, we will be stuck with Gonzales II.
November 4th, 2007 at 6:02 pmgood - glad to see a democrat with some guts, balls and integrity.
November 4th, 2007 at 7:19 pmwhere are the rest?
Russ Feingold is a true blue Progressive whose voting record and public statements always demonstrate consistency and character.
Schumer and Feinstein are both DLC corporatists who have aided and abetted the Bush regime and its efforts to consolidate power, turn the courts to the right and pursue a unilateral foreign policy. They are part of a rightist fifth column in the Democratic party. Their links to corporate interests and the Military Industrial Complex are the best explanations for their behavior.
Interesting that when a Jewish Democrat does something right, the International Zionist Conspiracy theorists are nowhere to be found along with the "I've had it with Democrats, I'm voting third party" drones. When something doesn't fit their narrow, black and white narratives, they just ignore it. Anybody seen plunger?
November 4th, 2007 at 7:42 pmOoops, it looks like I have to amend my statement. One idiot racist appears to have put in an appearance. What evidence do you have that Feingold hedged about this or would have voted otherwise? Zero, zip, nada. Back to StormFront with you.
November 4th, 2007 at 7:49 pmComment by Snowball — November 4, 2007 @ 7:49 pm
Its one thing to confront the troll, but did you report it for anti-Semitic abuse? I did.
November 5th, 2007 at 5:15 amSenator Feingold - what a refreshing change from LIEberman!
November 5th, 2007 at 5:17 am