Yes, I agree that this 2nd Censure action is doomed. More then that I would imagine that it will embolden the executive while further impugning the congress. He knows that there are not enough votes for Censure or Impeachment so then the goal of it has to be to create the illusion that the democrats are "on our side" but that congressional division from the Republicans is the "real" problem. Several months ago both Palosie & Reid allowed war funding to pass and in Palosi's words "extended the olive branch" to Shrub.

If the Democrats were against the war and Bush that was the defining moment that proved that it is no longer "OUR" government. Their reasons might have been pure but the fact remains that the overwhelming majority of Americans wanted funding cut and the war ended completely.

More time goes by and Reid says that they, "Never wanted a precipitous withdrawal anyway!" This is proof that our representatives are part of the illusion that the nation's people remain the served. Essentially we are forced against a wall and the choice is freedom or tyranny. Since legal immigrants are brought in quickly now their experiences of government are communistic or socialistic and they will rise to support the government as it goes against their programming to resist it.

The lines of division are numerous and all created by the government.

EXACTLY Much ado about nuthin! Both parties are in on it.

Not. Good. Enough.

Clinton's sleaziness was reason enough, but the Bush adminstration's mind-boggling record of criminal abuses on every front isn't notable enough, Senator?

It is your job. Do it and keep at it because it is that important.

Watch: Every couple of weeks, another Democrat will present something meaningless like this -- you know, throw all the disgruntled voters a teeny-tiny bone, make it appear like they (the Republicans and Dems) aren't all in on it together...

Whatever.

McConnell - obfuscating the real issue:

"right in league with the all-night session the other night, which the American people are looking at with disbelief."

"This Congress now has a 14% approval rating. We think it's the lowest in the history of polling."

"All they do is have Iraq votes and investigations."

--

And I would bet Congressional approval would jump
dramatically if they actually started impeachment
but McConnell would never say that.

See there ya go. Just speak the words and allow the denial to flow away and feel that rush of truth as we identify tyranny. Say the words...

CONGRESS IS CORRUPT

When I was a child, I was censured several times. It usually only hurt my feelings for awhile. I still kissed the girls.

Oh, I'm really a boy -- Kem Patrick

When the tyrant in the white house completes his dictatorial assumption of power in 2008, as if he hasn't already, and as the next false flag operation occurs and 08 elections "suspended indefinately" and Bush (CHeney) takes absolute control of this country, Russ Feingold will be the first to have their property and assets seized, along with being thrown in Jail for dissenting opinion, without being charged with a crime- actually speaking out against the despot Bush, and opposing the Iraq war will be seen as hindering the war effort, supporting terrorism, and treason/sedition. The oligarchy has our IP's, and is spying on us, so get read to be locked in a detention facility (concentration camp) somewhere in the mountain regions of the US, there's a lot of empty space in North Dakota and Montana to place those who oppose the dictator. Some amongst us may even be lucky enough not to be tortured, or experimented on.

A lot of commondreamers speak of a dictatorship that's about to come? i've got news for your, the dictatorship is already here, and has been here for the past few decades. and sadly it is only getting worse. Wake Up!

Go Russ Go!

He always starts alone and finishes with most Americans agreeing with him.

CENSURE?!?!!! Good Lord, aren't we just a little bit beyond that? IMPEACHMENT. That's the word you're looking for, Mr. Feingold.

Not quite, Nathan.
Hear he got spanked for:

"It is clear that there are many people in this country, including myself, who demand accountability from this Administration for the terrible mess it made in Iraq and its egregious and even illegal power grabs throughout its six-plus years in power. I believe that the President and Vice President may well have committed impeachable offenses. But with so many important issues facing this country and so much work to be done, I am concerned about the great deal of time multiple impeachment trials would take away from the Congress working on the problems of the country. The time it would take for the House to consider articles of impeachment, and for the Senate to conduct multiple trials, would make it very difficult, if not impossible, for Congress to do what it was elected to do – end the war and address some of the other terrible mistakes this Administration has made over the past six and a half years"

Pretty lame.

Nathan Andover July 23rd, 2007 12:58 pm

Here you be Shrub and I'll play Russ (never mind I'll be Shrub & you are Russ)and consider this Censure Against Bush...

SHRUB: Yea what?
RUSS: Mr. Shrub congress has voted and decided to Censure you.
SHRUB: Yea so what.
RUSS: You are Censured Mr. Shrub.
SHRUB: ROFLOL AHAHAHAHA GFY ((in a thought bubble he thinks)Mmm I think abolishing congress will be fun!)

Wow!! Censure for the tremendous loss of life in Iraq and the tremendous loss of respect from the rest of the world. Go Dems! What a load of crap! I could do as much good screaming obscenities at my television set(which I do)every time a member of the Bush Administration utters another lie. Won't somebody back in DC grow some cajones and start the impeachment process?

That's all it is, thank you. Another political move, a kick and whine move, by the dems with no impact whatsover.

As i've said in other posts, the cowardly dems do not want to impeach Bush because ONCE the proceedings start, all the dictatorial powers he's assumed will be revealed, and the public will demand that they be quelled (like during Nixon). But the dems don't care about that, they care about assuming and abusing those very same powers for themselves. The dems are part of the plutocracy- they work for and serve the corperations and themselves only. They don't work for you and I, we are nothing to them.

Of course, as we all know, the Senate cannot impeach, only convict. Senator Feingold, if he wanted to have any impact at all, would have done far better to simply have called upon the House and the House Judiciary Committee to impeach Chimp McFlightsuit and Dick Vader. To threaten censure is as impotent an action as pointing a waggly finger, or some other body part.

News Flash! Feingold Calls For Censure! Bush Cowers In Oval Office!

News Flash! Feingold To Throw Wet Noodles At WHite House! Bush To Resign!

Nearly half of the country - according to polls - supports the idea of impeaching Bush. More than half supports impeaching Cheney. We don't need more empty gestures. What we need is impeachment! Get some Senators to go on the record as urging the House to impeach, and THEN you'd see some attention given to the idea by the MSM!

But everyone knows that a censure carries little real weight. Somehow I can't see Bush, having just been censured, withdrawing into the Oval Office while his secretary gathers his cabinet to hear Bush announce his resignation, which he will then tender to those daring Democratic defenders of the Constitution and all that is good in America.

If anything, censure would take the momentum away from the growing grassroots campaign to impeach. Not that Feingold would ever get enough votes to actually pass a censure motion, but if he were to do so, the Senate would see its job as complete, its hands washed, its guilty conscience over voting to authorize Bush to use military force in Iraq cleansed. In the House, supporters of impeachment, knowing the Senate would never convict having just settled for censure, would find their thunder stolen, the momentum brought to a sudden halt. No more co-sponsors. No more debate. To impeach with no chance of conviction would be pointless.

The only useful thing a Senator can do right now is to publicly urge the House, especially those representatives from his or her own state, to sign-on as co-sponsors of HR 333. The Senate could also hold hearings, to bring MSM attention to Chimp & Vader's impeachable offenses.

But as for a censure motion, Chimp and Vader would just laugh at it, and carry on with their plans to attack Iran, or Pakistan, or where ever else "the evildoers" are hiding out (besides the White House).

RUSS: You were bad bad bad bad!
SHRUB: Agent! Send this man to the Mideastern Front!

Honorable Senator Feingold,

You believe they have committed an impeachable offense, you describe this as the worst assault on the constitution perhaps in history, you quoted Gordon Smith as having used the word "criminal"
in connection to the Iraq war, you say "This administration has weakened America in a way that is frightful at one of the most important times when we need to be strong. And we as a Congress have to reflect this tragedy" you also correctly point out "the American people are outraged at the way they've been treated. They are outraged at the dishonesty that they have been subjected to. The American people—we deserve better than the way we've been treated, and somehow this has to be reflected". But this is the part one of us does not get...with respect for your intentions...you say of a censure measure "I think that's a reasonable course and does not get in the way of our normal work.

Is not your first duty as a citizen and as a Sentor to uphold the constitution? Is that not more important than "normal work"
There are millions of people who are outraged not just at the administration but with the branch of government that has the obligation to stop the attack on the constitution before any more
of this "tragedy" plays out. You say you want Conress to reflect this? But the record will only reflect that you knew there were crimes and attacks on the constitution but did nothing to stop it!!!
Impeach and Remove...how many more of us will die before it is obvious to those with the power to do it? This is not a left or right
issue and please stop letting the press puppets set you up with stupid questions such as MR. RUSSERTS:" Do you think the American people will look on this saying, "Here go the Democrats just trying to create something sensational by censuring the president rather than trying to solve the problem of Iraq"?" First it is called question begging..who says you can't do both! Second...what's with the "Here go the Democrats...silly people eh? and last time I checked Democrats
were American people so what people is Russert talking about?
Don't let these fools manipulate you! If Russert wants to pretend to journalism by playing the devils advocate...let him ask real questions like why should criminals be playing with peoples lives
one more day?

That was your moment to tell him there is nothing more sensational than using nukes to scare people or resorting to all kinds of inventive attacks to render meaningless the only document that keeps us free.
You tell him and the American public...this is an American issue...
not party politics. Now as far as regular work...we as Americans
work harder than any other western nation without the benifits...
I am sure we would not mind giving you a break from your regular work
to save this country and our constitution.

Liberty and Justice for All!!!

Pelosi, Reid, and now Feingold: The Bush Dream Team.

What a bunch of cynics! I don't really blame you all, but I have to say that while the censure resolutions may serve no practical purpose, they're not meaningless. Put yourself in Feingold's shoes. His party's leadership has said time and again that impeachment is 'off the table'. Even if it weren't, it likely wouldn't succeed. Now I agree that it's cowardly not to try anyway, but in the very least, when Feingold's grandchildren grow up and one day ask him, "grandpa, you were in the Senate when George Bush was President, right? What did YOU do to stop him?" In the very least he can say that he did what he could, and by putting these censure resolutions on the floor, the record will show that Russ Feingold, at least, opposed this megalomaniacal, criminal administration. I figure the guy just wants to be able to look in the mirror. Give him a break. Impeachment is far more desirable, but censure is not nothing. It's something, even if it's only a message, but it's a message that will be preserved, and it helps to demonstrate to other Americans and the rest of the world that at least somebody in the Senate openly acknowledges the corrupt nature of the Bush crime family. It just may be that Feingold isn't doing it for you, or for the country, but for his own conscience. You can call it ineffective and pointless (from a purely utilitarian perspective), but you can't call it wrong.

Plus -- if the censure resolutions don't pass, you know there's not a chance in hell an impeachment will succeed.

RUSS: Don't ever do that again oh and please don't send me to the salt mines sir!
SHRUB: Whwhwhwhwhwh

Russ, I love ya like a kindred spirit--not only didn't you vote for the war, you even voted against the sorry Patriot Act. But alas!, Russ, this is just like a Chinese fire drill beig carried out by some drunken teenagers out in traffic on a Friday night.

Y'all gotta get rid of these bums or at least spend the rest of your time till the 08 election trying. Nothing gets done till impeachmeent is done should be the slogan of every senator and house member from now till 01/20/09!

i agree with the posts that the dems are (a big) part of the problem. no question.

however, just to clarify... feingold has consistently defied the typical washington marching orders. remember, he's the LONE senator to have voted against the patriot act, and is often at odds with the weak dems. also, feingold is a senator-- he CAN'T begin the impeachment process. according to the constitution, articles of impeachment have to come from the house of reps. so, while a resolution to censure may be weak (and it is), at least feingold is actually doing what he has authority to do. would it be better if feingold (and thus the senate) did nothing? at the very least feingold is forcing those in the beltway to address the issue.

now, instead of hammering on one of the very few public servants in dc that actually still has some principles, go hammer on your local representative to support kucinich's efforts to impeach cheney (hr 333). just over the weekend, john conyers (chair of the house judiciary committee) said he would move on hr 333 (even without pelosi's blessing) as long as 3 MORE REPS SIGN ON AS CO-SPONSORS. c'mon people, we need three more co-sponsors. the initiation of impeachment hearings against cheney will open the floodgates and this house of cards will begin to tumble. it may just be the last best option available to turn the tide against this disastrous administration and set the course back toward a democratic society.

a majority of the public already supports impeachment, but it will take the house dems to push it forward. and what will push the house dems forward... we will.

see you in the streets.

Yesterday, I watched Bob Schieffer interview Harry Reid. I have seen many interviews, but this one took the cake as the strangest. Harry Reid uses way too much of his own product (snakeoil, peyote, you fill in whatever else here). He is TOTALLY out of touch with his constituents. The real reason why the Democrats are not pushing for impeachment is because skeletons will be revealed and they are too afraid that some of their own will surface in the mix. It is a sad situation, and Reid is determined to chase the terrorists wherever they may be. He bluntly admitted this to Bob Schieffer. To me it simply reinforces the idea that when children can no longer play nice, the adults have to step in and separate the two. We, the voters are the adults, and the Republicans and Democrats are the infants. It is time to step in and do our job.

With respect to Bush Junior and godfather Dick Cheney, Honorable Feingold speaks of

"misconduct related to the war in Iraq,"

of "overstating" Saddam Hussein's possession
of weapons of mass destruction,

of "failing to plan for the civil conflict and humanitarian problems," and

of "justifying our military involvement in Iraq by repeatedly distorting the situation on the ground there."

Why doesn't this Mickey Mouse politico spare us altogether this trite, inconsequential, feeble, politically senile, quasi apologetic language?

STOP WASTING OUR TIME, SENATOR FEINGOLD, WITH YOUR PIFFLE!

STAY HOME AND WATCH TV, YOU JACKASS!

MetalDog July 23rd, 2007 1:46 pm

HAHAHAHAAH Exactly!

Russ Russ shake the bush
What will fall ?
Nothing at all.
Russ Russ break the bush.

Nobody except Dennis Kucinich has the guts to go against the powers on both sides of the aisle, and all he gets for his endless support of The Constitution and human rights of all sorts is to be told he's not serious enough to participate in a debate with warmongering likes of Clinton, Obama & Edwards. The pathetic 3.

Meg July 23rd, 2007 2:12 pm

Your wrong Meg. I happen to have the guts to do it and determination too. What I lack are Executive Powers to command the military!

Metaldog: No we shouldn't give Feingold or anyone else in Congress a pass on the matter of impeachment. If impeachable offences have been committed, and we know they have, many, many times over, Congress has a constitutional OBLIGATION to impeach Bush and Cheney. If they fail to do so they will show that they are complicit with Bush and Cheney in their crimes.

Two stolen elections, and the continued corruption of the election process, over 3,000 murdered on 9/11 (and yes I absolutely believe elements within our government were complicate in the attacks, along with the Anthrax attacks, and anyone that has looked into the evidence has to at least be suspicious), the illegal invasion of two countries due to the "false flag" 9/11 attack, the near complete destruction of the Constitutional process and Bill of Rights, the corruption of the Dept. of Justice, a subpoena for rice has been ignored for over two months now, the current disregard for the current subpoenas, the dismantling of protections for individuals, the environment, International treaties, the gutting of domestic services and quality of life programs, cuts in education, health care for poor, veterans, Walter Reid, AbuGraib, Gitmo, torture, secret prisons, Habeas Corpus, illegal wire-tapping, Patriot Act, Military Commission Act, unprecedented use of "signing statements" and "presidential directives" (the one signed on 10/07 basically making it illegal to protest the Iraq War) unconstitutional "free-speech zones", and Jeff Gannon, Foley, Vitter, Cunningham, Abramoff, DeLay, the treasonous act of outing a CIA agent for the most base of reasons, Katrina, Terri Shavio, unprecedented power grabs, and the list can go on and on including the continued contempt this administration has for the Legislative Branch and the American people and all we get is a FUCKING CENSURE?!!!

Gee, I wonder what they'd do if any real crimes were committed?

And they wonder why their approval rating are so low and why 50% of the population has completely given-up on the current political process.

If it isn't clear by now that we the people can NOT count on a system of government that has become so corrupted that the only real recourse is to dismantle the government we have and replace everyone of those from the old system with people that actually live up to the Founding Fathers ideals this mealy-mouth attempt to "censure" those that should be otherwise be hung by their necks till dead, then I don't know what will do it.

One thing is very clear. Things can NOT go on much longer they way they are. The house-of-cards is about to fall. Whatever happens it is going to very ugly, very soon. And the nations of the world aren't about to have much pity on us when we crash.

So when the Repugs get called on for their crimes, all they have to do is yell "it's political". I sometimes hope there is a hell. BTW I read that Nostradamus predicted Bush would be impeached.

"They have abused the Constitution in some respects."

The quote would be accurate if it said "They are trampling the Constitution." The active, direct voice MUST be used instead of the passive almost always invoked.

Mr. Feingold, Keep throwing whatever size rocks you have at your disposal; every little bit helps.

Please ask your fellow congresspersons to quit pissing in each other's ears for a while and do the business they were sent to Washington to do: Ours.

All of them swore to uphold and defend the Constitution: let them do it now.
They can get back to being corrupt later.

"The president already has the mark of the American people that he's the worst president we've ever had," Reid said on CBS' "Face the Nation." "I don't think we need a censure resolution in the Senate to prove that."

We do need censure, call for resignations, impeachment -- you name it; they've earned them all.

In the meantime, Mr. Reid, cayate!

Wow what a bunch of excellent comments!

My question is why only one or two "liberals" are for impeachment of the most overtly corrupted administration in this great countries history. All free people regardless of the party affiliations should be for impeachment and then trying all guilty parties for the war crimes they have committed.

Along with this entire administrations guilt for making up this horrific Orwellian WAR, I say the pentagon officials who knew this was a farce from the beginning but allowed our children and grandchildren to be killed for Oil should be given the same type of trials the German generals were given after WWII. I wonder how those gutless bastards can sleep at night knowing all the needless horror, death and destruction they have caused.

The other day when I heard Bush was having a colonoscopy I wondered why not simply move any of the brown-nosing pentagon general's noses about 2 centimeters forward and ask them what they see. But then I remembered that would not work they would only say what he wanted to hear.

Oh Russ, you big strong Democrat!

Censure? Okay, let's just slap the maniac on the wrists. That should do it.

What a joke the Congress has turned into.

just TELL me about the friggin GOLF shoes!!!!!!!!

Yeees censure, that's the ticket.

Censuring George Bush is like slapping his hand for being a bad boy. Not good enough Senators! His hands will still remain in the cookie jar. Impeachment of Cheney and Bush is the only solution to stop these sociopaths from fueling the continued desruction of this country.

We elected Democrats to stop the insanity, and so far you have not put politics aside to represent the freedom and liberties of "The People" which are being undermined by the dictators in the Executive Branch.

There is enough criminal evidence available to get these people impeached and out of office, yet all we are hearing from the Democrats is that it will take up too much time to engage in impeachment hearings.

Is holding the Executive Branch accountable to the "RULE OF LAW" not worth any amount of time you have to spend to uphold the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights?

How stupid do you think we are after living through the Nixon and Clinton impeachments?

Peace activist Sheehan arrested at Congress

http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN2337983820070723

What do we do with "No, no Nancy?"

Say say no to "No, no Nancy."

again, folks, gripe all you want about the WEEEEAAK response from dems, but at least get it straight that a senator can not bring impeachment proceedings. CAN'T. feingold has one disciplinary action available to him... one. and that is censure. is censure weak? YES! but would you prefer he do absolutely nothing? at least he is doing what he is constituionally authorized to do. so i say good for him.

to the rest of you i say, if you want to remain angry sobeit, but at least direct your fire in the right place: your local representative. over the weekend, judiciary committee chair john conyers said he'll push impeachment proceedings as long as he gets 3 more co-sponsors for h.r. 333. jesse jackson, jr. signed on today. that leaves 2. which state(s) are going to get those 2??? i organized a group of 25 people tonight to up the pressure on our democratic representative. i suggest you do the same. instead of investing so much of our time ripping on politicians online, turn your gaze inward and see if you are doing all you should be doing to actually make a difference. get out there. organize. make a difference. pressure your representative to co-sponsor kucinich's articles of impeachment (h.r. 333). i mean, holy shit, we actually have an opportunity to make the system work for us for a change. let's not lose that opportunity because we were too busy throwing darts at the wrong board.

skinnypuppy;
So glad for your clarification on this.Am a constituent of Sen Feingold and mistakenly believed some of the reporting here in Wis.that said he was no longer"for" impeachment.Embarassed [or my alma mater might be-that my B.A. was in poli.sci.]that I didn't immediately know better.But that just shows you that you can skate through a major university and not know that much.When the general public knows next to nothing about politics-why be surprised?

Feingold has managed to get himself into the news once again with an otherwise pointless, if not downright counterproductive gesture. This is a new twist on the old expression "damning with faint praise"...call it "praising with faint damnation". Bush is a murdering war criminal, a torturer, a violator of the constitution, he spies on Americans and has presided over the creation of a neo-fascist state. These are not misdemeanors Russ old boy. Better to try for impeachment and fail. At least history will record that someone was aware of what SHOULD have been done.

What's happened to bring down Russ Feingold to recommend "censure" to deal with an outlaw, criminal administration?

The DLC = Republicans in the Democratic Party --

We have barely anyone capable any longer in the Democratic Party to challenge the insanities going on --

Censure is ridiculous -- We need impeachment --

and impeachment can turn "Executive Privilege" to ashes!!!

Let's go, folks!!!

Half-measures. That's what Congress concerns themselves with.

Isn't it time we trade the term "impeachment" in for "removal from office." And to that we need to always remember to add the phrase "prosecution for war crimes by the international tribunal at the Hague" when we talk about the current bush administration.