Censure and Courage
For the millions of Americans who voted to shake up Congress last year, the new Democratic leadership has been disappointing. Democrats talked a good game on Iraq and an array of other issues. But they haven’t delivered much. So it was not surprising that Sen. Russell Feingold’s call to censure President Bush attracted scant attention Sunday, even though his premise is sound and his remedy, which would fall well short on impeachment, is far from grandstanding.
But it was disheartening. Even if one opposes censure, as the Senate’s Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada says he does, that should not preclude Congress from taking on the Bush administration in other ways.
Sen. Feingold, the Wisconsin Democrat who is perhaps best known as co-sponsor of the landmark McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform law, tried and failed to censure Mr. Bush last year. But that was when Republicans controlled Congress, and any censure movement had zero chance of passage. Now the Democrats have power, if only they would summon the political courage to assert it.
Sen. Feingold believes two censure resolutions are warranted. One would be for leading the country to war in Iraq based on misleading information and for failing to adequately equip our troops. The second would be for the administration’s assault on basic liberties, including eavesdropping on telephone calls, e-mails and other correspondence of American citizens without first securing a court warrant, as required by law.
These are not frivolous charges. They are based on documented evidence that the White House used selective intelligence to build the case for war against Iraq, and trampled on basic freedoms in the name of homeland security. They should not be simply waved aside, as Sen. Reid was quick to do Sunday after Sen. Feingold revealed his censure plans in an appearance on NBC Meet the Press.
“The President already has the mark of the American people — he’s the worst president we ever had. I don’t think we need a censure resolution in the Senate to prove that,” Sen. Reid said.
Perhaps not, but Senate Democrats have to prove that they are leaders. So far, Mr. Reid hasn’t. His midnight marathon to force a key vote on Iraq was a dismal failure. He stood by while the Senate passed a horrible amendment that would put mayors and police chiefs in jail for sharing gun tracing data. And one solid achievement — tough fuel efficiency standards for automobiles, SUVs and light trucks — could come undone in the House because of the efforts of a fellow Democrat, John Dingell of Michigan.
Democrats had every right to complain last year, when they were in the minority. But now it’s their turn to produce. We’re waiting.
© 2007 The Times Union
We’re waiting…and they’re waiting for their bribes.
The Dems plan is to hit it big in next year’s elections.
I think it is more important to make sure that we even have elections.
Has Cheney accumulated all his power just so he can go quietly into the night? Or pass on all this power to a Dem?
Anybody hear him talk about retirement yet?
They’re in for a rude awakening in 2008 if they continue to enable Bush.
Censure is the Senate’s remedy because they cannot initiate impeachment: That must start in the House and lead to a Senate trial. Impeachment really must start with the American people relentlessly pressuring their congress members. Feingold’s arguments hold merit — the Senate must set the historical record straight by condemning Bush et al as a first step. He knows this is not the end-all be-all for stopping the Bush administration, but it would help put the fascists on the defensive and put Democrats and their progressive allies on the offensive.
The $64,000 question is, “Why do the Democrats flinch at censure, let alone impeachment?” I think they are calculating that it is better for Democratic prospects in the 2008 election to have repulsive Cheney and Bush still in the White House in order to get Dems out to vote. Their political calculations may or may not be correct, but we elected these people so we could see some ACTION — to stop the war, address global warming aggressively, protect the courts, protect women’s and gay rights, protect workers’ rights, protect the integrity of elections, etc.
The Democrats of 2007 are a mixed bag so far. Our political system is so abstracted from everyday people that even John Conyers holds himself back from holding impeachment hearings. Whatever the Democratic leaders may be waiting for, you can be sure that each and every day Cheney and Bush are in power offers another new danger to our republican form of government, the rule of law, fairness in elections; each day Dem’s withhold judgment and action, more U.S. troops and Iraqis die. Each day this administration is in power, new anti-constitutional executive orders are written, new corpo-fascistic appointees are made to federal agencies, and more days to fight global warming slip away.
Fears of a pre-election coup on the part of many in the Left make a lot of sense, but miss the fact that a type of coup d’etat already occurred in 2000 and again in 2004 — not really covered by the MSM but very real election thefts. The 9/11 crimes against humanity formed a convenient pretext for Cheney et al. to ream the Constitution and get Congress to pass the so-called USA PATRIOT Act. Why stop the elections of 2008 if they are rigged anyway? Better to have fascism hiding in the clothing of democracy than to see it in its full naked ugliness. However, popular pressure on Congress to do the right thing helps take the sheep’s wool off the fascist wolf, “the better to see you.” And we desperately need clarity in these United States in order to act.
Our two-party system is so inadequate that it really will take movement pressure from outside the halls of the elite to get the action we need. So let’s stop bickering and get out there to demand TRUTH, JUSTICE and the AMERICAN WAY. Getting the Dem’s in was only one step — it is not an end in itself, but you have to admit things are at least coming out in the open and the temperature is heating up.
We are living in interesting times. Let’s support Russ Feingold insofar as he is trying to take a measured step forward. Let us also push relentlessly to force the U.S. out of Iraq and Iran, and get Cheney and Bush out of the White House before 2009.
I’m glad to see the recognition here that Russ Feingold is trying to do SOMETHING about the Bush nightmare. But, I guess I’m still mad that last week he got thoroughly trashed on CD ( see http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/07/17/2582/) and I didn’t stand up to defend him. I am sorry for that, and I will do so now.
I live in Wisconsin. Russ is my senator. I have tremendous respect for the man. Who else voted against the Patriot Act the first time around? How many others voted against the Iraq War? Who has done as much for campaign finance reform? Who is speaking ceaselessly about the attacks on civil liberties? How many others speak up about the damaging effects of NAFTA? I could go on…
I do not always agree with him, especially with some of his views on Israel, his defense of presidential freedom to choose cabinet members, etc. However, I respect him enough to feel that he generally has some legitimate and well-thought-out reason for his decisions.
Last week a few of us discussed the idea that “Ideological purity is the opiate of the progressives.” No one will ever be good enough for some of you people, I’m sure. Or is this a case of “What have you done for me today that is MORE than what you did for me yesterday?”
Frankly, I’m getting a little disgusted with the negative attitudes I see so often on CD. My son recently commented that a lot of progressive blogs are great until they start accepting comments from readers and then you can see all the nut jobs who read the same things you do. I think he’s right.
Many of you are more-traveled web surfers than I am… anyone know of a place where people want to talk hopefully about the future and what is going right in the world? I’m asking a serious question…
the dems are like the guy getting beaten by the police, who hopes the police will show up and save him
ceecee_em,
I also have high regard for Feingold and get disgusted when CD commenters bash him for not being far enough to the left. My gosh, if one is too far to the left, one cannot get elected to the US Senate or do much of anything else in the US. I agree that is a sad state of affairs, but one cannot change it by taking one’s ball and voting third party, or by getting a soapbox and setting up in the local park, or even by commenting at CD! I am very far to the left on economic and foreign policy, but I recognize that someone who espouses such opinions could not possibly be elected as US President in 2008.
I have been attacked for not being ideologically pure enough because I try to suggest approaches that might actually work to attract enough support to make a difference. But no, to many on CD the only proper approach is to declare the world too dirty and the Democratic Party too dirty and to retreat to pure and irrelevant efforts and support Green Party or other third party candidates.
I too am open to more hopeful and realistic approaches. HuffPost seems a bit too DLC for me, while BUZZFlash is a bit too young and too focused on the social issues. Note that those who write articles at Counterpunch are even more negative and ideologically pure than people who comment at CD, but Counterpunch does not allow comments anyway (not the last time I checked). So I am still at CD but I am keeping my eyes open.
Anyone who thinks the Democrats will do anything in 2008 that they aren’t doing in 2007 are asleep at the switch.
kivals,
Thanks for being supportive, despite my rant.
For those who are unhappy with Feingold: Wisconsin is not so progressive as it once was. Y’all should have seen what (and I do mean what, not who) has run against Feingold and Kohl (our other senator, not so stellar but not too harmful either)in the last few elections. I think you would be kissing our feet for sending Feingold back to Washington!
In an empire, there are only two political questions of much importance: (1) who NOW wears the purple; and (2) who WILL wear the purple in future.
Americans are being quickly acclimated to these truths by (1) the VERY premature campaign for president, presently in progress (for the full four-year term, beginning 20 January 2009); and (2) Congress and the judiciary disqualifying themselves from participation in the government, by carefully AVOIDING confrontations with the president. [How can one claim to be a fighter (contestant), without climbing into the ring occasionally?]
There is historical precedent. On the single occasion Elizabeth I sought her parliament’s advice on a matter of foreign policy; parliament protested their incompetence to advise her! Foreign affairs, they argued, were the province of “statesmen.”
Two rigged presidential elections, in 2000 and 2004, have persuaded many Americans their emperors are no longer elected–certainly not by them. Yet, the lack of significant, or indeed of any protest, to the ending of elections, must mean the country by and large PREFERS Diebold’s wizardry to the power struggles and frequent violence, which so often accompanied the imperial succession in other realms.
So, without a bang or a whimper, we go placidly into that good night.
Ceecee and others:
I am a refugee from Wisconsin, having lived in MD and VA for the past 49 years. I too share your high regard for Feingold, even though he may not be as “left” as I am.
The perfect they say is the enemy of the good, and I have never thrown away my vote on 3rd party candidates.
Once, in MD, I even voted for Spiro Agnew for governor because in the Dem. primary two fine liberals split the liberal vote and were beaten by a racist neanderthal. Agnew was elected by liberal democrats, to their eventual regret and embarrassment, but he was better than Mahoney (”a man’s home is his castle”).
“We’re waiting.”
No, we’re not. This is no longer a spectator sport. Those who are “waiting” for our so-called Reps to do anything even close to the right thing fit the definition of insane: trying the same failed approach again and again expecting different results.
Stop waiting and start fighting!
CEE CEE and KIVALS: A poster named CLAUDIUS suggested that rather than us bringing our thougths to this forum, we begin posting our more left leaning sentiments and informed observations on the MSM sites! I never thought of doing so, but he said when he wrote a post supportive of impeachment it drew a lot of responders out of the conventional woodwork. Sounds like a good incursion into “enemy” virtual turf. We can even agree to have a few of us do so back to back at a similar time… and just MASS the site with liberal thought! Ambush, intellectual, style? Any one interested?
They really are a bunch of short-sighted fools. How many once-enthusiastic supporters will now vote 3rd party because the Democrats have been, and continue to be, collaborators in Bush’s assault on the US Constitution!
I think what we are observing is concrete evidence that a powerful third party is needed in America right now. At a minimum, the Democratic Party needs radical transformation.
The success of Bill Clinton generalized to the Party as a whole is not leading to an acceptable quality of democratic representation for we constituents. It seems likely the moderating and triangulating tactics of Clinton worked for him in part because he had extraordinary political talent, and not because it is a good general approach for the Party.
Of course, the cynical view that the purpose of the Democratic Party is to grant the illusion of meaningful choice to the masses, as the process of wealth creation for the wealthy continues unabated under the One Corporatist Party, looks more and more correct every day.
Siouxrose,
You may have a good idea, but I’m more concerned about addressing the way we progressives tear each other apart first.
To the rest of CD Readers:
On another CD thread, Peaceman wrote:
“The ruling class stays united in spite of petty differences, which gives them the winning advantage.”
Is this not one of the biggest problems?
Since posting yesterday, I have been giving a lot of thought to how Russ Feingold (just as an example) has to find a way to stay true to his own principles, satisfy progressives, AND get elected and re-elected by the people of Wisconsin. It ain’t easy here, and it’s only getting harder. Remember that Wisconsin is the home not only of Russ Feingold but of long-time governor and now presidential candidate Tommy Thompson… and you will see what I mean.
Let’s get behind progressive public figures, imperfect though they may be.
CEE CEE: Someone in the forum made the pithy observation that Republicans were like dogs, very obedient to their masters, oriented towards following simplistic rules, etc while Progressives are like CATS… we are independent sorts, suspicious (with all of history’s ample examples) of authority, and many of us were probably born to be way-showers, set new examples, etc. Thus the power to organize a lot of independent cats, is a harder task.
The centralizing/unifying force is our common objections to the state of our nation, the evisceration of rule of law, civil liberties and the dangerous paralysis of what should be 3 check-balancing government branches. Or stated in another way, we have an interest in LIVING and passing that gift on to our children and grandchildren. THAT ideal should enable us to rise above our special pet peeves and areas of focus and see the big picture in a collectivist way. It reminds me of STAR WARS in that an ad hoc group of non-militants took down the Death Star. That is really the symbolic myth of our times.
Human egos are precarious creatures. The Course in Miracles says that ANYWHERE two people give up a grievance and AGREE TO AGREE the ground is there made Holy. Can you imagine if people in the Middle East, birth place of all these religious traditions (not to mention the underlying economic castes of privilege these give rise to) actually FORGAVE one another, and decided PEACE for all was better than wars that might mean death to all? With that being said, I recall staying late for a teachers’ meeting in my educational days where time was wasted arguing over what beverages to serve at a P.T.A event. Alas, it tires the angels…