Feingold, the Censure Resolution, and Principles

My creative juices have been low for a long time now, and I haven't written much of value regarding any news in the last month or so. So I guess it's a good thing that there are people like Chris Bowers that can sum things up nicely.

I am finding it informative to watch all of these DC insiders describe Feingold's resolution to censure Bush as some sort of way to bolster a possible 2008 candidacy. These insiders are unable to view anything except in terms of political calculation, and really don't know what to do with someone like Feingold. You would think that spending any amount of time watching his career would make it obvious to even those pundits most deep in the pocket of the Republican Noise and Narrative Machine that when Senator Feingold does something, he does it because he believes in it. I guess I shouldn't be surprised be this line of attack, however. For people who themselves view everything they themselves do in terms of political calculation, it is impossible for them to imagine that there is even one person who acts differently. Further, Republicans have a long history of attacking what appears to be the strong suit of leading Democratic voices. Based on what we saw today in reaction to Feingold's move, it is pretty clear that if Feingold ever rises to even higher national prominence, the basic attacks that the Republican Noise and Narrative Machine will use against him are that he is just a calculating politician instead of a principled leader, and that he is a far left ideologue instead of an independent thinker. It is actually the line of attack that I expected they would use against Feingold if he were to ever become a more prominent voice of the Democratic Party. Considering that Senator Feingold is quickly emerging as a leading, if not the leading, voice for our party, even if he doesn't run in 2008, it would be very damaging to us all if this is the national narrative that eventually sticks to him.

Thanks, Chris.