Feingold for Michigan

Russ Feingold Will Not Run For President

2006-11-23T19:41:00.000-05:00

Russ Feingold isn't running. This probably isn't news to anyone, and I ought to have written this sooner, but I've had a tough time deciding what to say. But today is Thanksgiving, and, believe it or not, I've still got a lot to be thankful for, and a lot of thank-you's to make.

Senator Feingold chose not to run because he didn't want to lose the opportunity he'll have to do good work in the newly-Democratic Senate, and, though disappointed, I can understand. He's still the most honest man in Washington, and if he wants to run in 2016 (or 2012, if a Democrat doesn't win in 2008), I'll be racing thousands of others to be the first person on the plane to Wisconsin to volunteer.

I've devoted time and energy to this cause, but I think we all owe thanks to the amazing folks that put together this movement, from the very first blog to RunRussRun.com. Their hard work, with help from ordinary people like you and me, created a movement. It was people-powered politics at its finest, and in a matter of days there were over 3,500 members and over $92,000 pledged-- numbers that would have grown even further if Senator Feingold had made a different decision. We'll all go our separate ways, and get excited about different candidates (though, I suspect we'll be attracted to the same set of possibilities), but this accomplishment should not be forgotten.

And thank you, Senator Feingold, for giving us someone to be excited about. Finding the beginnings of a movement to draft you into the campaign helped me recover from John Kerry's loss, and helped restore my belief in progressive politics. I know that you had a similar affect on others as well.

Thank you to the readers of this blog, who have suffered through my poorly-written posts because they've hoped to help Senator Feingold in Michigan. And thank you to certain people who have encouraged me and my ideas through this movement.

This is all I can say, but there's so much more I wish I could say. Go read Dan's final post at his blog, and save a copy, because he's a masterful writer. Then, read Senator Feingold's thank you post on RunRussRun.com.

In the meantime, let's keep going Forward. Let's go Forward with progressive politics in Michigan and around the country. Let's go Forward into 2008, winning seats in places where progressivism can make a difference, all across the country. And let's go Forward with Feingold, building a better future for ourselves with a Democratic Congress.

Announcing RunRussRun.com

2006-11-09T17:59:00.000-05:00

While I've been blogging for the MI-07 race this fall, some very smart and dedicated Feingold fans have made the informal, scattered movement into something real: RunRussRun.com. This is the next step in a people-powered pro-Feingold effort, and I'm proud to be a member, as Michigan's state administrator.

To the new Michigan members that have just joined, I welcome you to the movement and hope some of you are willing to blog for Feingold in our state. If you'd like to contribute content to this blog, e-mail me.

I can't tell you how excited I am. Over the coming week, I'll be clearing a lot of the clutter from the Feingold for Michigan blog to make it a little more streamlined, and I'll be adding plenty of new content. Until then, go and sign up with RunRussRun! Make a pledge for a future Feingold campaign today! Also, go read petercjack's excellent DailyKos diary.

Below, I've included haus' MyDD diary announcing the new site. He's the one who made this beautiful new website come together, along with hard work from other Feingold supporters around the country.

There have been a lot of posts in a lot of places mentioning vague developments for the "Draft Russ Feingold" movement in the near future. Well, it's November 9th, we own the Congress, and "Daffy" Donald Rumsfeld is an unpleasant memory. In other words the future is here.

Click here to beat the crowd and sign up at RunRussRun.com.

We're very pleased to announce the launch of RunRussRun.com, which replaces RussForPresident.com as the national headquarters of the Draft Feingold for President movement.

Click here to sign up at RunRussRun.com.

The new site was developed by Internet activists from 16 states and 5 national constituency groups. We looked very carefully at what worked and what didn't in our state-level organizations, our former national site, and previous presidential draft movements. Emerging technology helped us solve most of the problems we saw, emphasize what worked best, and open up what we think is a new kind of site for on-line activism.

Click here to sign up at RunRussRun.com.

RunRussRun.com gives members access to a wide array of services including: a customized activism road map, interaction with other members across the country, and direct access to free tools for building local and state-level groups and activities. It also features up-to-the-minute news from the Feingold for President state and community blogs, discussion forums, and an option to pledge donations to a future Feingold presidential campaign.

The effort to convince Senator Feingold to make a presidential run traces back to December, 2004 when the first Russ Feingold for President blog was started by current Washington University law student Daniel Kuehnert. Since then, the effort has grown to include 16 state blogs and numerous nationwide sites, including RussForPresident.com, which was founded in February 2005 by University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point student Matthew Wallock. Steering Committee member, Minnesota resident and political activist Joel Clemmer, says "The movement has grown tremendously and needs a new face for the final push. Our goal over the next few months is to double our membership and bring at least five more states on line."

Add your voice to the movement: sign up at RunRussRun.com today.

The First Day of the Next Campaign

2006-11-08T21:24:00.000-05:00

Sharon Renier (D) lost to Tim Walberg (R) in the Michigan 7th Congressional District, but it was the closest House race in the state, and I'm glad that my small contributions seemed to have an impact with some voters.

But you know what? I'm tired of supporting candidates that look so promising, but then fall just short when it counts. I'm tired of losing in the most painful way. I'm tired of seeing someone I support falling to a far-right, radical conservative.

That's why I support Russ Feingold. I support Senator Feingold because he can win. I support him because he has a history of pulling out surprise victories when everything is acting against him. I support him because he reflects my values, and the values of most Americans-- that we are a country of laws, not kings, that we must be reasonable and thoughtful as we make decisions, and that we must be tolerant of those around us. I support Senator Feingold because he keeps the promises he makes to the people of Wisconsin.

And I want Senator Feingold to break one of those promises on January 20, 2009.

I will live in Middleton, Wisconsin. My children will go to school here and I will spend most of my time here in Wisconsin.

It'll be hard for him to keep that promise when he's living at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. But I think the people of Wisconsin will understand.

November 8th, 2006

2006-08-27T21:24:00.000-04:00

No doubt many readers of this blog have noticed that I haven't posted for about a month now. I'd like to apologize for that, as there's been quite a lot I could have been posting on-- what Ned Lamont means for Feingold in 2008, for example, or a whole host of polls or news articles about Feingold.

Unfortunately, something else has been the focus of my attention lately. While progressive netroots activists across the country were celebrating Ned Lamont's victory over Joe Lieberman, I was decidedly less happy. In my own Congressional District, MI-07, there was another closely-watched race with national implications.

Incumbent Republican Congressman Joe Schwarz is far from progressive, and I've had many days when I've wanted to write him angry letters. But he had intelligence and experience, and was a good man and fair representative of the district. On Tuesday, August 8th, he was defeated for renomination by Tim Walberg, a former state representative whose candidacy was sponsored by the Club for Growth.

Walberg is conservative in the worst way. He calls himself "100% pro-life," and routinely makes issues like abortion and gay marriage (when did gay marriage become a "pro-life" issue?) into "moral values" issues, with him taking the side of James Dobson and Jerry Falwell. He's never met a tax cut he didn't like, and was famous in the Michigan legislature for voting "no" on just about everything. In Congress, he'll try to cut taxes with no regard for fiscal responsibility, and opposes the 16th Amendment to the Constitution. On top of that, he's promised to follow President Bush blindly into the fire when it comes to Iraq, Iran, and a host of other world conflicts. Certainly no accountability from him.

With Michigan's gerrymandering, there's a good chance he could win in November. But I can't let myself believe the voters would really elect him, and between now and Election Day, I shall do everything I can to help defeat him and elect Democrat Sharon Renier.

As part of that, my blogging will take a different direction as well. Like everyone, my time is limited, and it's tough to maintain with any regularity even one blog. For the next couple months, that blog will be Walberg Watch-- dedicated to revealing just how radical Tim Walberg is, and helping to elect Sharon Renier.

I still support Russ Feingold whole-heartedly, and I'll be back here on November 8th, 2006. Until then, support your Democratic candidates for Congress, Governor Granholm and Senator Stabenow, and progressives on all levels of government.

If you're in a giving mood, stop by Russ Feingold's Progressive Patriots Fund and see who some good candidates are.

And maybe consider donating to Democrat Sharon Renier here in Michigan's 7th District too.

Strategic Vision Poll for Michigan

2006-07-28T16:28:00.000-04:00

Strategic Vision released a poll yesterday for the state of Michigan:

23. For the 2008 Democratic Presidential Nomination whom would you support? (Democrats Only)
Hillary Clinton 35%
Al Gore 15%
John Edwards 14%
Russ Feingold 7%
John Kerry 6%
Mark Warner 2%
Wesley Clark 2%
Joseph Biden 1%
Evan Bayh 1%
Tom Vilsak 1%
Bill Richardson 1%
Ed Rendell 1%
Christopher Dodd 1%
Undecided 13%

(emphasis added)

Senator Feingold's 7 percent is down from their last poll in May, when he had 9 percent. That said, I think it's important to note that the margin of error is 3 percent, so I'm not too worried yet. Instead, I think it would be helpful to look at how Feingold compares to other potential candidates.

To start with, I'm beginning to wonder why they include names like Christopher Dodd and Ed Rendell. Dodd has at least mentioned his potential interest in the race, but he's done nothing about it except campaign for Joe Lieberman against Ned Lamont. (While I don't want to tempt fate, I have a sneaky suspicion that Dodd backed the wrong horse on that one.) As for Rendell, his potentially close battle for reelection got him dropped off most lists a while back, and I'm surprised to see him. For all intents and purposes, I think we could probably add the 1 percent they get to the Undecideds.

With the remaining choices, we have those with national name recognition (either ran for president before or was married to someone that did) and those that aren't really well-known outside their home states. We'll look at the second group first.

Former Governor Mark Warner is getting a lot of media attention lately, and it's clear he's positioning himself to be Bill Clinton II-- the moderate, southern governor that everyone likes. I have no doubt that when the primaries start, he'll be a major force. But he gets an unimpressive 2 percent.
Senator Joe Biden is a regular on the Sunday shows like Meet the Press and, although he ran in 1988, that was long enough ago that it doesn't count. Despite all he says about being the anti-Hillary and despite his foreign policy knowledge, he's not done a lot to get noticed as a presidential prospect. He got an unsurprising 1 percent.
Senator Evan Bayh was once seen as a rising star of the Democratic Party, and he's been fairly decent in the Senate, I think. He's supposed to be Mr. Electability, as an ex-governor of Indiana and good-looking, well-spoken guy. But despite his proximity to Michigan, Bayh got only 1 percent.
Governor Tom Vilsack was a big name in 2004, with the Iowa caucus being the first step to John Kerry's nomination. He was on the short list for Kerry's VP, and his position in Iowa is helpful in that swing state and the region in general. Unfortunately for him, Michigan Democrats don't seem to remember 2004's media buzz, or don't care. Just 1 percent for him.
Governor Bill Richardson's description reads almost exactly like Vilsack's-- potential 2004 VP, governor of a swing state, in an important region. Add in that he's hispanic, and he really might surprise some people. But apparently not in Michigan, where he got 1 percent.
Finally, Senator Russ Feingold. You already know all about him, and he got 7 percent. For those that have been adding as we went along, that 7 percent, small as it is, is more than all the others in this group combined. It's not his proximity to Michigan that did it; only the UP gets Wisconsin media, and it doesn't have enough of a population to make that big an impact in the poll. Even if that were the case, you'd think Evan Bayh would perform better. No, I suspect it's because Feingold has inspired us with his courage and his wisdom and his willingness to stand up for what's right.

But what about the potential candidates that have run before?

General Wesley Clark just barely makes this list because most people seem to have forgotten he ran in 2004. He's got the national security credentials, to be sure, but he lacks in experience elsewhere. Made lots of noise in 2004, but apparently Michigan voters have forgotten that. Well, all but the 2 percent he got.
Senator John Kerry has an advantage that's also a disadvantage. He's got almost 100 percent name recognition, but he's remembered as the guy that lost in 2004. Whether that's fair or not, he doesn't perform too well in these polls because there's a feeling that he's already had his turn. Personally, I don't see him rising much beyond his 6 percent.
Former Senator John Edwards also has the high name recognition, but without the problem Kerry has. People don't blame the VP nominee for losing an election, just as people didn't credit Al Gore for Bill Clinton's victory. Edwards has shown a lot of strength lately, and some say the primary schedule will help him. This early, his 14 percent is a respectable showing.
Former Vice President Al Gore shouldn't be in this poll. He says he has no plans to run, and so far, the Draft Gore campaigns have been unimpressive. I loved his movie, but his political career, at least with the presidency, is over for now. I could be completely wrong, but for now I'm not going to worry too much about his 15 percent.
Finally, we come to Senator Hillary Clinton. Just saying the name brings back fond memories of peace, prosperity, and general happiness. No wonder she got 33 percent in the poll-- the 1990s have never seemed so good. But saying her name also brings back memories of scandals and baggage that could be a big problem for her. Plus, she hasn't done much lately to excite the base, has she?

The fact that Senator Feingold is performing better than both Wesley Clark and John Kerry is incredible, considering how early it is and how unknown Feingold is. As for Clinton, Gore, and Edwards, their high percentages are the result of name recognition, not concrete support.

That doesn't mean Feingold is the leader. But in Michigan, he's certainly a strong contender.

Russ Feingold's Patriot Corps

2006-07-19T15:03:00.000-04:00

In a previous post, I made reference to an initiative by Senator Feingold and the Progressive Patriots Fund to send volunteers to important races around the country this fall. That initiative, as many of you are no doubt aware, has been given a name-- the Patriot Corps.

What will this involve?

We're looking for 15 energetic, personable activists from across the country. Once chosen, Corps members will participate in an extensive, multi-day training program, before being placed on targeted races in Wisconsin and around the country. Training will focus on volunteer recruitment, organizing a canvas, running a phone bank, advanced GOTV training, and staffing a candidate. Prior campaign experience is appreciated, but not required.

It's an effort to help provide the kind of resources that win campaigns. Sure, a television ad reaches a wide audience, but only for 30 seconds at a time. Real progress is made when a campaign has a strong team to support it, ready to go into communities and make the case for a candidate. Senator Feingold's PAC isn't donating the big money to other Democrats, but it's donating something far more powerful.

For a much better explanation of it's purpose, hear it from Russ Feingold himself. From his Iowa trip, the latest podcast is available here or on the Progressive Patriots Fund website.

If you want to help both Russ Feingold and Democrats in general in 2006, apply for the Patriot Corps!

Moving Michigan Forward - MI-14

2006-07-17T22:50:00.000-04:00

Continuing our look at Michigan Democrats in 2006...

One of the many reasons why Russ Feingold is so attractive as a presidential candidate and as a Senate leader is his willingness to stand up to President Bush, particularly when other Senate Democrats are nowhere to be found. He voted no on the USA PATRIOT Act, opposed the Iraq War, and has proposed to censure President Bush over the illegal wiretapping program. And remember, those are just the big issues that get the headlines. There are plenty more areas where we can depend on Senator Feingold to stand up for us.

But he's certainly not the only Democrat with a backbone. One of the most prominent advocates for accountability proudly represents Michigan's 14th district-- Congressman John Conyers.

Conyers is a favorite of the netroots because he never gives up trying to uncover the truth. When everyone else was silent, he was calling for investigations into the Downing Street Minutes and Iraq. Recognizing what many Democrats are afraid to see, he's a leader in the fight for election reform, making sure every vote counts. And, of course, he's a blogger, which is always something I can admire.

If he wins this fall, Congressman Conyers will begin his twenty-first term, with (hopefully) many more to follow. There's no doubt that the people of the district appreciate his hard work, standing up for progressive ideals. Oh, and he was #13 on Richard Nixon's enemies list, so he must have been doing something right.

Congressman John Conyers - US House of Representatives
JohnConyers.com
ConyersBlog
MI-14 on Michigan Liberal
Wikipedia Biography
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"Mr. Feingold goes to Iowa"

2006-07-17T10:22:00.000-04:00

Senator Feingold made a trip to Iowa, the all-important state in presidential nominations. Pat from Iowa for Feingold was there, as was Ilya from RussForPresident.com.

I'll leave coverage of the trip to the people that were there-- Ilya has write-ups on RussForPresident and a diary on Daily Kos. Pat has posts here, here, here, here, and here. Check it all out, they're worth the read.

I just wanted to point out a couple things, though. First, Senator Feingold announced two new initiatives:

1) Progressive Patriots Fund will be hiring 10-15 staff and sending them out to important districts across the country to help win in 2006. This is how a true Democratic leader should act -rather than hoarding money for an 08 race.
2) Senator Feingold will be introducing legislation in the coming weeks for a trial program for state based universal health care. States will be able to apply for grants to develop healthcare ideas on their own. and 3 will be selected. This way states can be idea laboratories and effective programs can be replicated in other states. This goes along with Senator Feingold's vision of universal health care wherein the government mandates health care and then allows individual states the flexibility to implement their own ideas.

The second one, especially, I like. It's a step in the right direction, looking at the problem rationally. It's basically the perfect way to start up a new health care system.

Then, Ilya writes:

After the afternoon event, a woman called me over and asked about my 'Run, Russ, Run!" button. She hadn't heard about the Senator before but liked what he had to say and was now a supporter. She promptly got ready to put the button on her hat - Senator Feingold had won over yet another voter.

Expect a lot more stories like this in the near future.

Moving Michigan Forward - MI-01

2006-07-03T18:40:00.000-04:00

Whenever I try to talk about Senator Feingold as a presidential candidate, the most common complaint I hear is that I should be focused on the 2006 midterms rather than waste my time with the next election. I disagree completely, because it's possible to care about more than one race at a time, from my town's mayor to my country's president.

With that in mind, I would like to take the coming days to briefly cover the Michigan races which are helping to shape the future of this country. This year is looking like an excellent year for Democrats across the country, and in Michigan, the quality of challengers against Republican incumbents is incredible.

But today, let's begin with an incumbent that's been in Congress for 14 years, yet maintains the contact and respect for his constituents that we admire in Russ Feingold. Let's start with Congressman Bart Stupak.

Congressman Stupak represents Michigan's 1st district, which is not an easy task. With the exceptions of the at-large districts of Alaska, Wyoming, Montana, and the Dakotas, the district is the largest in the country, covering the entire Upper Penninsula and a big chunk of the Lower Penninsula. (map)

He is not a "liberal Democrat," and there are plenty of times when left-wing progressives like myself disagree with Stupak. He's pro-life, for one thing, and is a strong defender of the Second Amendment, a position I personally am not comfortable with. But I respect him more than I respect a lot of members of Congress.

Bart Stupak, moderate Democrat, is, more than anything, a representative of the people of northern Michigan. He's an advocate for the things that matter to his constituents, defending Michigan's natural resources from excessive exploitation and protecting the environment. He's a former police officer, and injuries received on duty are what led him to the law and, eventually, politics. Because of this, he's a leading Democrat in Homeland Security, and is known for his "sense of justice and fair play, knowledge of the House and its procedures, and an ability to rise above partisanship" (source).

This year, he faces Republican Don Hooper, and should be elected to his 8th term easily. But where many incumbents would become overconfident, he remains as humble and loyal to the voters as ever. From his campaign website:

As always, I pledge to continue to work hard for my constituents regardless of party affiliation and will remain as fiercely Independent as ever when it comes to what is in the best interest of the First Congressional District, the State of Michigan, and our Nation.

Fiercely independent.

Congressman Bart Stupak - US House of Representatives
Bart Stupak for Congress
MI-01 on Michigan Liberal
Jack Lessenberry's Interview and Commentary
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Closing out June

2006-06-30T21:40:00.000-04:00

Just in case I am not able to blog for the 4th a July, I want to wish everyone a safe and fun time. This 4th of July will mark the one year since the national online movement to draft Russ Feingold for President kicked off. In just one year, we have created a movement that have shook the socks right off the D.C. establishment. We have in other words, not just put Russ on the map, but, some folks even look at him as a contender. Yep, just look at it this way. In 2004, no one outside of Wisconsin, knew who russ was. In 2005 political types began to take notice, as he called for the withdrawl of U.S. troops in Iraq, fought against passing CAFTA, and gave one hec of a fight to rewrite the USA PATRIOT ACT. Now, in 2006, people are looking at him and seeing a possible 2008 Presidential prospect. When 2007 rolls around, pundits might say that he could get a VP nod but never head the democratic ticket. Then, in 2008, the American people will see the greatness that is Senator Russ Feingold, as we together, watch him sworn in President in 2009. Its just going to take some time, and a whole lot of spending money my sweet child.

Russ this week voted against a constitutional amendment to make Flag burning illegal. For all those who say Russ is against freedom of expression and individual liberty because of McCain-Feingold, I rest my case. Russ also, as always, voted against the unfair Oman Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act Unfortunately, Michigan was split on both issues. Levin went along with Michigan voters and voted along side Russ. Stabenow chose not to vote on the OFTAIA but did vote yes on the Flag burning amendment. C'mon Debbie, we know your better then that. The month of June has been pretty nice to Russ in statewide polls. Russ Trails Kerry by only one point in Florida and Georgia. He is tied with Kerry in Michigan and New Jersey. In Pennsylvania he is beating Kerry by 1 point and has almost doubled him in Washington as he is just 1 point behind Edwards. In Wisconsin, he is in a statistical tie with Hillary for first place. To add a cherry on top of that, remember that these polls are done by Strategic Vision. From my findings, they are a bit Republicanish. So if their polls are finding this, then you know Russ is all good BBQ with the American people.

Always Russ, All for Us

2006-06-27T19:49:00.000-04:00

Russ was great this past Sunday on "Meet the Press". He was very confident in saying that he believes he would prevail against Hillary in a debate on the Iraq war, the Patriot Act, and the Illegal wiretapping. It was great to hear that he was not endorsing Joe Lieberman in CT. Instead he says that he will endorse the winner of the democratic primary. So go out there and get Ned Lamont the nomination CT dems. Even if Russ does not run for President. He needs people like Bernie Sanders and Ned Lamont in the U.S. Senate with him.

GQ Magizine also had a nice article about Russ. It was an interview that showed the senators light humor side. Then again, don't we want a President with a bit of personality, humor, and charm? Thats whats really is great about Russ. He knows when to be laid back and when to be principled and hard on important issues. A great example is how he wants to bring about a vote in the senate on pay raises. Russ, as he promised in 1992, has never taken a pay raise while in office. So, in a week where the senate shot down raising the minnumim wage, they have no problem giving themselves a pay raise. Russ just simply wants those who feel this is ok, to vote yes on it. Once again, Russ is there to take on the issue based on principle and keep the politicians honest.

All 4 Russ and Russ 4 all

2006-06-25T00:15:00.000-04:00

Polls, polls and more polls. Russ in the latest poll out of Wisconsin had 31% to Hillary's 32%. This puts them at a statistical tie and is the first poll that has Russ in second place. More recently was the Wisconsin State Democratic convention where a straw poll of the delegates puts Russ at 53%. Al gore had 10% and Hillary at 9%. So the question is, are these delegates more representative then the polls or vice versa? Either way, it looks that Russ has pretty much got Wisconsin backing a possible presidential run. This homegrown strength doesn't look like it can be said for Iowa Guv Tom Vilsack.

In the latest Poll from the Des Moines Register, Vilsak has only 10% with the leaders being Edwards, Hillary, and Kerry. Russ recieved only 3%, the most though for "no national name" candidates. The excitement here is that this is the first poll that I have ever seen, out of Iowa too, where Hillary is not winning. The first place winner is John Edwards with 30% Hillary is second at 26%. This is one of the first polls that also did not include a run by Al Gore. This may have made the difference, although, a year and a half before the Iowa Caucus and Hill, is already beatable.

Rounding out other states, Russ is now leading 2004 Nominee John Kerry in Pennsylvania and Washington State. He is tied with Kerry in New Jersey and Michigan. Infact, this is the second month in a row that Russ is tied with Kerry in Michigan. He was tied with him in May and in June polling. I would have to bet my bottom dollar that in July he will break it and be hot on John Edwards' trail. The bottom line is, Russ is gaining in the polls month after month. Plus, out of all the candidates without national spotlight, Russ leads big. Once folks learn more about Russ and even meet him, they will easily vote for him.

Quick updates

2006-06-22T15:30:00.000-04:00

The Take Back America Conference in D.C. was Great. I got to meet Senator Feingold and he recieved many standing ovations when he spoke. We, the crowd, even chanted "We want Russ!!! We want Russ!!!" As he walked on stage to deliver his speech. Hillary was given plenty of boos at the convention when she did not support a timetable withdrawl on Iraq. Kerry was also given a standing ovation when he said that he was wrong on Iraq and it was time for a withdrawl. However, no one recieved higher praise at the convention then Russ Feingold.

At the convention Kerry said he was going to demand an up and down vote later the next week in the senate on a new direction with Iraq. This faild 93-6-1 not voting. This promted two amendments to be voted on this week. The First was the Kerry-Feingold Amt. calling for a timetable withdrawl of U.S. Millitary forces from Iraq by July 2007. This failed in the senate 86-13-1 not voting. The next was the The Levin-Reed Amt. which called for a withdrawl of troops starting this year but with now timetable. This faired better, but still failed 60-39-1 not voting. All 2008 democratic contenders in the senate voted to support the Levin-Reed Amt. Although, Russ, has not just been one of 23 senators to vote against the war, but the first to demand a time table withdrawl of troops last summer. It just seems that Russ is always ahead of the democratic pack by at least a year on all major issues. First they scoff him, but then later try to join him with a version of their own. Either way, Russ has what it takes to get Democrats moving. Oh! Go and vote for Jennifer Granholm right now!!! Plus, Vote Russ in the strawpoll!!!

Summer Blues? Not with Russ

2006-06-09T19:30:00.001-04:00

Well there is plenty I could say but, I will have much, much more at the end of next week. I have been very busy working on a congressional campaign in Michigan. I actually have a number of things I am doing for the fall now that I think about it. Eitherway, I 'm still all systems go for Russ. This Monday I am going to be in D.C. for the Take Back America conference. It is the largest gathering for progressives in the USA. This is the 4th annual one, and Russ is Speaking right from the start 9am Wednesday. As I said before. I am going to be gone for a bit but will have plenty of things to say next week. Maybe even Pictures! So see you guys next week. I hope someone else can blog for our MI Russ fans while I am gone. Great to have Fitzy back. Oh, I soooo have my new 10 or so Russ Backers. Feingold is like Ice cream in the summer. No one in Michigan can say no.

Feingold and the Federal Marriage Amendment

2006-06-06T17:27:00.000-04:00

As many of you probably know already, the Senate is debating the Federal Marriage Amendment, which proposes to amend the Constitution to define marriage. Its text, as follows:

Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution, nor the constitution of any State, shall be construed to require that marriage or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon any union other than the union of a man and a woman.

This, of course, is the most important issue America faces, according to the Republican Party. The war, the deficit, rising fuel costs, global warming, poverty, improving education, stablizing the economy, and a host of other issues are nothing compared to the threat of two people that love each other getting married. And, then, there's the immigration problem: all those people flocking across the border, with no respect for our immigration laws, all to escape same-sex marriage in Canada. It is Canada that all the illegal immigrants are coming from, right?

Thank goodness someone's saving us from those activist judges. They'd probably just make another radical, horrible decision.

Sarcasm aside, it's clear that this won't pass, and is merely homophobia and hatred in its worst form. And, stopping by Daily Kos this morning, Senator Russ Feingold called it what it was-- A Shameful Political Ploy:

The federal marriage amendment, which would write discrimination into the Constitution, is an obvious attempt to change the subject from topics that the Congress should be addressing to a hot button social issue intended to appeal to certain factions. On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Frist plans to hold a vote on this mean-spirited proposal. It has no chance of receiving the two-thirds majority required for constitutional amendments. The only thing bringing it up now will accomplish is to push Congress further away from the issues it should be addressing and engage the Senate of the United States in a shameful political ploy.

and

The last thing we should be doing right now is playing politics with the Constitution, or with the lives of gay and lesbian Americans, who see this proposal for what it is - discrimination, pure and simple. Gay and lesbian Americans are our friends, our family members, our neighbors, and our colleagues. They should not be used as pawns in a political exercise.

Senator Feingold also spoke this afternoon in the Senate against the amendment.

Mr. President, the Constitution of the United States is an historic guarantee of individual freedom. For over two centuries it has served as a beacon of hope, an example to people around the world who yearn to be free and to live their lives without government interference with their most basic personal decisions. I took an oath when I joined this body to support and defend the Constitution. I am saddened, therefore, to be once again debating an amendment to our Constitution that is so inconsistent with our Nation's history of expanding and protecting freedom.

...

There is no doubt that the proposed federal marriage amendment would alter the basic principles of federalism that have served our nation well for over 200 years. The framers of our Constitution granted limited, enumerated powers to the Federal government, while reserving the remaining powers of government, including family law, to state governments. Marriage has traditionally been regulated by the States. As Professor Dale Carpenter told the Constitution Subcommittee in its first hearing on this topic nearly three years ago, “never before have we adopted a constitutional amendment to limit the States’ ability to control their own family law.” That is exactly what this proposed amendment would do. It would permanently restrict the ability of States to define and recognize marriage or any legally sanctioned unions as they see fit.

and finally,

Mr. President, we should not write discrimination and prejudice into the Constitution. And we should not prematurely cut off the important debates taking place in States across the country about how to define marriage by putting in place a permanent, restrictive federal definition of marriage.

As we sit here today, there are Americans across our country out of work, struggling to pay the month's bills, worrying about their lack of health insurance or their ability to put their kids through college. Instead of spending our limited time this session on a proposal that is destined to fail and will only divide Americans from one another, we should be addressing the issues that will make our Nation more secure, our communities stronger, and the future of our families brighter.

I urge my colleagues to oppose this unnecessary, mean-spirited, divisive and poorly thought out constitutional amendment.

I've included just a few highlights from both his DKos comments and his speech, but both are worth reading in full. Senator Feingold isn't taking the popular position on this issue, but he's taking the right position, and that's important.

Also, don't forget the pro-Feingold blog for gay and lesbian supporters, Equality for Feingold, if you want more on his support of equal rights throughout his career.

Summer 2006 -- The Summer of Feingold?

2006-05-31T21:34:00.000-04:00

One of these mornings
You're going to rise up singing
Then you'll spread your wings
And you'll take to the sky

-- From "Summertime," by George Gershwin

A change of season is upon us, and we're well into our 90-degree days. Sunlight reaches late into the evening, thunderstorms roll through at least once a week, with blue skies and high humidity between them. And, of course, midterm election campaigning really starts.

Above, I quoted George Gershwin's classic song, which always seems to be running through my head on these hot, humid, lazy nights. But that particular verse, I think, is the perfect description of where we stand today. In the coming months, we're going to "take to the sky."

A year and a half ago, Senator Russ Feingold was just another "potential candidate" for the Democratic nomination. People thought he was just another senator with an overinflated ego, looking at the White House as the next step of his career as a politician, just like sixty or seventy others. Besides, it didn't matter-- Hillary Clinton had the nomination locked up, and some dude out in Wisconsin didn't have a chance.

My, how things have changed. Now looked at as a viable alternative by many, he's travelling the country to help other Democrats, making friends to help him should he choose to seek another office. Momentum is clearly on his side, but he still needs our help.

In the latest Strategic Vision poll, Senator Feingold received the support of 9 percent of Democrats, higher than any other Democrat except for previous nominees for President or Vice President, or Hillary Clinton. While already impressive, one has to wonder how many of those asked really knew the candidates-- you've got to follow politics pretty closely to recognize some of the names on the list. If anything could benefit Senator Feingold at this point, it would be a boost in name recognition. This is where we can help.

In the next month, I'd like to challenge all Feingold supporters (especially in Michigan) to seek out five other people and tell them about Russ Feingold. Tell them about his stances on the issues. Tell them about his listening sessions. Tell them about his efforts to hold the president accountable. Tell them why he should be the next resident of the White House.

Then, when (not if) you've convinced them, ask them to tell five more people about Russ Feingold. The most powerful television ad or direct mail campaign will never match the power of friends convincing friends. In Senator Feingold, we have someone worth supporting.

Some resources that can help you:

"Forward" -- Put together by RussForPresident.com (with help from certain state bloggers), it includes short articles describing Feingold's positions on key issues. (.pdf, two pages)
"Why Russ Feingold?" -- A biography put together for a MeetUp in New Jersey, it gives a history of his career. (.pdf, five pages)
"Russ Feingold -- In His Own Words" -- Drawn from the Wikiquote page for Senator Feingold, a collection of quotes on various policy issues. Who better to make the case than Feingold himself? (.doc, four pages)

I've added each of these to the Files page of the Michigan for Feingold Yahoo! Group, which should make them easily accessible. So, what do you say? Do you think you can convince five more people?

If you e-mail me with your success stories, I'll post them on the blog. In the meantime, let's see what we can do.

With this, I make my return to Feingold for Michigan, after a long period where I've been unable to blog, or really even think about anything but the next day or so. As of right now, I've got 301 unread e-mails of a variety of types-- some are "Daily Dilbert" comic strips, some are from family members wondering why I've been so busy, some are probably spam, and some might even be from a few of you, excited about the Feingold cause. If you're wondering why I haven't replied, it's really nothing personal. Circumstances beyond my control have forced me to neglect a lot of areas of my life.

Which means it's a good thing that I can welcome to the blog our latest contributor, blogging under the name "VoteFeingold." He's a smart guy, with a lot of great ideas, and I'm certain that as he writes more and reveals a little about himself, we'll all appreciate his presence.

That said, we now move on to something far more important: electing Senator Russ Feingold to the presidency in 2008.

Happy Memorial Day!

2006-05-29T05:50:00.000-04:00

As we Honor our men and women in service in this time of war. Let us never forget H.J.Res. 114 and the 23 senators who were real patriots. They supported these troops before anyone else. A personal thank you for Michigan's two great democratic senators, Debbie Stabenow, Carl Levin, and our choice for 2008, Russ Feingold.

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

2006-05-28T01:53:00.000-04:00

Russ will be in Washington DC June 14th speaking bright and early in the morning at the 2006 "Take Back America Conference" This will be the 4th annual meeting, as the first took place in the summer of 2003. It has grown to be the largest conference for progressives to gather in the nation. Thats right, you heard me, progressive folks, some known, some soon to be, and others who will only be known by a few, but their impact will live on forever. Eitherway, this is Russ's BIG chance to get as many progressives from around the country in one room and give them his side of the story. To let them know that there has only been one, one great senator through out both the Clinton and Bush years that has stood by his people. Whether it was crossing party lines, voting opposite the party, or being the only vote in opposition. Russ always voted as if "Average Joe and Jane" themselves were in the senate chambers casting a vote.

Russ will be the first speaker on the third day of the conference. Other 2008 Presidential possibles speaking at the conference are Senators Clinton of New York, John Kerry of Massachusetts, and Governor Tom Vilsack of Iowa. Russ however, gets the third day all to himself, and is the opening speaker. To show some MI love, fomer congressman, house minority whip, and 2002 gubernatorial candidate David Bonier will also be at the Conference speaking. As well as Michigans esteemed Congressman John Conyers. Last of all, being how it is Memorial Day weekend, an almost designated weekend for movies, BBQ's and of course, honoring our men and women in Uniform. I thought it be appropriate for folks, if they haven't already to all gather around the family computer and watch some of the best campaign ads you'll find in the USA. I am talking about none other then Russ's own ads. I am not poking fun either. I really think that Russ has very creative lightly comical ads that will once again, just be a plethra of things that seperate him from other Democratic Presidential candidates.

Mr. Tough

2006-05-27T22:13:00.000-04:00

Russ, through out his tenure in the United States Senate, has taken tough positions. He didn't take any of them to get votes, but because he felt it was the right thing to do. In my records, I have counted 16 states that have added constitutional bans on same sex marriages. There are six more states that will attempt to do this in 2006. Wisconsin, Russ's home state in one of them. Russ has come out against this proposal and supports same sex marriage. This is another example of how he takes a stance on an issue that few dare to take for fear of loosing votes.

However, not too many democrats I know even look at same sex marriage as an important issue. Infact, I don't think most folks in Michigan do either. Even though the "Rove machine" touted the issue as a "Kerry Killer" in swing states and with rural voters, Kerry did win Michigan. The only state that had the issue on the ballot, passed it, and went blue for Kerry. So, if the question appeared on ballots in states in 2004, 2005, and will be in 2006. It may even be on ballots for 2007 and you guessed it, in 2008. So it will be very important that the democratic nominee for President have a clear stance on the issue and then move on. Russ so far has the best one. He is for same sex marriages and then moves on to talk about domestic spying, the Iraq war, the Patriot Act, national healthcare, FAIR trade, and a whole slew of things folks are looking for a fix to.

So lets jump ahead to 2008, right in the heart of a big important swing state of Florida. Bush #41 carried it in 92', Clinton in 96', Gore pretty much did in 00', and Bush#43 won the state in 04'. Based on this, the dems, with a solid candidate like Russ, and the issues in their favor, should be able to win the state. Karl Rove and company would have us guess again, as this southern swing state will have the same sex marriage question placed before its voters in 2008. Thats right, efforts have already began to get this on the ballot and the Florida GOP are backing it. Floridians are not as conservative as the GOP may think though. In 2004 Bush won the state by more then he supposedly did in 2000. It was though, only with 52%. Plus, that state had two big state wide ballot proposals. The first was to have parental notification, before a minor has an abortion. It passed with 65%. The other was an initiative to raise the minnimum wage and scale it to inflation rates. This passed with a huge 71% of support. A friend of mine that worked the ACORN campaign to raise the wage in FL, told me that in all of the visits Kerry made to the state, he failed to mention strong support for raising the wage. So, it may be just my opinion, but I think Russ has the best chance to win FL in 2008 as well as the general election. Why? Because he is the only candidate that has a solid proud stance for same sex marriage and can talk genuinly to FL voters about other real issues.

All for Russ

2006-05-26T22:06:00.000-04:00

Russ fever has sure caught on in the United States. Based on my personal numbers, Russ has now visited 15 different states counting his home state of Wisconsin. On his site he has only 13 listed due to not counting Wisconisn or the visit he made to New York. The NY visit was most likely not listed on his site due to he wasn't promoting any candidates on the visit. It still counts as a visit in my book though. When he speaks at the Maine State Democratic convention, that will make it state #"Sweet Sixteen".

Overall, when I take into account all states that Russ has visited and states that I have at one point or another seen Russforpresident activity, the number is 24. Thats right, its at least a year away from Russ making a possible presidential announcement and almost half the county is talking him up. Not to mention we even have folks abroad rooting for Feingold. Lets just see other candidate boast that. I have looked at the websites aimed at drafting other Democratic candidates and I must say, the Russ movement is both the largest and most detailed. So Go RussTeam Go! Other potential candidates may boast their large amounts of money raised, but most democrats don't put their votes up for sale. You have to earn them with a voting record like that of Russ Feingold.

Last of all, just checking other states websites and I must say that we have the most updated blog entry. So come on other states, lets get Blogging. I know we could all spend hours talking about Russ. So, lets put it up on the net for everyone to read about. Plus, this just in from other states sites (thanks, I missed it). Russ votes NO on Hayden for CIA director while in the Senate Intelligence Committee. Ok, more tomarrow.

Blog on for Feingold

2006-05-25T20:09:00.000-04:00

I have reached the conclusion that I need to start blogging for Russ. A great way to keep folks visiting this site is to give them at least one post a day. So, here I go. Besides, the more viewers read, the more they will learn, and the more they will love about Feingold. Over at the national site, there are results for the latest poll results for MI. Russ is up from 6-9% in only one month! He is tied with John Kerry and trails John Edwards by one point. These two guys have had the national stage before, Russ hasn't. The two leaders are Hillary who who also had national attention as first Lady and former Presidential Nominee Al Gore. I am not sure as to why Gore is still mentioned in polls. He has said over and over that he is not running for national office. I would like to see where Russ would fall with Gore not an option.

Its almost June, and Russ has been invited to speak at the Maine and NewHapshire State Democratic Conventions. The conventions are June 2 and 3rd. There is also expected to be a vote the week of June 5, 2006 for a Gay Marriage Ban Amendment in the U.S. Senate. Russ voted against this in 2004, so look for him to vote a BIG NO in 2006.(On a quick sidenote, I will predict that due to the make up of the senate the vote will be 53 yeas 47 nays. I would vote no and expect Russ to do the same) Wisconsin this year, much like Michigan in 2004, has a proposed question defining marriage as between a man and a women on its November ballot. Russ has come out against this and plans to campagin against it. This, along with holding his 1,000th listening session and campaigning across the county for progressives(Washington State), what isn't there to love about this guy? In my opinion, Russ is a man in a senate of boys and girls. Seems to me he is just too good for the senate. Time for a promotion in 2008.

Feingold in Texas

2006-04-17T21:29:00.000-04:00

Any readers out there from Texas? Or within driving distance of Austin?

If you're there, you'd better make sure you see Senator Russ Feingold as he visits your fine state. And I sincerely mean that, too, even if you sent us a certain president.

Besides, no state with its own Feingold for President blog can be a bad state.

From the Progressive Patriots Fund:

Milwaukee, WI – U.S. Senator Russ Feingold announced today that he will travel to Austin, Texas next Tuesday, April 18th, for a series of events with Texas Congressional Candidate John Courage. Courage is running to represent the 21st Congressional District – a district that includes downtown Austin, the University of Texas, and stretches to the northern part of the city of San Antonio. Courage was the first winner of Feingold’s Progressive Patriots Fund’s “Pick a Progressive Patriot” event held last year.

Feingold and Courage will hold a Listening Session on the campus of the University of Texas at 12:30 PM CT, in the Quadrangle of the University’s Student Union. This event is open to the public. Feingold and Courage will be available to the media following the event.

and

At 7:30 PM CT that evening, Tuesday, April 18th, Feingold will join Courage at Jovita’s, 1619 First St. in Austin, for a large event with Courage supporters.

If you're in Texas, why not tell Senator Feingold in person how great it would be if he were to, I don't know, move to the White House some day.

Equality for Feingold

2006-04-17T16:18:00.000-04:00

There's a new blog up, this time covering Senator Feingold's support for equal rights to same-sex couples, called Equality for Feingold. Why do they support Senator Feingold? The same reason everyone else does!

Senator Russ Feingold who represents Wisconsin (along with out Rep. Tammy Baldwin) has continually stood up for our community, on numerous occasions, including occasions when it has been politically inconvenient. He displays an understanding of our issues, and addresses them in many forums and not just on simple votes. As a strong, progressive leader, he deserves our support.

It doesn't matter who you are-- heterosexual or homosexual, conservative or liberal, young or old, black or white, or any other variation on these themes-- you can respect Senator Feingold for his principled stands and willingness to put the people he represents before politics. On issue after issue, he has articulated thoughtful, honest positions while maintaining an openness to change his mind. He should be and will be the next President of the United States.

Back to Work

2006-04-04T22:22:00.000-04:00

Suppose for a moment that you had this really great guy from Wisconsin that you really wanted to become the next leader of the free world.

Now, suppose for a moment that you're so impressed by him, that you join a movement to help make this a reality, even going so far as to start a blog for bringing together like-minded people in your state.

Then, suppose you were just starting to put together ideas on how to maybe make this happen, and you had gotten e-mails from people all across the state who were also enthusiastic. But then, BANG, life gets in the way and generally falls apart for a little while. Suppose that you totally lost track of, well, everything.

Then, suppose you woke up one morning and remembered: "Oh, yeah. Feingold!"

That's not exactly how it went. For example, I don't think my exact thoughts were "Oh, yeah. Feingold!" But that's more or less what has kept me from consistently posting on this blog, and has kept me from getting back to the people that have e-mailed me at one time or another. And things still aren't back to normal. But they're slowly getting there.

It's still no excuse, however, for not having been here for Senator Feingold's appearance on The Daily Show (here and here), not mentioning his New York trip, faithfully blogged by NY for Feingold (here and here), not being on the scene for the censure hearings (here), and not congratulating NJ for Feingold on being Politics1.com's Site of the Day.

And I definitely should have mentioned the fact that we were joined by another state-- Pennsylvania. For those of you with scorecards playing along at home, this brings our total up to 15 states represented. In case you're wondering, when (yes, when) Senator Feingold wins all those states in November of 2008, that'll earn him 283 electoral votes. Plus a bunch of other states that don't have blogs yet.

And I'm willing to bet that there's more I've forgotten even now, as I try to make up for everything I've missed. However, it's about time I move on to new stuff, rather than old stuff reported late.

To start off, Senator Feingold came out announcing his support for same-sex marriage. To this, I have a few things to say. First, it's about time! That's not so much directed at Feingold as the Democratic Party in general. Equal rights should be applied, well, equally among all people, and I'm glad that Senator Feingold is taking this position. I'd also like to point out to anyone that thinks the censure effort has been nothing but a coldly calculated political move that if he was that calculating, Feingold would never do this. People need to realize that he does things because he honestly believes in them, not because it's a safe political move.

Then, I'd like to ask all Michigan readers if you're interested in holding an April meetup. I'm not sure how available I'll be, but if you e-mail me, I'll send your name along to the right person.

Lastly, I'd like everyone that's looking to do more to head over to the RussForge. Haus at Ohio for Feingold has been putting this together, and has done an excellent job. In the coming weeks and months, expect lots of useful materials to pop up over there.

Okay, folks. Let's see what we can do.

Feingold's Censure and Michigan 2006

2006-03-19T21:34:00.000-05:00

Cross-posted on Michigan Liberal.

When Senator Russ Feingold introduced his resolution to censure President Bush, I was rather pleased. Not only was I pleased that there was a chance that President Bush would be held accountable, but also this was another in a long series of principled decisions made by Feingold that make him more and more appealing for 2008. But regardless of how this might help or hurt his presidential aspirations, this may offer a way to help in Michigan's 2006 Senate race.

I'm a liberal, and like many others, I've been a little disappointed in Senator Stabenow. She's no Joe Lieberman, to be sure, but she hasn't been Carl Levin, either. And, as much as I'd like both Stabenow and Levin to stand with Feingold on the censure, I know that our interests would not be served by her losing this fall.

But what if we can have her support Feingold and be guaranteed reelection?

When I wrote an e-mail to Senator Stabenow last week encouraging her to support Feingold, I mentioned that making the election about Bush-- her opposition and her opponent's support-- might help her win, when the president is polling in the mid-to-low 30s. Similar sentiments were expressed in kant's diary at Daily Kos. As he says:

Look, I'm no genius at composing these diaries. There are folks like Hunter and Dood Abides and emptywheel whose work blows me away. But this censure issue is not rocket science. Rove and the Republicans want 2006 to be what they call a "choice election." They made 2004 a choice between Bush and Kerry, and then proceeded to trash a war hero so they could get their idiot candidate 47% of the vote and then steal the remaining 3% through election fraud.
The alternative to a "choice election" is a "referendum election" and even the "worst/stupidest president ever" can figure out how a referendum on a 33% President is going to turn out...

Indeed, it's been pointed out recently on this website that the Michigan GOP still proudly supports the president. One would think that Senator Stabenow and others across the country would leap forward at a chance to censure President Bush, but instead fear holds them back. So what if we stop asking Senator Stabenow to support Feingold? What if we start asking Republicans?

Although Keith Butler, Michael Bouchard, and Jerry Zandstra don't seem like particularly strong candidates, and although they've been polling far below Stabenow, the race could still heat up. An easy reelection is by no means guaranteed, and Michigan has always been a top target of both parties. But one thing could hurt the campaigns of all three Republicans: their support for President Bush when he's got 30% approval in the state.

Could we get the three Republican candidates for Senate to make public statements against the censure and supporting President Bush? Can we win by making this election about George W. Bush?

And would Senator Stabenow feel more willing to stand up to Bush if she knew that such stances could win the election? I think it's worth a shot.

Contact all three and ask for statements concerning Feingold's resolution. Ask them whether they stand with President Bush, and encourage them to make that known in public.

Michael Bouchard

Bouchard for U.S. Senate
P.O. Box 159
Royal Oak, MI 48068

Phone: (248) 566-1125

Keith Butler

Keith Butler for U.S. Senate Committee
26621 Southfield Rd.
Lathrup Village, MI 48076

Phone: 248-905-5288
Fax: 248-905-5298

Jerry Zandstra
Zandstra for U.S. Senate
6670 Kalamazoo Ave. S.E.
Suite E-160
Grand Rapids, MI 49508

info@jerryzandstra.com

PHONE: 616.726.6699
FAX: 616.827.8788

Feingold, the Censure Resolution, and Principles

2006-03-13T21:02:00.000-05:00

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.

Feingold: Censure Bush

2006-03-13T17:02:00.000-05:00

A few moments ago...

I missed most of his speech because of a phone call, but it sounded great. If only there hadn't been so much arguing about the time alloted for his remarks, maybe I could have heard more. Senator Frist, really, of all the things to make a big deal about...

Read Senator Feingold's diary on Daily Kos, and his remarks when introducing the resolution. And, check out CNN's story for coverage in the more traditional media.

Yet again, Senator Feingold stands up for principle.

News and Texas

2006-03-08T22:08:00.000-05:00

First off, let's add another one: Texas for Feingold makes 14. I think now more than ever it's worth pointing out the diverse collection of states which now have someone representing them in the pro-Feingold blogosphere. The Midwest, the Pacific Coast, New England, the South. Quite a spread.

Speaking of nationwide appeal (nice transition, no?), Ilya at RussForPresident.com has a post about that very topic.

And then, there's what Senator Feingold is doing himself. This Friday at 10:30 AM Eastern, he'll have his very first online listening session via the Progressive Patriots Fund website. Well worth signing up for.

That's all for tonight.

Missouri for Feingold

2006-03-05T13:14:00.000-05:00

From the comments on a previous post:


Dan K. said...: Put a 13th star on the Feingold flag...I've started Missouri for Feingold; http://missouri4feingold.blogspot.com; Sat Mar 04, 01:03:53 PM EST

So go check out Missouri for Feingold right away! And Dan (who, for those unfamiliar, started the first Feingold for President blog), welcome to the movement-- again.

Happy Birthday, Senator Feingold

2006-03-02T21:18:00.000-05:00

Today, friends, marks Senator Russ Feingold's 53rd year of fighting for the people of America.

What's that, you say? Well, no, I suppose he didn't do all that much before age three or so. But nonetheless, happy birthday, Senator.

Unfortunately, the United States Senate missed the perfect opportunity to give Senator Feingold a great birthday present, by voting Tuesday to end debate on the reauthorization of the USA PATRIOT Act, by a vote of 69-30.

In a nice touch, however, he did spend some of his time reading the Constitution, which, I suspect, is a document far too few of our politicians spend time reading. But it was once again renewed, without the civil liberties safeguards Senator Feingold was fighting for.

So let's see if we can give him a proper birthday present in 2009-- a better bill, really solving these problems, to be passed by a Democratic Congress and signed by a new president.

Mass for Feingold

2006-02-28T19:15:00.000-05:00

Last post, I wrote:

So, let's just count 'em up one more time.

Nationally, we have RussForPresident.com.

State by state, we've got:
Michigan
New Jersey
Illinois
Tennessee
Ohio
New York
California
Iowa
Minnesota
The Pacific Northwest (WA and OR)

Counting Washington and Oregon as separate, that's 11 states represented.

... and then there were 12.

Yes, welcome to the movement Massachusetts! Check out the brand new, very good looking Mass for Feingold site!

Anyone want to start #13?

Ohio for Feingold Reborn

2006-02-27T21:40:00.000-05:00

Some may have noticed the disappearance of the Ohio blog a while back. Never fear, however, because Ohio has once again found its place in the Feingold for President movement, with the new Ohio for Feingold blog.

So, let's just count 'em up one more time.

Nationally, we have RussForPresident.com.

State by state, we've got:
Michigan
New Jersey
Illinois
Tennessee
Ohio
New York
California
Iowa
Minnesota
The Pacific Northwest (WA and OR)

Counting Washington and Oregon as separate, that's 11 states represented. Live in one of those states? Contact the blogger and see how you can help out. Don't live in one of those states? Start your own blog, and start organizing for 2008.

Feingold and the Netroots... Good or Bad?

2006-02-27T21:28:00.000-05:00

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal has an article out today looking at Senator Feingold's strength among bloggers and the netroots. While I disagree with some conclusions reached, it's worth reading, simply to show that Feingold is getting noticed. However, after reading it, also head on over to Markos's take on the article on DailyKos, and Ilya's view at RussForPresident.com.

Both of them do a good job at picking apart the article, and Chris Bowers of MyDD does a good job of defending his position in the article. The question it seems to want you to ask by the end is, are the "netroots" a good thing to have supporting Russ Feingold?

Washington - When Gallup polled Democratic voters this month on the party's 2008 hopefuls, it didn't even offer Russ Feingold as a choice.

But in one corner of the Democratic universe - the readers of liberal Web logs - the Wisconsin senator has emerged as a political favorite.

In an online poll last month on the nation's most widely read liberal blog (DailyKos.com), Feingold led the Democratic presidential field, picked by 30% of the 11,000-plus people who visited the Web site and voted.

"He definitely is the most popular Democrat among the 'netroots,' " said liberal blogger Chris Bowers, referring to activists in the party who engage in online politics.

Right. So far, so good. Senator Feingold is largely ignored by the more traditional media outlets, but has support among bloggers and Democratic activists. Nothing objectionable in that, no.

The significance of such polls is open to debate, and few would regard them as predictive, especially when you consider that presumed Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton lagged way behind Feingold in both online polls.

"What it means is he rings the bells of people who represent the true believers in the Democratic Party," said Andrew Kohut, a non-partisan pollster for the Pew Research Center. "The question is, what is the breadth of his appeal to other Democratic constituencies whose opinions are not as tightly stitched together?"

At a time when the practice of politics online is growing, Feingold clearly sees the "netroots" as integral to the sort of long-shot campaign he may be waging against more established Democrats.

This, too, is perhaps true. I strongly believe in the Democratic Party, and I'm confident in Feingold's ability to win-- with our hard work. But still, it's a fair view of his candidacy, at this point. However, toward the end of the article, we get:

Seiger says he thinks Feingold's popularity in the liberal blogosphere is partly due to the fact that his seat on the Senate Judiciary Committee has allowed him to be a "prominent opposition leader" on issues important to readers of left-leaning blogs, such as the confirmation fight over Justice Samuel Alito, the Patriot Act and the National Security Agency's domestic surveillance program.

Seiger said the blog polls depend on "what the mood of the moment is."

and

One subject of debate about Democratic politics and the Internet is what pressures online activists are exerting on the party.

"They're pulling Democrats to the left," said Patrick Ruffini, a onetime conservative blogger who now heads up Internet campaign efforts for the Republican National Committee.

GOP spokeswoman Anne Marie Hauser said:

"It's not surprising that Russ Feingold is a popular figure in a far-left subsection of the online community. But after Howard Dean's blogosphere popularity turned into catastrophic collapse, the question remains whether Democrats can translate blogger support into broad appeal to win elections."

Darr, of George Washington University, said that if "you think of these blogs as little online tribes of like-minded people . . . they can feed off each other. So I think the blog activity is going to drive each party more toward its ideological extreme."

First, they dismiss support as being sort of whimsical, I guess, because he's getting noticed lately. It apparently has nothing to do with years of public service, promoting honest, effective government, progressive causes, and fairly representing the state of Wisconsin. Then, bloggers like myself are "pulling to the left" and are the "far-left subsection" and the "ideological extreme."

So the GOP definition of Feingold, from this article: he's chasing those unpredictable Dean bloggers, who help make him incredibly, hopelessly liberal. That's it, right?

Anyone who knows anything about Senator Feingold knows that this is decidedly not the case. Does he need the "netroots" to run an effective campaign? Perhaps. The internet can be a very effective fundraising tool, and can help him spread his message very well. But the supporters he have support him because of his principles, his honesty, and his ability to communicate directly with the people that elected him. It's certainly not because he's the "man of the moment."

And it's not because of ideology. Any regular reader of Daily Kos or MyDD knows that there is a wide variety of opinions, from ex-Republicans to ex-Greens. Indeed, many of the "ideological extreme" would have abandoned Feingold a long time ago, after the Ashcroft vote, and the Roberts vote, and the assault weapons ban vote, and his deficit hawk, anti-spending ways. Really, he isn't liberal or conservative, or even what we think of as moderate. In politics, the best term to describe Senator Feingold is "maverick," but with many of his views, outside of Washington I think he'd best fall under "ordinary American."

Of course, Chris Bowers was there in the article to save the day, and say all that in a much shorter form.

Bowers, one of two principal bloggers on MyDD, disputes that view, and argues that Feingold's appeal isn't necessarily about ideology as much as it is about perceptions of him as a "an independent thinker" and a "straight shooter."

Presidents' Day

2006-02-20T23:27:00.000-05:00

Happy Presidents' Day, everyone! Just think, three short years from now, we can add a certain fellow from Wisconsin to that list. It might be a little too early to start planning this now, but I think it might be a good idea to celebrate this, when that day comes. But until then, we've got work to do.

And that's exactly what's been happening with the very first Feingold for President Meetups. Haven't heard from anyone at the New Jersey, Los Angeles, or Madison get-togethers last night or tonight, but I'm sure they were quite successful.

Unfortunately, I couldn't organize anything for Michigan, as I'm in south-central New York this week for family reasons. But if anyone in Michigan is interested in organizing something, let me know.

Of course, one advantage to being on the road is that hotel rooms often have a wider selection of cable channels than I have at home, and, flipping through them tonight, I happened upon HBO just as Real Time with Bill Maher was being replayed from last Friday. And, of course, Senator Russ Feingold was the first guest.

Thanks to NJ for Feingold, here's the link to the video, via Crooks and Liars.

I haven't been posting very often lately, and I really regret that. This is a critical time in the pro-Feingold movement, as we begin to come together and really build something for 2008. But life gets busy, as I'm sure every one of you knows, and my week last week included that ever-dreaded chore of having to call the hospital to inquire about the well-being of a loved one. But don't worry, things are getting back to normal, and I should be resuming regular posting soon.

Soon, I hope also to have news of progress with some Feingold fans at Central Michigan University who sound very eager to help. Until then, let's keep going forward.

[UPDATE]: New Jersey for Feingold has a recap of their meetup here, and RussForPresident.com has one of the Madison, WI meetup here.

[UPDATE II]: Forgot to mention, but was reminded in the comments, that Iowa for Feingold is hosting a meetup this Sunday. If you happen to be in Iowa and are reading this, you'd better check out the Iowa for Feingold blog for details.

[UPDATE III]: Hey, anyone from Colorado out there? 'Cause there's a new Denver Draft Russ Feingold Meetup Group! Welcome to the movement, Donna, and everyone else in Colorado.

Michigan Poll

2006-02-04T16:27:00.000-05:00

Hi, all, sorry for the lack of updates recently. Life has been especially busy for me the last three weeks or so, and I just haven't been able to find the time to post.

Most of the recent Feingold-related news can be found at RussForPresident.com and the various state blogs-- and what news there's been! From Alito to the State of the Union to commenting on the pre-1776 mentality (read this, it's great), to being the only person to vote against the Patriot Act... again. And then, before I get a chance to mention it here, Tennesseans for Feingold also posts on a Strategic Vision poll here in Michigan.

For a lover of polls like myself, there's plenty to enjoy in this one-- lots of fun little numbers on the Gubertatorial and Senate races this fall. But, more important for this blog, there's this question:

22. For the 2008 Democratic Presidential Nomination whom would you support? (Democrats Only)
Hillary Clinton 28%
Al Gore 18%
John Edwards 13%
John Kerry 6%
Wesley Clark 6%
Russ Feingold 5%
Joseph Biden 2%
Mark Warner 2%
Evan Bayh 1%
Tom Vilsak 1%
Bill Richardson 1%
Ed Rendell 1%
Barbara Boxer 1%
Undecided 15%

(bold emphasis mine)

Yes, five percent. It doesn't sound like much, but remember that the candidates named above him have all either run for president before or been a previous resident of the White House, if not the Oval Office. Plus, Al Gore, a man who I have a great deal of respect for, probably won't run, some of which would likely go to Feingold. A little-known senator from Wisconsin is polling ahead of all the "electable" choices we keep hearing about-- Warner, Bayh, and Richardson.

Is this a victory? Of course not. We've got to get to work and try to get things moving for Feingold in Michigan. But I find the poll very encouraging. Michigan residents are ready for someone like Senator Feingold.

Jan. 20, 2006

2006-01-20T15:58:00.000-05:00

In my normal daily reading of political websites, I couldn't help but smile at this on Politics1:

OPEN THREAD. Friday is January 20th, so we only have to wait exactly three more years for President Russ Feingold's inauguration. See you there!! (Also, for button collectors, please check out my eBay auctions.)
Posted by Ron Gunzburger - 01.20.06 | Permalink | COMMENTS (91)

Thanks Ron.

Welcome Iowa and MeetUps

2006-01-18T10:50:00.000-05:00

Today I'd like to welcome Iowa for Feingold, the latest addition to the pro-Feingold blogging movement. The blogger in question, noneed4thneed, has been active on RussForPresident.com for a while, and it's great to see a new blog for this first and very important state of the primary season.

Also, the first Feingold for President MeetUps are starting up, which you can see listed on RussForPresident's Events page. The first ones so far are in Madison, WI (Feb. 19) and New Brunswick, New Jersey (Feb. 20), being organized by RussForPresident and NJ for Feingold, respectively.

[UPDATE] Add another one to the list: Los Angeles, California on Feb. 19. [/UPDATE]

Why those days? Because February 20th is Presidents' Day. A fitting start to the next phase, no?

I'm afraid I won't be in town that week, but if anyone wants to do a Feingold for Michigan MeetUp that weekend, e-mail me and I'll help you set it up. Perhaps something to go along with the Michigan Democratic Convention on the 18th? It'd be a great way to get the word out. So e-mail me if you're interested.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day -- Mid-January Update

2006-01-16T10:47:00.000-05:00

Today's a very important day, honoring Martin Luther King, Jr., perhaps the greatest public speaker of the 20th century, and a man that in his short life accomplished so much for America's minorities. Today should be a day of remembrance, recognizing the greatness of Dr. King.

This is my first post in a few weeks, and I apologize for it-- especially considering all of the Feingold news that I missed. Here's a quick recap of everything.

First, there were the confirmation hearings for Samuel Alito. RussForPresident.com has that pretty well covered, here, here, here, and here. (Also, a side note that I wish I didn't have to make: on those pages and others, RussForPresident.com has been getting a lot of trolls in the comments. To all those who don't support Feingold, I say that all the other pro-Feingold bloggers and myself are willing and ready to get into an honest debate on the issues, Senator Feingold as a candidate, or what a President Feingold would do. But the character attacks and supposed "facts" without any proof do nothing to support your credibility. This might get me in a little trouble, but trolls such as those are cowards and nothing more. They're afraid to honestly discuss issues because they're afraid that they're not smart enough to convince anyone of anything. Seriously, folks, this kind of thing bothers me.)

Next, somewhat lower profile than the Alito hearings but perhaps even more important to a Feingold for President campaign are some good posts over at Feingold for Illinois and Tennesseans for Feingold. Just as he was a leader in campaign finance reform, Senator Feingold is the leader of lobbying and ethics reform, with his positions outlined here and here.

And Senator Feingold recently travelled to Vermont and New Hampshire, some of which apparently was covered some on C-SPAN. His visits, including campaigning with one of my favorite congressmen, Bernie Sanders, soon to be joining Feingold in the Senate. Tennesseans for Feingold has this one covered nicely as well.

And those folks keep writing some pretty high-quality things. Check out Schwompa's explanation of why Feingold's religion won't hurt him.

"Oh my," you're probably thinking. "That's an awful lot of stuff I need to read! I'd better get right on it!" Well, now I'm going to add a few new sources of information for you. The campaign moves along with the additions of several new state blogs-- California for Feingold, Feingold for President - Minnesota, New York for Feingold, and Pacific Northwest for Feingold. So, let's recap, just so that everyone knows. We've got Michigan, Ohio, New Jersey, Illinois, Tennessee, California, Minnesota, New York, and the Pacific Northwest (Washington and Oregon). If we count Washington and Oregon as separate, that puts us at 10 states-- one-fifth, 20 percent, or, quite simply, a fantastic step in the right direction. The next step is to turn each blog into a network of supporters ready for the primary season. I haven't been posting as often, but I have been working some behind the scenes when I can, and hope that by the end of February I can report some positive developments in this state.

For now, all Michigan readers are encouraged to join the soon-to-be active Michigan for Feingold Yahoo group, where we can discuss how to move the campaign to the next level.

One last thing: the Irregular Times has added wiki-style sections on each of the leading Democratic 2008 candidates. Check out what's up already for Senator Feingold, and add anything left out. This could become a great resource in the future.

Principled Leadership

2005-12-29T21:09:00.000-05:00

A few days ago, I started Doris Kearns Goodwin's incredible, critically-acclaimed book Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. I just love books like this, which give a view of the intricate history and political setting of a time period, showing how the players figured into it. It's far more than another biography of Abraham Lincoln; by following Seward, Chase, Bates, and others as well, you get a pretty good feel for how things happened, instead of being told what things happened.

Anyway, I love books like these. I was struck, however, by a passage I read earlier (on page 122, for those with a copy of the book). Regarding then-Congressman Lincoln's opposition to the Mexican-American War. Although he entered the House of Representatives after the fighting was over, when pressed to take a stand, he voiced his opposition to it, despite knowing that the war was popular with his constituents and the country as a whole. As would be expected, this hurt Lincoln politically.

... Compelling as Lincoln's criticisms might have been, they fell flat at a time when the majority of Americans were delighted with the outcome of the war. The Democratic Illinois State Register charged that Lincoln had disgraced his district with his "treasonable assault upon President Polk," claimed that "henceforth" he would be known as "Benedict Arnold," and predicted that he would enjoy only a single term. Lincoln sought to clarify his position, arguing that although he had challenged the instigation of the war, he had never voted against supplies for the soldiers. To accept Polk's position without question, he claimed, was to "allow the President to invade a neighboring nation . . . whenever he may choose to say he deems it necessary."

(bold emphasis mine)

Sound familiar, anyone? Naturally, my thoughts turned to Senator Russ Feingold, who is himself known for principled, politically unwise votes. Of course, the most natural connection to make would be that Senator Feingold voted against the Iraq War but for the infamous $87 Billion that posed problems for Senator Kerry.

It's also interesting to see that although the conservatives are with the Republicans now and the progressives are with the Democrats, conservative rhetoric (ie. "treasonable assault") hasn't changed at all. Indeed, Senator Feingold, the only one at the time with a plan for Iraq, had his position totally misrepresented countless times.

For those who haven't read the book, or who don't know the history behind the Republican nomination battle in 1860, no one expected Abraham Lincoln, an unknown, one-term ex-congressman to win. The "presumptive nominee" was New York Senator William Henry Seward, and Ohio Governor Salmon Chase and Missouri Judge Edward Bates were both considered strong possibilities. But Lincoln, through taking principled stands on the issues, speaking eloquently and passionately on them, and by building a network of support going into the 1860 convention, surprised the nation by winning the nomination and the White House.

Now, am I saying Russ Feingold is a modern Lincoln? No. But as Mr. Lincoln showed in 1860, sometimes the impossible happens, when a person of strong character is in the right place at the right time. As in 1860, in 2008 the presumptive nominee is a certain New York Senator. And there's also a man of strong character coming out of the Midwest, who I think will surprise a lot of people.

Anyway, it's amazing what we can learn from history.

December General Update

2005-12-22T16:03:00.000-05:00

First, in the Senate. Last night, a compromise was reached in the Senate-- the USA PATRIOT Act has been renewed for six months, during which time more work can be done to protect our civil liberties. Senator Feingold explains what this means for the future in a Daily Kos diary. Check it out, as always it's worth reading. Also, RussForPresident.com told us of Feingold's role in the ANWR drilling debate.

With the PATRIOT Act, the NSA spying on American citizens, and Senator Feingold's showing his strength and leadership qualities, there's been a lot of buzz online about 2008. DKos, of course, is an excellent place to sample this, the latest diary I've seen suggesting that Senator Feingold has the same characteristics as a man who saved the world. What higher praise can you get than that? He is the right choice for 2008.

Doubtless, more buzz will begin with a discovery made by Joe Connolly with Friends of Feingold, then subsequently reported by RussForPresident. From the Federal Elections Commission:

Presented by the Federal Election Commission

NOTE:

Candidate listings may appear here as a result of draft committees or independent expenditure committees
registering with the FEC. If no official documents of an authorized committee appear below, the
individual identified here has taken no action to become a candidate.

FEINGOLD, RUSSELL D ID: P40003063

CHALLENGER

Office Sought: President

State: Presidential Candidate

District: 03

Party: DEM (Democratic Party)

So. This is a very promising sign. He hasn't declared his candidacy, but obviously seeing his name listed is enough to make any Feingold supporter leap with joy.

Lastly, to all you Michigan supporters: e-mail me if you're interested in getting involved. I'm hoping that 2006 will be a very busy year for us.

Cloture Vote - Feingold wins

2005-12-16T12:23:00.000-05:00

Final tally:

Aye
52
Nay
47

61 votes were needed for cloture. Feingold wins, Senator Kerry was even seen congratulating him.

Check out Ilya's (of RussForPresident.com) liveblogging thread on DailyKos for the play-by-play announcing.

That was exciting!

Pat Leahy's talking now, let's see what comes next... more updates may follow later.

USA PATRIOT Act Showdown

2005-12-16T08:11:00.000-05:00

Okay, so, I've really been neglecting this blog, but I have reasons. Lots of stuff going on, and illness in which my temperature peaked at 102.6 degrees. Blogging for Feingold wasn't my top priority. But there's been a LOT going on lately.

So what's the story with Russ "The Lone Patriot" Feingold? Well, he went from being the only member of the Senate to vote against the PATRIOT Act in 2001 to being the leader of a bipartisan coalition to stop the PATRIOT Act in 2005.

RussForPresident.com has been following this very closely, and there are postings on the topic here, here and here. But the best source of information is Senator Feingold himself, right?

Isn't it nice that this week, he's been blogging over at TPMCafe Table for One? It's all worth reading. Senator Feingold, as always, articulates clearly and eloquently his reasons for opposing reauthorization of the Act as it currently is.

And before I forget, Jerry at New Jersey for Feingold tells us that Russ has been chosen to fill Gov.-elect Jon Corzine's seat on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

So. He's leading the fight to protect civil liberties, is (hopefully) about to give the Bush Administration a major defeat on one of their most important pieces of legislation, and he's been given a spot on arguably one of the most important committees in the Senate (on top of already being on Judiciary, Budget, and Foreign Relations). Suddenly, I suspect a lot of people are going to think more seriously about going Forward with Feingold in 2008.

If you can, be watching C-SPAN 2 today from 10 to 11AM. Final debate on the PATRIOT Act reauthorization and the vote on cloture. I'll have another post then.

Urgent: Join Russ Feingold's Filibuster!

2005-12-13T15:36:00.000-05:00

I just signed this petition to support Senator Russ Feingold as he prepares to filibuster the reauthorization of the PATRIOT act. He's promised to do whatever it takes to force Congress to adopt a version of the act that protects us from terrorism, while still preserving our rights and freedoms. Please go to the website listed below and join Russ Feingold and me in helping to make America both safe and free.
With your help, we can make real change. Please join me by signing
this petition:
http://www.progressivepatriotsfund.com/page/petition/filibuster/kvuea
Thanks!

Ohio for Feingold... and beyond

2005-12-09T09:16:00.000-05:00

Another blog has entered the pro-Feingold community: Ohio for Feingold. As everyone knows, Ohio was the key state in 2004, and will likely be a battleground state once again, especially if things go well in 2006 for Democrats. If Ohio goes to Feingold, then Missouri, Tennessee, Nevada, West Virginia, Colorado, and Florida are all within reach.

So an early effort in Ohio is an excellent start!

Now, some of you may be wondering how you can help on the local level. Do you live in a state that doesn't have a blog yet? Start one! Do you live in Michigan and want to help out? E-mail me! Are you not sure if your state has a blog? Check out the 50 State section on RussForPresident.com! Do you want more information on Russ Feingold that can't be found on any of the websites you've checked out? E-mail me, and I will endeavor to find out everything you wish to know.

Over the next few weeks, watch for updates on this site... I'm going to be trying a few new things.

At RussForPresident.com -- Town Hall with Senator Feingold

2005-12-02T11:13:00.000-05:00

From time to time, I find myself thinking about the way the world is and how it got to be this way, and the historical causes of it. Nearly every time I start pondering such things, I notice that in so many critical points in history, just one or two people's actions changed the outcome of events and helped create the world today.

Wouldn't it be fascinating to ask those people a few questions? Wouldn't it be every history buff's dream to ask Thomas Jefferson where he got the inspiration for the beautiful language used in the Declaration of Independence? Or have a chat with Abraham Lincoln about what leadership really means, and how his wisdom could be applied to current events? Ah, it would be an incredible experience to sit with Albert Einstein just before he developed the Theory of Relativity, and ask him about his thought processes.

Unfortunately, none of us have those opportunities. Few men and women are remembered by history, and when an opportunity arises to gain insight into their actions, only a fool would let it pass them by. And now you could potentially have that opportunity.

At RussForPresident.com, Ilya just announced that Senator Feingold has agreed to answer our questions.

Since the last election, Senator Feingold has been travelling the country from Florida to Illinois and Tennessee to New Hampshire. Along the way he's told people his ideas for the Democratic Party and the Country.

Now, RussForPresident.com is honored to have a Q and A with Senator Feingold. Ever wanted to know why the Senator supported John Roberts? Or what his views are on Gulf Coast reconstruction? Here's your chance to interact with the Senator himself. Post your question in the comments and we'll get as many as possible answered.

Questions must be submitted by noon (central time) on Tuesday.

Note. you must log in on the left side of the screen to ask a question. If you don't have an account yet, it takes 10 seconds to register.

So quit reading my blog and head on over to RussForPresident.com right now to submit your questions. We have no way of knowing if Russ Feingold will be remembered as a great man along the lines of Jefferson, Lincoln, and Einstein. But this I think can be stated with certainty: Feingold will help shape the 2008 election, and has the potential to be a fantastic president.

"Forward" Part II

2005-11-30T19:51:00.000-05:00

A while back I told you about "Forward," the handout RussForPresident.com was putting together and I had a part in creating. It's now available and ready for you!

Go check it out. Read it, print off a few copies, and hand 'em out to friends and family. And then, if you're at a local Democratic event, or, better still, a Feingold listening session or speech, hand a few out to the crowd there. This is a great way to spread the word about Senator Feingold.

Post-Thanksgiving Update - "This Week" with Russ Feingold

2005-11-27T20:02:00.000-05:00

As the holiday season launches with Thanksgiving, I find myself busy and tired... but not so much that I can't do a quick update.

A few brief items...

First, once again I'd like to direct all Michigan residents to Michigan Liberal, which is becoming better and better at reporting and analyzing political events. So all the Michigan Feingold fans had better head over there and see what they can do to further progressive causes in 2006. Seriously, this is an excellent site, and it would be great if it could grow and become a really powerful tool in Michigan politics.

Next, RussForPresident.com tells us that December 12-16, Senator Feingold will be blogging at the TPMCafe Table for One. We're currently in the middle of a time that will see many developments, so check out RussForPresident regularly.

And now, the most important item-- Senator Feingold's interview with George Stephanopoulos this morning. I admit, I missed it, and haven't read a transcript yet either. It's all on my very long list of things I need to do. But the reviews have been good. If anyone knows where I can track down a transcript, please mention it in the comments, and leave your own thoughts on the interview as well.

The piece of it that everyone's mentioning, though, is very promising:

WASHINGTON - The time has come for a "cheesehead" in the White House, although Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., doesn't know if he's the one to take that mantle.

He put his chances of seeking for the nomination in 2008 at "probably higher" than one in 100 while saying it was too early to commit to the race.

"But I do think one thing we can all agree on is that this country is overdue for a cheesehead president. We've never had one," he told ABC's "This Week" from his Madison home.

Yes.

That's all for now, folks, but I promise there will be more this week.

Feingold, blogging, and Iraq

2005-11-14T17:59:00.000-05:00

... And Senator Feingold blogs yet again.

This time, he speaks out in favor of an amendment demanding a timetable for Iraq. He posted on MyDD and DailyKos.

A few quick excerpts:

On Veteran's Day, the President gave yet another speech trying to defend his Iraq policy. He uttered over 5800 words, but not once did he provide the American people any timeframe for our military mission in Iraq or any sense that he has a plan for bringing that mission to a successful end. Instead, he used the same platitudes and empty rhetoric that the American people have already made clear they don't buy. Rather than putting his efforts into a major media spin operation, the President should concentrate on getting our Iraq policy straight, and putting our nation's national security on track.

and,

I am pleased that the silence has finally been broken and this week the Senate will be voting on an amendment to the Department of Defense authorization bill that, in part, calls on the President to report to Congress with a flexible timetable to finish the military mission in Iraq and bring American troops home.

While this amendment, which I drafted with several Democratic colleagues, is a pretty modest proposal, it is clear that an increasing number of elected officials are finally realizing what a majority of Americans already know - that the President's "stay the course" rhetoric isn't a strategy for success. In fact it isn't a strategy at all.

and finally,

The President insists that he didn't mislead the country into war. From my perspective, the Administration's aggressive efforts to sell the war in Iraq didn't match up with the intelligence briefings I received. I never bought the administrations shifting justifications in the lead up to war and I voted against the resolution in the Senate. However, the President's recent efforts to suggest that those who question the basis for war are undermining our troops smack of desperation. It's important to talk about how we got into this war to begin with. But what's more important now is that the President, who didn't plan effectively for war in Iraq in the first place, acknowledge and respond to the current realities and get our Iraq policy, and our national security focus, on track.

(emphasis mine)

Go read the amendment-- it looks pretty good. And, then, notice who else's name is on it. It seems that a certain Michigan Senator is helping lead this effort.

[UPDATE] Feingold's statement on the Senate floor.

The Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month

2005-11-11T15:30:00.000-05:00

(Image: http://www.gov.pe.ca/infopei/index.php3?number=41409&lang=E)

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders Fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders Fields.

- John McCrae

It's easy to forget, but today is an important day-- Veteran's Day, here, Remembrance Day and Armistice Day elsewhere. It's the day that the First World War ended, 87 years ago today. The armistice went into effect, and it was supposed to bring about a new era.

World War I was "the war to end all wars," and it should have been, too: estimates suggest that up to 15.1 million people, including 6.5 million civilians were killed in the war. It marked the end of the absolute monarchy, and the nations of the world had a chance to renounce war, rebuild Europe, and enter a new global society in which we could live together in peace. A League of Nations could offer us a forum to voice our beliefs and negotiate peacefully to settle international conflicts. The Kellogg-Briand Pact was supposed to outlaw war. It could have all worked out.

We came so close. But political interests corrupted the process, and the failed attempt at peace in 1918 led to World War II only two decades later, and the Cold War, and dozens of other conflicts. Indeed, the current Iraq debacle could have been prevented long ago, had the aftermath of the First World War been handled differently.

I'm not a pacifist. I don't deny that there are times when military force is necessary, and there are times when our nation and its allies are attacked that require us to go to war. But today is a reminder that war is the last resort. The only truth about war is that in war, men and women die. They die for causes that seem trivial years later. Military conflict should occur when any and all diplomatic attempts have failed. There's nothing noble or honorable about war. The costs are far too great.

Russ Feingold can't bring about world peace. That will take far more work than a single election, and I doubt that I will ever live to see such a world. But he is a step in the right direction. In 2002 he understood that sometimes force is necessary, but that careful thought needed to go into it, and that it should be used as the last option. He would not have sent us into a bloody, unnecessary conflict.

Today, find a veteran and ask him or her about war. And then think long and hard about what that person says. As I was told once long ago, sometimes war is necessary, but it is never right.

Elections 2005... looking to 2006 and 2008

2005-11-09T21:31:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to now-Governor elect Tim Kaine in Virginia, Governor elect Jon Corzine in New Jersey, and all the other winners in last night's election, Democrats and Republicans alike. Running for office is a hard thing to do, and winning is even harder. No matter what your party or ideology, good luck in the coming term of office. I'm a little disappointed (and puzzled) by the Reform Ohio Now ballot initiatives... I was sure they would be a good way to prevent another 2004-type election.

I'm also puzzled by the results in the Detroit Mayoral race... Not living in Detroit, I don't have a say in it, but I care about the largest city in Michigan, and I had figured Hendrix would win easily. The rather corrupt administration of Kwame Kilpatrick, I thought, was going to end, but somehow, contrary to all the polls, Kilpatrick did it. Matt at Michigan Liberal sums it up pretty well. Let's hope the future of Detroit will be better than its past.

So all that's over. What's next?

One common complaint I've received when trying to convince others of Senator Feingold's potential as a candidate and president is that it's only 2005, and I should be focusing on the midterms instead. My answer-- why can't I do both?

The 2006 campaign starts today. Michigan Liberal has what is becoming a very valuable resource: profiles of every district in the state legislature, every congressional district, and soon, every statewide race. Every district needs a Democratic candidate, and not just a sacrificial lamb, but someone who will really, truly fight for his or her beliefs. Howard Dean and Russ Feingold advocate a 50 State Strategy, but for all of you in Michigan, let's start out with an 83 County Strategy. We can win in this state, but all too often, the Democratic message isn't heard outside of Detroit and Ann Arbor.

I remember listening to an interview a while ago on NPR with Robert Kennedy, Jr., and he said something which I think is absolutely true. I'm not going to quote it exactly, but it was something to the effect of, "Ninety percent of the Republicans I meet are Democrats who don't really know what's going on." West Michigan is the land of Gerald Ford, not Jerry Falwell. I believe we can win there.

But I don't know how yet. The elections of 2006 will mark a definite change, I think. It will see the end of the "swing state" and the beginning of a political landscape where we fight for every state in the union, every district, every voter. I don't know how this will happen, but I know that it begins with us, the grassroots. And so I'll be working hard over the next year.

And thus we come to 2008. This shift in political strategies can only help Senator Feingold should he choose to run-- he has proven repeatedly that he's willing to talk to all Americans, whether they're in Alabama or California. He doesn't have the "Red State Appeal" that Mark Warner and Evan Bayh have. He's appealing to all Americans, because he's more honest and trustworthy than any other politician in Washington. He can run in every state and win, too.

If we're serious about wanting President Feingold in January 2009, we need to build the network of support. But that network is more than just some bloggers who like to write about him. It's even more than just a loyal following of supporters in the primaries, along the lines of "Deaniacs." It's about building a party that he can lead to victory.

Over the coming weeks, I'm going to be focusing a bit on local Michigan races and what we can do here. "All politics is local," right?

So let's get to work. I'm done ranting tonight.

"Forward"

2005-10-28T00:06:00.000-04:00

This is the first of what may be a long string of positive developments in the Feingold for President movement.

I have supported Senator Russ Feingold for President for several months now, and I suspect that simply because you're reading this, so have you. We all know how fantastic he's been in the Senate, we know that he'd be the perfect one for the White House, especially following the current administration.

However, we're decidedly in the minority of the American people. Let's face it, even those who follow politics closely have been asking, "Feingold? What's so great about him?" Outside of Wisconsin, his positions and successes are rarely discussed.

Now, we could stand there at and explain, "Well, you see, he voted against the PATRIOT Act, he actually has a plan for Iraq, he's honest and principled..." and those around us might be interested, for a minute. But by the time they get home, they'll have forgotten much of that, only remembering, "Oh, so and so says he's a cool guy. Don't know if I want him as president, though." Wouldn't it be great if you had something you could give them? Like, a piece of paper that outlines some of his best, most-loved qualities?

Check this out. Ilya at RussForPresident.com and I have gotten together to start a little project, but we need your help to finish it. Based very loosely off of the "Dean Times" newspaper Gov. Dean's campaign circulated in 2004, we'll have "Forward"-- a collection of articles outlining a few of the many reasons why Russ Feingold should run for and be elected president in 2008. But it's only half finished. Right now, we have Dan K's "Forward With Feingold" essay (if you haven't read it, read it now!) and a short piece on Feingold's honesty and integrity.

As Ilya said:

But we need YOUR help. We're looking for articles on the Senator's plan in Iraq, his vote against the Patriot Act or any other topic that interests you. Please submit your original submission either in the comments section here, or e-mail it directly to isheyman[at]gmail.com. Below is a screenshot of where we're at right now. This is your chance to get directly involved with the effort and spread the word about Sen. Feingold. Please e-mail your submissions by Monday October 31st. Who knows, perhaps a really good submission will result in a mystery prize?

Check it out, and see what you want to add. When it's finished, print 'em off from your home computer and hand them out wherever you like-- local political events, Feingold listening sessions, anywhere. This is a great way to spread the word about Feingold, and it will give people something to take home and remind them of what a Feingold candidacy could mean.

[UPDATE]: Also via RussForPresident.com, some promising news:

(Angus Reid Global Scan) – Many adults in the Badger State believe their junior United States senator should seek the White House, according to a poll by Strategic Vision. 49 per cent of respondents in Wisconsin would like to see Russ Feingold run for president in 2008.

and

Polling Data

Would you like to see senator Russ Feingold run for president in 2008?

Yes

49%

No

33%

Undecided

18%

Source: Strategic Vision
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 800 likely Wisconsin voters, conducted from Oct. 17 to Oct. 19, 2005. Margin of error is 3 per cent.

I'm still here... News and Wellstone

2005-10-25T20:52:00.000-04:00

I've been a little busy, and I'd like to apologize for the lack of postings here. And I still don't have much to say today, either, but I have three items to mention.

First, of course, is the excitement in the ongoing CIA Leak Investigation. If you don't already know about it, you need to be reading more news, 'cause this is big. "Fitzmas," they're calling it at Daily Kos and some other places. I'm not going to make any predictions... it seems sometimes like the best way for something not to happen is for me to predict it will happen (ie. a couple dozen elections), but I do think that this week will see a lot of big news. Cross your fingers, and hope for the best. I'd love to see Honest Russ Feingold replace the most corrupt administration in history.

Also, as a preview for the future, Ilya at RussForPresident.com and I have been working on a project that should get going pretty soon. More will come shortly.

Finally, a note not related to Feingold, but still very important.

You see, Senator Feingold wasn't originally the man I wanted to run for president. The 2004 election was supposed to be the one where we took down President Bush, and I had someone else in mind for it in 2001 and 2002, although Feingold has always been a favorite in the Senate. My pick was Paul Wellstone.

I've been satisfied with my Democratic senators, of course. Carl Levin is a great man, and Debbie Stabenow, though just in her first term, seems promising, and will be a great advocate for Michigan's interests and the best interests of the country in what I hope is a long tenure in the Senate. But for some time, I felt like Paul Wellstone was my senator. I didn't always agree with him, but I felt like he represented the best parts of the progressive movement, the best parts of America. If I served in government, I would strive to be like him.

And I was hoping he'd run for the White House, especially after choosing not to in 2000. It would be tough... who would ever elect some bald liberal senator from Minnesota? He would have had everything going against him, from religion to his health. Conventional wisdom was that he could never have won a single primary state. But I think he could have, if we put the energy into it. He could have won the nomination, and then defeated President Bush by doing what he did best-- speaking the truth without hesitation. "The conscience of the Senate."

And then, three years ago today, I heard the news. My father and I were chatting about something, and then, as we were starting to talk about politics, he said, "Oh, did you hear about Wellstone?" "No," I replied. "CNN is saying he might have died in a plane crash." As soon as I got home, the television went on, and I sat there, staring at it. I didn't know what to think.

I first got interested in politics by chance. I would flip through the channels and, with only basic cable to keep me entertained, sometimes I would put C-SPAN 2 on as background noise. But it ceased to be background noise when I heard Senator Wellstone start speaking. This was a man who I could trust. This was someone who was fighting for me in Washington.

And Wellstone is why I'm here, trying to get Russ Feingold elected. While Wellstone will always come first in my heart, Feingold was always his partner in progressivism. Forward with Feingold is the direction for us to go.

Jerry at New Jersey for Feingold posted about a new biography of Wellstone, which I'm hoping to buy sometime in the near future. And danielua on DKos has a fantastic diary, which is what reminded me about the significance of the day.

You can always count on Michigan, Russ

2005-10-10T22:10:00.000-04:00

Or, at least I hope so. For sure, he's got support from Michigan's Sen. Carl Levin on Iraq.

More on this later.

Early October Update

2005-10-06T18:57:00.000-04:00

So, a few items of note for you all.

First, RussForPresident.com has an October Update entry up, which pretty well covers the pro-Feingold movement as a whole. Also, right now on the site's front page is a post linking to a piece on RAW STORY that is absolutely worth reading.

A few quick excerpts:

WASHINGTON -- Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) says Senate Democrats will soon introduce more elements of their party’s plan to resolve foreign policy with regard to Iraq. “You’ll see more evidence of that coming out of the Democratic caucus this week,” he told RAW STORY.

and

“The idea that you stay in a situation that isn’t going the right way just for the sake of saying that you’re staying the course is a potentially disastrous approach,” the senator said. “The idea that things would be much worse if we let Iraqis take over I think is questionable. A lot of the recruiting is based on the idea that it is a permanent American occupation.”

and

Asked about speculation that he was positioning himself to be the Democrats’ anti-war presidential candidate in 2008, he said, “I would never make policy positions relating something to Iraq based on a political goal. I’m taking a position I’m taking on Iraq based on the work I’ve been doing.”

Good stuff, no?

Also, the monthly MyDD Presidential Straw Poll is up, along with the corresponding instant runoff ballot. I urge everyone to vote. As of right now, the totals are:

Evan Bayh	3 votes - 1 %
Joe Biden	2 votes - 0 %
Wesley Clark	84 votes - 31 %
Hillary Clinton	22 votes - 8 %
John Edwards	37 votes - 13 %
Russ Feingold	61 votes - 22 %
Bill Richardson	12 votes - 4 %
Mark Warner	28 votes - 10 %
Unsure	20 votes - 7 %

for the one on the MyDD page and

Wesley Clark 125 (31.8%)

Russ Feingold 86 (21.9%)

John Edwards 67 (17.0%)

Mark Warner 36 (9.2%)

Hillary Clinton 27 (6.9%)

Unsure 23 (5.9%)

Bill Richardson 17 (4.3%)

Evan Bayh 7 (1.8%)

Joe Biden 5 (1.3%)

for Round 1 and

Wesley Clark 210 (55.4%)

Russ Feingold 169 (44.6%)

None of these 14

for Round 8 of the IRV poll. Let's see if we can bump up some of those numbers and help Senator Feingold win one of these.

... And I had something else I wanted to mention, too, but I can't seem to think of it right now. Hopefully I can remember it sometime tonight or tomorrow and post an update. Dang. Thought I was too young to be losing my memory.

Anyway, go and vote now, thinking Forward With Feingold all the way.

Feingold in New Hampshire

2005-10-02T17:18:00.000-04:00

I'm sorry for not posting lately... I've been busy. As part of that, I was out of town Friday/Saturday.

So I'm in my hotel room Friday night, and I sort of fall onto the bed and grab turn the television on. Flipping through the channels, I pass all of the basic cable things you expect to see in a Friday night, and nothing much is appealing to me. I'm starting to lose hope, when who do I see looking back at me? Why, none other than Senator Russ Feingold on C-SPAN.

I had totally forgotten that he would be in New Hampshire, but it all came back to me when I was lucky enough to catch the last five minutes or so of his event on C-SPAN.

I can't seem to find any video of it on their website (if you have any luck, please let me know in the comments), but there are a couple good summaries of it that I've found. Check out Tennesseans for Feingold, first, and a diary on MyDD. And then the Progressive Patriots Fund.

That's all for now.

Feingold: "I will vote in favor of the nomination of Judge John Roberts"

2005-09-22T21:23:00.000-04:00

Yeah, sorry for disappearing for a couple weeks... I had meant to blog several times following the hearings, but life intervened.

The big news, of course, is that Senator Feingold voted to recommend Judge John Roberts for the position of Chief Justice. Read the whole statement, it's always well-written and interesting. But here's the general summary of it:

Mr. Chairman, I will vote in favor of the nomination of Judge John Roberts to be the Chief Justice of the United States. This has not been an easy decision, but I believe it is the correct one. Judge Roberts's impeccable legal credentials, his reputation and record as a fair-minded person, and his commitment to modesty and respect for precedent have persuaded me that he will not bring an ideological agenda to the position of Chief Justice of the United States and that he should be confirmed.

And with that, ladies and gentlemen, the speculation began on what this does to a Feingold presidential candidacy. Here, take a look at the MyDD story on it-- ranging from "This'll come back to hurt him" to "He needed to do this to appeal to centrists."

Here's the real reason (I think): he's Russ Feingold, and he votes his conscience.

I'm still opposed to Roberts. I think that, as conservative as he likely is, he'll hurt this country in the long run. But Senator Feingold has always been consistent in supporting presidential appointees because, somehow, President Bush won the election, and that means he gets to pick his SCOTUS appointments. The only exception to this policy is when the nominee is quite clearly not qualified, and, in this case, there wasn't enough evidence of that.

I might wish right now, fearful of "Chief Justice Roberts" and the Court he'll run, that Feingold hadn't stuck to his principles. But this is what we all love about him, isn't it?

Roberts Confirmation Hearings

2005-09-12T16:15:00.000-04:00

Today's the day you've all been waiting for, boys and girls!

That's right... hearings begin on confirming John Roberts as the next Chief Justice of the Supreme Court!

Excitement, excitement.

In my personal opinion, not only is Roberts far too conservative for the position, but also unqualified, with very little experience. But I don't get a vote on this, which may be good, because I wouldn't trust me with making major decisions either. Thankfully, there's a guy from Wisconsin you might all know who's on the Judiciary Committee. Here's what he had to say:

... I wish you well, and I admire your record and your impressive career. This is a confirmation proceeding, however, not a coronation. It is the Senate Judiciary Committee's job to ask tough questions. We are tasked by the Senate with getting a complete picture of your qualifications, your temperament, and how you will carry out your duties. Obviously, nominees to the Supreme Court must be subject to the highest level of scrutiny. As the nominee to be Chief Justice of the United States, you will be subject to the ultimate level of scrutiny.

and

... If by "dignified" they mean that tough and probing questions are out of bounds, I must strongly disagree. It is not undignified to ask questions that press the nominee for his views on the important areas of the law that the Supreme Court confronts. It is not undignified to review and explore the nominee's writings, his past statements, the briefs he has filed, the memos he has written. It is not undignified to ask the nominee questions he would rather not answer should he prefer to remain inscrutable, or, worse yet, all things to all people.
This process is not a game. It is not a political contest. It is one of the most important things that the Senate does -- confirm or reject nominees to the highest court in the land. And we as Senators must take that responsibility very seriously.

and

Chief Justice Rehnquist himself acknowledged the importance of the Senate's role when he wrote the following in his last annual report on the federal judiciary: "Our Constitution has struck a balance between judicial independence and accountability, giving individual judges secure tenure but making the federal judiciary subject ultimately to the popular will because judges are appointed and confirmed by elected officials."

That suggests to me that it is not only permissible, but critical, that the Senate seek to learn as much as it can about the views of nominees and that nominees be as forthcoming as they possibly can without compromising their independence.

and finally

In my view, we must evaluate not only his qualifications, but also his ability to keep an open mind, his sensitivity to the concerns of all Americans and their right to equal protection under the laws; not only his intellectual capacity, but his judgment and wisdom; not only his achievements, but his fairness, and his courage to stand up to the other branches of government when they infringe on the rights and liberties of our citizens.

(emphasis mine)

There was a bit more than what I included there, and it's worth reading the whole thing all the way through. But those were some important bits I thought I'd share with you.

Looking forward to more over the coming days. Head over to C-SPAN if you want to watch the action as it happens.

"Forward With Feingold"

2005-09-11T18:00:00.000-04:00

I'd like to send everyone who happens to read this over to Dan K's Russ Feingold for President blog, because today he wrote something really great. I mean it. This is the sort of thing that could convert people to the Feingold cause, or at least get them interested.

The post is titled "Forward With Feingold" and it outlines one of Dan's reasons for supporting Senator Feingold: Wisconsin's state motto. Through the course of it, it also shows how Feingold isn't another Eugene McCarthy or another George McGovern or another Howard Dean. Instead, he's Russ Feingold, and that alone is enough of a reason to support him.

Today being September 11, four years after the attacks that we all remember so well, something about the post really seemed to work for me. It's hopeful, it offers a vision for the future. It makes you think that with Russ Feingold, maybe we can make the post-September 11th world a better place, instead of using that date as an excuse for everything that's wrong.

So. Something about what Dan wrote was really good. I'm hoping that he cross-posts it on MyDD or DailyKos, or even on the RussForPresident frontpage.

Blogad update

2005-09-10T10:53:00.000-04:00

Sorry it took a few days for me to post this...

But the winning RussForPresident.com Blogad design was... Jerry Troiano's "Pop Quiz" ad. I think you'll all agree that he did a fantastic job on it, and, as RussForPresident requested, it can be seen on the right side of this page. Hopefully other pro-Feingold sites will add it to their homepages as well, because it really is an excellent ad.

It can now be seen on My Left Wing and The Smirking Chimp, and, if they can raise some more money, it'll be on a few other sites as well.

This is pretty exciting stuff! When President Feingold takes office in January of 2009, you'll be able to say, "I remember when it all began!"

Katrina, Rehnquist, and General Update

2005-09-06T21:17:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the absence of activity. I've been busy, and with Katrina, my heart just hasn't been in spending my free time blogging.

I really can't come up with anything to say on anything right now... so I'll give you Senator Feingold's statements on the aftermath of the hurricane and on Chief Justice Rehnquist's passing.

On Katrina (frontpage of his Senate site):

Like all Americans, my thoughts are with those struggling to cope with the terrible effects of Hurricane Katrina. The devastation brought by the storm is absolutely heart-wrenching and beyond description. I continue to be concerned by reports of a slow emergency response. Clearly, more needs to be done to get help to Katrina’s victims. I hope that the emergency spending bill that the Senate approved last night will help speed up disaster relief efforts. I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress to make sure that the federal government does all it can to assist those who have lost so much in this national tragedy.

On Rehnquist:

I have great respect for this son of Wisconsin 's long and distinguished tenure on the bench and for the dignity he brought to the Court and to his other duties. Chief Justice Rehnquist served with integrity and our country is grateful for his service. My thoughts are with his family.

Also, a RussForPresident.com blogad was chosen and will begin circulating the progressive blogospher starting tomorrow. I'll hopefully have more on that tomorrow.

Lastly, just as a warning, I might have to take a several-month break from this, depending on whether or not something I'm working on works out. I'll let you all know details when I know details. Might work out, might not. We shall see.

That's all for tonight. Except for this. Consider donating, if you can.

Russ For President Blogads

2005-08-25T16:33:00.000-04:00

Over at RussForPresident.com, they're working on a new project-- blog ads for the site, and to get the progressive blogosphere behind a Feingold candidacy. I think this is the perfect first step. It will bring a lot of people into the movement, and with them come a lot of new ideas and talents. After this comes the renting of billboards, advertisements in newspapers, and a full-scale Russ Feingold For President movement.

But you need to help if we want this to be a success. For this to work, they're going to need two things: funding and creativity.

On the main page of RussForPresident, there's now a "Make a Donation" button, linking to PayPal. Now, I know that no one particularly likes parting with their money. And for many, especially those like me, money is very tight. But if you can donate, please do. It's worth it.

Then, there's the part that anyone can assist in-- designing the blogad. On the RussForPresident forums, Ilya posted a message asking for supporters to submit designs for the ad, which will later be voted on. All submissions need to be in by Sunday, August 28. Currently, there are three submissions, as shown below. But more are welcome!

Requirements for submissions:
- Somewhere, it should say "RussForPresident.com"
- It should be the standard 150x200 pixel blogad size

And, if your design is selected, Ilya promised "a mystery prize". Sounds pretty exciting, no?

Really, even though it may not seem like a big deal, the ad will be the first impression that many potential supporters will get of the site and the movement. So, if you have image design skills, get to work on your submission!

Feingold in LA - Day Two

2005-08-24T14:57:00.000-04:00

There's a Capital Times article about Senator Feingold in Los Angeles by John Nichols. It doesn't give too much detail about the text of his speech yesterday, but it does give us a little, and talks a great deal about Feingold as a potential presidential candidate in 2008.

A couple highlights:

"Iraq is not the be-all and end-all of our national security," the veteran member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee told a Tuesday gathering of the Town Hall Los Angeles group, which has previously hosted talks by U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, Mexican President Vicente Fox and former Chinese President Jiang Zemin.

Referring to the invasion of Iraq as "a tactical error in the larger war on terrorism," Feingold explained, "What we need with the fight against terrorism is a major course correction in how we go about it."

and

While Feingold was blunt about his disappointment with Bush's administration, he was coy about whether he will run for president in 2008. Asked at every stop in Los Angeles if he will seek the Democratic presidential nomination, Feingold repeatedly answered with a variation on the response he gave at the Town Hall forum in downtown L.A.'s Biltmore Hotel, where he noted that John Kennedy headquartered his presidential campaign during the 1960 Democratic National Convention in the city.

Suggesting that he was firmly focused on opening up an honest debate about Iraq and the direction of the broader war on terror, Feingold said of a presidential run: "I really don't know whether I want to do that."

But a lot of his listeners were ready to back the Wisconsinite as the progressive nominee they think Democrats will need to pick to reclaim the White House. "I've made my choice for 2008," photographer Mark Howard said after listening to Feingold speak to an overflow crowd at the UCLA School of Law. "I'm for Feingold."

Philanthropist Alan Gleitsman, a member of the advisory board of Human Rights Watch, who introduced Feingold at the Town Hall forum, referred to the senator as someone who could emerge as "a progressive standard bearer in the United States."

(emphasis mine)

Every day, it becomes more and more clear that people are not satisfied with the state of affairs in Iraq, and that more are beginning to see it as the mistake it was. Feingold's original opposition, combined with his willingness to formulate a real plan, are very appealing to a lot of people.

And so the support is there for a presidential campaign. That should be obvious to everyone, I think. Now, Senator Feingold just needs to decide if he wants it or not.

Feingold at the UCLA Law School

2005-08-23T20:00:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, Senator Feingold spoke at the University of California-Los Angeles Law School, originally intended to be focused on the Roberts nomination to the Supreme Court.

However, as Geotpf at Daily Kos tells us, it ended up as a speech outlining several of Feingold's beliefs-- really, most of the things that we all love about him. Indeed, the portions of the speech on Iraq may well have been a dress rehearsal for tonight's speech; as a press release from earlier in the month mentioned:

US Senator Russ Feingold’s Progressive Patriots Fund announced today that he will deliver a major foreign policy speech in Los Angeles on August 23 outlining the administration’s failure to develop a comprehensive national security strategy in the fight against terrorism. Feingold’s speech will suggest an alternative national security focus and speak to the need to advance a national security plan consistent with broader efforts to sustain an effective, coordinated campaign against international terrorism.

A "major foreign policy speech," eh? Sounds pretty presidential.

And The Nation had a blog entry up in preparation for it. Hopefully we'll find a transcript or recording tomorrow.

Also, Stevo on MyDD posted an interview with Senator Feingold yesterday as well. Both this and Geotpf's Kos diary are well worth reading.

Wish I could write more about all these. Hopefully I'll be able to include portions of tonight's speech tomorrow.

Feingold on "Meet the Press"

2005-08-21T17:57:00.000-04:00

Senator Feingold appeared on "Meet the Press" this morning to discuss Iraq and his calls for a withdrawal timetable. It was refreshing to see a strong advocate of the progressive position on one of those shows; you can only take so much Joe Biden.

I had forgotten that he'd be on, and missed the first seven minutes or so of the program, but watching what I did and reading the transcript of what I missed was another reminder of why he should be president. He managed to clearly articulate the reasons for withdrawing from Iraq, I thought. And, even though he hasn't had much air time on the Sunday talk shows, I think he handled himself rather well.

RussForPresident.com has the transcript of Senator Feingold's appearance, and New Jersey for Feingold has an mp3 audio recording of it. Plus, on MSNBC's website is a short clip of the discussion. Not sure how long that will be on the site, so check it out.

Feingold on Iraq Withdrawal

2005-08-18T10:16:00.000-04:00

First, he called on the Bush Administration to set a timetable for withdrawal. Now, the Washington Post reports today that Senator Feingold is urging the administration to withdraw all American forces from Iraq by the end of next year.

Feingold is the first senator to call for a firm deadline, and is the first potential 2008 presidential candidate to do so.

From the article:

In a telephone interview from Wisconsin, Feingold said he has heard a wave of public disenchantment at 15 town hall meetings so far during the August recess, leading him to propose a Dec. 31, 2006, deadline.

"There's a deepening feeling of dismay in the country about the way things are going in Iraq," Feingold said. He rejected Bush's assertion that a deadline would make it easier for insurgents to simply hang on. "I think he's wrong. I think not talking about endgames is playing into our enemies' hand."

This is big stuff. This is what separates him from every other Democrat that could be running. And, of course, this is one of many, many reasons I hope to be voting for him.

Feingold for Michigan Organizing

2005-08-14T21:29:00.000-04:00

So I have a dilemma.

The accepted view is that Hillary Clinton is the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination (This still may not end up happening-- a lot can happen; however, for the sake of this post, let us assume that this is true). She's got the name recognition without being "damaged goods" like Senators Kerry and Edwards. I think that a lot of her support will drop once the race gets going, and especially when people see what they could have with a President Feingold, but she'll still be the frontrunner.

There's also a widely-held view that after the first few primaries, the race will come down to two or three people, Hillary and the "anti-Hillary," as some are saying. Obviously I want that second or third person to be Russ Feingold.

We can make that happen by building the network of support to allow Senator Feingold to come in a strong second against Senator Clinton in Iowa and New Hampshire, if not winning them outright. And we can strenghten him further still if we, as Michiganians (or Michiganders, your choice), can deliver to Senator Feingold our delegates. That's what I'd like to talk about.

Without a clear primary schedule worked out, we have no way of knowing how important Michigan will be, but Levin and Stabenow have been working to try to gain us a prominent spot, so we could be a critical state. For the sake of this post, let us assume we will be. A Feingold win here could provide the momentum to carry the Midwest and win the nomination.

So how do we do it? How do we build the grassroots network for Russ Feingold in Michigan? How do we get his name out there, and how do we get people excited about him?

At RussForPresident.com, there are some ideas already being formulated about billboards in Wisconsin, Iowa, and perhaps a few other places. Perhaps a well placed billboard in Ann Arbor? But surely we can do better than that! What else can we do?

I'm afraid I don't have the political experience of running a campaign. I've never organized something large like this before. However, I do know one thing: the collective knowledge and skills of the people brought together by the internet is astounding. We can come up with a way to do this!

What ideas have you got? Good comments will be promoted to the front page, for further discussion.

I've cross-posted this at Michigan Liberal in hopes of getting a little more traffic. Any other places I should post it?

Campaign Update - 8 August, 2005

2005-08-08T20:22:00.000-04:00

We're trying a new look to the website; hope you all like it.

A couple items of note for the Draft Feingold campaign:

First off, Senator Feingold is doing everything we would want him to do in preparation for a campaign-- most notably, he's heading to New Hampshire in September. Jerry Troiano at New Jersey for Feingold has that story, via PoliticsNH.com.

In addition to holding listening sessions, the Senator will also be the featured speaker at first annual Eleanor Roosevelt Dinner in Rockingham County, as well as participating in an event for the Mayor of Manchester, Bob Baines.

This is a way to make friends early in a crucial primary state-- nice move, Senator.

Then, WisPolitics.com reports that he'll be giving a "major national security speech" on August 23rd, for a group called Town Hall Los Angeles. He'll also be speaking to the UCLA Law School on the 22nd. What I'm sure will be excellent speeches will remind us of Feingold's experience and unique perspective on foreign relations.

Also, over at RussForPresident.com, there's a plan in the works to possibly rent billboards to publicize the site and encourage Senator Feingold to run. Head on over, check out the discussion forums, and help make this first step a reality.

Lastly, schwompa at Tennesseans for Feingold has a petition asking Senator Feingold to run, which he plans to send to the Progressive Patriots Fund. He wants to reach 10,000 signatures by the end of the year. I think we can manage at least 15,000, don't you?

That's all for tonight.

Senator Debbie Stabenow - Michigan 2006

2005-07-25T17:02:00.000-04:00

(Another image from the D.C. trip...)

While this blog is obviously focused on Senator Feingold, urging him to run for president, and trying to build support for him in Michigan (which I'm hoping to write a lot more about in the next couple weeks), 2006 is approaching a lot faster than 2008. So I'd like to take a moment to draw everyone's attention to one of Michigan's two biggest races.

Representing us in Washington, we've got Senator Debbie Stabenow, who launched her campaign website not too long ago. As this is the first time she's facing reelection, having won her seat in 2000 over former Senator Spencer Abraham, the conventional wisdom is that this will be her hardest race. After open seats, first-time incumbents are generally the most contested races. But maybe Democrats will get lucky with this one.

Survey USA has her at a 48% approval rating, with 36% disapproval, in June 2005. Not exactly safe, but not too shabby either. And, via Michigan Liberal, it seems she got some good news recently:

Jane Abraham has decided not to run for the U.S. Senate, avoiding a possible showdown with the woman who defeated her husband for the seat five years ago.

Abraham, 43, has talked to party officials and traveled to Michigan to meet with party activists to discuss a possible run in past months. But she told The Associated Press on Wednesday that family considerations made her decide to stay out of the race.

Abraham could have been the toughest opponent to beat. Right now, there are three active candidates on the Republican side: Bart Baron, Rev. Keith Butler, and Rev. Jerry Zandstra (though Politics1 has a fourth candidate listed, Nasser Beydoun). It seems the GOP has had quite a lot of trouble recruiting high-profile candidates for the Senate race, with Rep. Candice Miller looking toward Governor Granholm (though even that is in question) and others, including Sec. of State Terri Lynn Land, probably passing this year. Unless Domino's Pizza CEO David Brandon steps in, Keith Butler is the Republican frontrunner.

So let us look for a moment at Rev. Butler. Although he's never run for a statewide office, his website tells us that he has been active in Republican politics since 1982 or so, and in 1989 was elected to a spot on the Detroit City Council. He is also the founding pastor of the Word of Faith International Christian Center Church, which claims a 21,000 member congregation. The major strength stressed by many pro-Butler Republicans is that he can win a large percentage of the African American vote in Detroit, weakening Stabenow's strength in what is usually a solid Democratic base.

In fundraising, however, Stabenow has a commanding lead heading in. During the first half of 2005, she raised about $2.5 million, and has a total of $3.87 million already, with no expected primary challenger. Butler, on the other hand, has raised $800,673 in the same period, and has only $403,000 on hand-- still impressive compared to other candidates, but far less than Stabenow. He also faces a primary race which could get ugly if Brandon does decide to get into it, which will leave him weaker come November 2006.

Indeed, the timing of the primary may help Stabenow. Set for August of 2006, that leaves only a few short months for whomever the Republicans nominate to move to the center and define themselves to the general electorate-- something that Stabenow will have been doing for the entire year.

As of right now, it looks good for Stabenow, with an EPIC/MRA poll giving her 57% to Butler's 30% (poll mentioned at the end of the article). But this is one that Michigan Democrats and Democrats across the country had better watch.

Next time, a look at Governor Jennifer Granholm, also up for re-election in 2006.

Justice Roberts?

2005-07-21T16:39:00.000-04:00

Picture from the (short) trip to D.C.; here's where I'm hoping to see Senator Feingold living in four years.

I've been slow to mention this... a little busy lately, plus, as a lifelong Trekkie, mourning James Doohan. But, President Bush has nominated Judge John G. Roberts to the Supreme Court. I'm of mixed opinions on his nomination and what kind of a justice he would be, but I thought you'd all be interested in what Senator Feingold has to say:

Evaluating the nomination of Judge John Roberts Jr. is a responsibility I take very seriously and one that I look forward to as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Supreme Court justices can have a uniquely significant impact on our country for years, even decades. While I voted in favor of Judge Roberts to be a Circuit Court judge in 2003, the level of scrutiny that the Senate gives nominees to the highest court in the land must be even greater than that for any other appointed position in our government. I will review his record carefully and look forward to questioning him in the Judiciary Committee's hearings.

Now, when it comes to reviewing his record, Senator Feingold outlined a plan yesterday for making his decision:

"Evaluating this nomination is a responsibility I take very seriously and one that I look forward to as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee," Feingold said. "This is the first vacancy on the Court in the past 11 years, and this nomination is likely to have a significant impact on our country for decades to come."

and

• Feingold will review the nominee's qualifications, including analyzing the nominee's opinions and reading commentary about and analysis of the nominee's record.

• Feingold plans to meet personally with Judge Roberts prior to the Judiciary Committee hearings.

• During the month of August and beyond, at Listening Sessions throughout Wisconsin, people are invited to share their thoughts on this nomination. (The latest Listening Session schedule is available at http://www.feingold.senate.gov and, as always, these sessions are open to anyone from Wisconsin, not just those who reside in the county where they are held.)

• Wisconsinites can also make their views known at http://www.feingold.senate.gov under the "Ideas Forum" bar on the left-hand side of the page.

• Feingold welcomes analysis and advice from lawyers and law professors in Wisconsin. Memos on legal issues, suggested lines of questioning, and other materials should be submitted to http://www.feingold.senate.gov under the "Ideas Forum" bar on the left-hand side of the page with the words "Legal Memo" in the first line of the message.

As I've said before, this is a good chance for him to raise his profile, and we can help. Watch for quotes over the next few months which should show Senator Feingold to be the reasonable, balanced man that he is, without sacrificing principle. And then share them with friends, family, and potential supporters.

Feingold in Pennsylvania

2005-07-18T13:47:00.000-04:00

I just got home from a short 3 1/2 day vacation in D.C. Saw the Mall, toured the capitol, saw all the memorials, did some of the Smithsonian, and visited Arlington. Busy weekend!

Of course, when planning the trip, I had the tiny, totally unrealistic hope of catching a glimpse of Senator Feingold (among other political favorites in Washington) while I was there, but no such luck would be had... he was in Pennsylvania!

Well, at least on Saturday he was. And Jerry Troiano at New Jersey for Feingold did get to meet him:

Despite the room bordering on sun-like temperatures Ms. Murphy and Senator Feingold allowed everyone who had a question a chance to ask it. I used my question as an opportunity to basically beg the Senator to run for President in 2008. Of course I expected the same response that he has given every other time the subject is raised. That is, there’s plenty of work to do before 2008 and that he is focused on winning back the House and Senate at this point. But the more he is asked, the more support he knows he would have.

Afterwords he spoke with people as he was leaving, and did the whole handshaking thing. I gave him a “New Jersey for Feingold” button, which he seemed rather happy to see.

He's got a bit more information and some photos on his site. Check it out.

Meanwhile, after I unpack, I'm going to try to catch up on all of the news I missed this weekend. This week I hope to have a bit of coverage of Michigan's 2006 races, which are starting to heat up, and maybe some photos from Washington.

MI GOP Primary 2008

2005-07-14T17:29:00.000-04:00

(Not technically Feingold-related, but interesting nonetheless.)

Heh. I guess the Michigan Republican Party was a little embarrassed after McCain's primary win in 2000. As an old Detroit Free Press article told us:

Of course, goading the opposition sometimes carries a price. Engler suffered perhaps the biggest setback of his career in 2000, when he failed to deliver his home state for George W. Bush in the GOP presidential primary.
Engler, described at the time by the Almanac of American Politics as the "colossus" of Michigan politics, had promised that his state would provide a "fire wall" for Bush against the insurgency of U.S. Sen. John McCain. Democrats, many of them motivated by a desire to stick it to Engler, voted in droves for McCain and handed Bush-Engler an embarrassing defeat.

So it's no surprise to see this in the news:

Michigan Republicans want to bar Democrats and independents from the GOP’s 2008 presidential primary — a step that would present a major hurdle for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), should he decide to run for the White House in 2008.

Well, hey, if they want to lessen the chances of Senator John McCain, their strongest general election candidate, from winning the nomination, I've got no problem with it.

The Path to Success

2005-07-11T16:21:00.000-04:00

Eric Hungerford over at DraftRuss.com added a must-read to his site for all of us in the pro-Feingold internet community.

It serves as something of a handbook for grassroots organizing. After all, blogging might satisfy our desire to talk about a candidate we like, but it won't mean a thing if the voters don't hear about it themselves. And someone like Senator Russ Feingold, who has enormous cross-over appeal with moderate Democrats, independents, and even some Republicans, won't get the supporters he could get if we only talk about him on liberal and progressive blogs.

For the progressives who are his natural base, in Ann Arbor or Detroit and elsewhere, his name has to get mentioned. Most people don't remember who their own senators are, let alone those from Wisconsin, but the moment a stereotypical Volvo-driving liberal with a rear window full of bumper stickers hears about Feingold, and realizes what a great president he could make, you have yourself a potential volunteer when the race gets going.

And then there are the independents and Republicans.

As I've mentioned in the past, I live in the red part of Michigan. One of many red parts. A lot of the folks around here don't trust the government with their money, have a set of values they cling to, and have the Second Amendment, which they cling to even more. But they're also feeling the effects of the Bush Economy. And they don't want to see our young men and women dying in Iraq.

I just named five areas where Senator Feingold can appeal to Republicans if properly introduced. A deficit hawk who works for campaign finance reform. A man who stands up for certain principles and can be respected, if not always agreed with. A pro-Second Amendment member of the Senate, who respects midwestern sporting traditions. Someone who can offer an alternative to tax cuts and deficit spending. And someone who can bring our servicemen and -women home without "cutting and running."

But before you know it, he'll be a "flip-flopping liberal" if you don't get out there and introduce him to the American people!

At Draft Russ, Eric lays out several ways in which door-to-door campaigning and speaking to groups of people about Senator Feingold can be most effective. Here are a couple key bits from his handbook-- though the whole thing is worth a read!

The Message:
Some ways of talking with people are more productive than others. Discussing the particulars of campaign finance reform laws isn't usually very productive, while outlining the fact that Feingold has been working for years to clean up Washington is.

Consistency is another key aspect. People don't always remember specifics about a candidate anyway, they remember what that candidate is all about. So get down to business and let people know who Russ is as a potential candidate.

What does Russ Feingold stand for? He stands for common sense. If you can get that point across strongly, then you've done what you can.

Recruiting Volunteers:
Putting fliers up with your own personal contact information - phone number, e-mail address, or whatever you feel comfortable posting in public - is a great way to track down elusive but enthusiastic supporters.

Also, before you talk to a crowd of people in any venue, whether it's in a meeting hall or on the street, have some ideas of what you can ask people to do for you. This is critical, because you may very well come across someone who wants to get involved -- but if you don't have any way to engage them soon enough, they may lose interest faster than you can say 'Downing Street Minutes'.
Door-to-Door Campaigning:
Don't be ashamed to ask if this person considers themselves a Democrat or Republican. Another great conversation-starter is to instead ask what issues matter to that person. Find points on which you agree and capitalize where relevant on bringing Feingold into the discussion. You don't want to kill the person with references, but you'll want to be tying their concerns to a Feingold presidency as you go along.
This is how we build a successful foundation for a campaign. This is how a common-sense progressive from Wisconsin can win the Michigan primary, and every other primary in every other state, if we work for it. Door-to-door campaigning may seem too much for this soon-- and maybe it is. But if we really want to make this happen, the planning, if not the campaigning, starts today.

Democracy for Tennessee Convention (Part Two)

2005-07-10T16:39:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I promised to have some parts of Senator Feingold's keynote address in Part Two. But that'll have to come in Part Three, it seems, because I didn't want to wait to post about a couple things.

First up, RussForPresident.com has a post about an interview Senator Feingold did with Chris Lugo at the Tennessee Independent Media Center. It's a pretty good interview. As brief as it is, he they cover his views on Iraq and the USA Patriot Act pretty thoroughly, and touch on health care-- three of the most important issues facing us today. Check it out.

In finding that article through RussForPresident, I also discovered a new member of the growing pro-Russ movement: a Tennesseans for Feingold blog, run by Schwompa. It just started on Thursday, but it already has a fantastic post from the Democracy for Tennessee convention, from Schwompa's perspective.

A couple highlights from his report:

Sitting in the third row, I felt the energy and the passion of both the speaker and the audience. Feingold's speech was interrupted several times by thunderous applause, especially when he launched a diatribe against the Bush Administration's mishandling of the War among other things. Feingold was perceived as personable, charismatic, passionate, and possessed that characteristic midwestern bluntness from which most politicians could learn a lesson. All in all, the crowd ate it up and so did I.

and

The speech ended with a long and loud standing ovation and the senator then answered questions from the audience. He was asked about the DSM and whether it was grounds for impeachment. His answer was that we should not discuss impeachment when the Congress is controlled by Republicans, rather we should take back Congress in 2006, and then take a look at the issue. One other notable question from the audience asked if we should provide health insurance for smokers and the obese. A tough question. Feingold answered that we should provide them with health insurance but create incentives for states that decrease the number of smokers and people with obesity.

but, most of all,

The program then ended with another standing-O. Feingold stuck around for a while to shake hands, sign programs, and get pictures made with us. When I shook his hand, I asked him, "Can we expect to vote for you in 2008?" and he answered "We'll see."

Yeah, he's running.

Nice.

Democracy for Tennessee Convention (Part One)

2005-07-10T10:35:00.000-04:00

As many of you may have known, Senator Feingold was the keynote speaker at the first annual Democracy for Tennessee convention.

Sadly, I was unable to attend it, and I haven't got the faintest idea what he said. Hopefully sometime in the next few days they will post his speech on the Democracy for Tennessee website, so that we can pick it apart and use it to show that Senator Feingold will make a fantastic president, and that he's preparing for a run and needs our help. That's what we do, afterall.

So anyway, when they post the speech, I'll include important bits in Part Two. But it must have been good; first, here's Mark Naccarato's post on the DfT homepage:

By all accounts, the first Democracy for Tennessee Convention was a smashing success - as was the speech by Senator Feingold at the Belcourt Theatre. Stay tuned for a full Convention report over the next day or so and some great pictures. In the meantime, anyone that attended either event is welcome to use this for an open thread to post their comments or helpful suggestions. But please... play nice! We're all volunteers and we're all on the same side! Thanks to everyone who helped and attended. We couldn't have pulled it off without all of YOU and your passion for our democracy. -Mark

And now, here's the first comment left on that post, by Will Radford:

Great day.

I wish I could've made the all day convention, from everything I've heard, it was an awesome success. 130 people in a year after a Presidential Election is great. There is no telling how much this group will grow over the next few years.

The Feingold event tonight was great. I really admire this guy. Tonight brought back great memories of the old Dean campaign. My only complaint about the whole evening (and it's a small one) is that we didn't all get a chance to line up and shake Mr. Feingold's hand. I understand we ran long and he had somewhere to be. It's cool.

What Feingold said tonight about smiling and enjoy what you are doing really struck a chord with me. When the Dean campaign ended I was as sad about not seeing everyone on a daily basis anymore as much as I was that we didn't get the nomination.

Thanks for the oppurtunity.

Will Radford

(emphasis added)

London Bombings

2005-07-07T21:23:00.000-04:00

Well.

I don't know what to say. I just don't know.

But this is what Senator Feingold said:

My deepest sympathies go out to all of those affected by this morning's terrorist attacks in London. I remember being deeply moved by expressions of support and solidarity from British people on September 11, 2001, and I know that my constituents and all Americans want to extend our heartfelt support to them at this difficult time. Today's horrible attacks only strengthen our resolve to continue working with our British allies and with allies around the world to defeat the terrorist networks that traffic in fear and brutality.

CAFTA

2005-07-05T11:17:00.000-04:00

Sorry it took so long for a post about this, but I've been trying to collect all the information I needed.

Thursday, June 30, the Senate passed the Central American Free Trade Agreement, 54-45 (though, interestingly, it wasn't along party lines; lots of cross-overs). It is intended, as the act says, "to establish free trade between the United States, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua through the reduction and elimination of barriers to trade in goods and services and to investment".

Senator Feingold has been very vocal about his opposition to this agreement, and following its passage, he said:

CAFTA promises more of the same devastation brought by the agreements that have come before it – putting our businesses, workers and farmers at a competitive disadvantage, while also undermining the economic development that might benefit workers, farmers and small businesses in Central America.

He said a lot more than that too, but this paragraph sums up his position very well. Senator Feingold shows through his remarks on the Senate floor that free trade comes with many costs, many jobs lost, many communities hurt.

For myself, this is an area that I've had some trouble in. I am a supporter of free trade, and initially disagreed with Feingold on this issue. Free trade has been a central issue for Democrats since Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson, because it allows the importation of cheaper goods, and cheaper goods help the consumer. And, after all, government should be about helping people. Most people even forget that one of Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points for peace following World War I was to abolish all barriers on trade in Europe and among the nations that had been at war.

Free trade stops wars. Simple as that.

Well, that's how it's supposed to be, anyway. The idea that when nations become dependent on one another, when they have to rely on their neighbors and the strength of their neighbors' economies, that it will discourage them from going to war. And really, why go to war over mineral resources when you can just buy them peacefully?

Further, if the foreign competition makes a product for half the cost and sells it at half the price, it encourages domestic businesses to refine their methods and save money and become more efficient. It keeps us from stagnating.

That's the theory. And really, the theory works, too. The European Union (especially pre-expansion) proved it. A dozen different countries cooperating, with no barriers whatsoever, became an economic power to rival the United States. But here's where the problem is: the UK and France, in their standard of living, don't differ too much. It's trade among equals. Even with NAFTA and trade with Canada, there was some shifting, but it was minimal. But there's a big difference between Canada and Costa Rica. It's not a level playing field. When it's not a level playing field, domestic businesses, trying to compete and improve efficiency and cut costs, find themselves cutting jobs and moving to countries where they can pay workers two cents an hour.

Here in Michigan, NAFTA has been both good and bad. In the first six years, from 1993 to 1999, NAFTA did help some. As the Mackinac Center found:

Although its exports to Mexico had dropped 25 percent in the four years prior to NAFTA, Michigan-made goods exported to Mexico surged 148 percent under NAFTA.
The Commerce Department says 83.3 percent of Michigan's industries have seen their sales to Canada rise since NAFTA took effect.
And 67 percent of Michigan industries saw exports to Mexico climb.
The state's unemployment rate has dropped from 8.2 percent the year before the treaty took effect to less than 4 percent this year.

Sounds great, no? Trade with Mexico surging. Good stuff. Well, maybe not so much.

An Economic Policy Institute report in 2001 found that 544,750 manufacturing jobs had been lost around the country, with 25,912 motor vehicle-related jobs lost in Michigan alone. Michigan had the second-highest total job loss, at 46,817, following California. And since then, with the Bush recession and generally slow economic growth, things have only gotten worse. In May, our unemployment rate rose to 7.1 percent.

At this point, I'm afraid that any help we can get to save a few jobs is needed. Central America is not an equal, and this agreement does nothing to help improve their standards of living or environmental standards. This agreement will further hurt Michigan and other manufacturing states, as well as the country as a whole. So.

Thank you, Senator Feingold, for opposing it.

Happy July 4th

2005-07-03T18:13:00.000-04:00

I'm removing myself from all things political for the holiday, so I thought I would wish you a happy holiday tonight. I plan to spend the day with the most wonderful woman on the face of the planet, celebrating the holiday and the fact that it's the first time in a couple weeks we've gotten together. So I'll have much more important things on my mind. Feel free to leave your plans in the comments-- it's always interesting to know how people spend their holidays.

Also, RussForPresident.com has the following at the bottom of their About page:

In May of 2005, Matt had to devote less time to the site and handed over the reigns to the current crop of supportive volunteers.. The site has been redesigned and will officially relaunch July 4, 2005 - in honor of Independence Day and Sen. Feingold's independent, principled leadership.

So be sure to check them out and see what's up.

But to remember what this holiday is really all about, I'll leave you with this:

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

(emphasis mine)

SCOTUS Excitement - O'Connor retires

2005-07-01T17:05:00.000-04:00

There's been a lot of speculation over the last several days, with both Chief Justice Rehnquist and Justice O'Connor possibly stepping down, but today Sandra Day O'Connor announced that she was going to retire.

First, I'd like to echo just about every politician in Washington, by saying that she has been an outstanding justice. I haven't always agreed with her, but in the time she has served, she has been the swing vote and voice of moderation on the court. Although she's a touch more conservative than I would like, she's a moderate conservative, a centrist.

And so it's important to try to maintain that moderation through her replacement.

From DavidNYC on Daily Kos:

Whatever happens with the Supreme Court nomination battle that is about to ensue, it's going to happen fast. Here are some things you can do right now:

If you have a cell phone, sign up for People at the American Way's Mass Immediate Response site. This way, you'll be able to receive text message action items instantly as events break. (If you signed up during the nuclear option fight, you'll need to re-sign up.)

Also sign up with the Save the Court, another PFAW website devoted specifically to this issue.

Recruit friends and family members to the cause.

Write to the President, telling him he should choose a consensus candidate to replace O'Connor.

Contact your Senators to tell them the same thing.

If you have any other action items, please post them in the comments below, with links.
Update [2005-7-1 11:33:32 by DavidNYC]: If you have a blog, please post these action items on your site. If you don't, e-mail them to your like-minded buddies and relatives.

Update [2005-7-1 14:57:41 by DavidNYC]: Some more stuff you can do:

Sign MoveOn's "Protect Our Rights" petition.

Contact members of the media and tell them you think Bush should nominate a consensus candidate. PLEASE be polite, be brief (200 words or less), and don't do copy-and-paste jobs - put things in your own words.

Stop by Hunter's thread and make suggestions for potential nominees.

This is big stuff, and it's important to make sure that Democrats and progressives win this one. We're not gonna get a Thurgood Marshall; that's not realistic. But I'd be perfectly happy if we manage to get another Sandra Day O'Connor.

The resignation also gives Senator Feingold and his supporters an opportunity. Nomination battles will go on for the rest of the summer, if not longer, and the majority of these battles will be taking place in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings, very likely televised. Ten Republicans and eight Democrats serve on the committee, and one of those soon-to-be prominent Democrats is Senator Feingold. As has been pointed out before, this is a good way for Senator Feingold to introduce himself to the American people-- and by calling for a moderate judge at that.

His statement:

I have great respect for Justice Sandra Day O'Connor for the pioneering role that she played as the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court. She has made a significant impact on the country in the past two decades, emerging as a thoughtful voice on many issues, and playing a key role in moderating some of the most extreme conservative tendencies of some members of the Court.

This is the first Supreme Court vacancy in more than a decade, and Justice O'Connor's replacement will greatly influence the future of our country. President Bush once claimed to be "a uniter, not a divider." It is now his call whether he wants to launch a huge, divisive political battle with his choice or seek consensus and bring the nation together. I call on the President to work with members of Congress from both parties to select a nominee behind whom the entire country can unite.

And thus begins the debate.

Bush speaks; Feingold responds

2005-06-29T21:06:00.000-04:00

Not too much time tonight, but, the big news item today was President Bush's speech at Fort Bragg. Read it if you didn't see it, it's basically more of what we've already heard before.

Much more important to this blog, however, was Senator Feingold's statement in response, via RussForPresident.com. Interesting stuff.

More another time, I promise.

Time for some happiness

2005-06-27T21:12:00.000-04:00

So the world can seem kind of depressing from time to time.

It can seem kind of depressing when you're faced with the prospect of 12 more years of war. It can seem kind of depressing when our leaders work to divide us. It can seem kind of depressing when you see what's really going on around the world.

So I have decided, with all the power given to me as a blogger, that today you shall laugh for at least a few minutes. This has absolutely nothing to do with Senator Russ Feingold, or politics, or really anything at all. It's just time for some happiness.

Enjoy.

I realize some people have different tastes in humor, so if any of this isn't funny to you, well, go on and find some other joke page. 'Cause you really do need to laugh every once and a while.

From one of my favorite joke pages (some formatting changed)...

One day, in the Smith household, Mrs Smith turned to her husband and asked if he thought it would rain that afternoon. Mr Smith replied "of course not", whereupon their Russian friend Rudolph interrupted, saying "I am sorry, but you are wrong. It will rain heavily". Said Mrs Smith to her husband, "Oh no ... Rudolph the Red Knows Rain, Dear."

A traveller from the city takes a trip in the country by car and drives over a hare. The man is horrified to having killed a creature, looks at the hare and tears run down his face. A farmer stops by takes in the picture, puts his hand an the mans shoulder and consoles him:
"Well fix this up in no time". he turns to his truck, brings out a spray can and sprays all over the hare.
"What will that do" inquires the traveller.
"You just watch and see" replies the farmer.
After a little while the hare shivers, then shakes, jumps up, ducks under the fence, turns and waves with a front-foot at them. He runs a bit further, turns and waves again. And so it went until he disappeared over the hill-top. The traveller just cannot believe what he has just seen.
"What on earth is in that can" he wants to know.
"Well" replied the farmer "Nothing special. Hair restorer with permanent wave"

A certain pub had a pet cat that was loved by all the patrons. One day the cat died and the whole pub was so sad the barman thought he had to do something to cheer up the customers. So he cut off the tail of the cat, had it properly stuffed and mounted over the bar as a sort of momento to cheer everyone up (yes, I know, it doesn't meake sense , but we are talking about england!). Everyone liked the idea of seeing this tail in a glass case that reminded them of happier days. So far so good.
One night AFTER closing time (big HINT necessary to understand the joke) the barman was clearing up when he saw a frightening sight: the ghostly appearance of the cat who had died, but without its tail.
Of course the cat's ghost explained that he could not go to the great cat paradise in the sky without his tail! The barman looked very sad, pointed at a notice on the wall and said
" I am truly sorry, but I am afraid that after closing time we cannot retail spirits after midnight!"

Oooh, there's a lot more where that came from. Check out that page. Good stuff.

Feingold and the netroots

2005-06-21T21:44:00.000-04:00

At MyDD and DailyKos over the last several days, there have been some interesting polls to gauge support for 2008. Today, both Chris Bowers and Markos looked at the results, and a lot can be learned both from their takes and from the comments of readers.

The results of the DailyKos poll were:

Daily Kos community poll. 6/20. 13,389 respondents. (No trend lines):

Clark 26 (3,496)
No Freakin' Clue 17 (2,320)
Clinton 10 (1,461)
Feingold 10 (1,433)
Edwards 8 (1,077)
Other 7 (1,088)
Warner 5 (689)
Richardson 4 (659)
Biden 3 (497)
Kerry 2 (341)
Bayh 2 (328)
Vilsack 0 (88)

(The MyDD poll did not include Senator Feingold as a choice.)

Looking at candidates only (and not "No Freakin' Clue"), Senator Feingold comes in third place, within 30 votes of Hillary Clinton, while both trail Wesley Clark. There are a number of ways we can look at this.

First, there's the Chris Bowers pessimistic view:

Feingold Electability has always played a role in choosing candidates, and among the netroots it is no different. Clearly, recent personal events have damaged Feingold's perceived chances to both run for President and to become President were he to run. There was a time when I believed wholeheartedly that Russ had a chance to build a netroots movement much, much larger than what Dean put together in 2003. However, that does not look as though it will come to pass now. In the past, he had led these polls both at Dailykos and MyDD. Now, I imagine he will have a difficult time regaining that position.

I've always agreed with Chris Bowers on a wide variety of issues, but here I don't. Russ Feingold, a lesser-known senator from Wisconsin, essentially ties Hillary Clinton, the former first lady and overwhelming favorite for the nomination. Having never run a national campaign relying on the internet and bloggers (unlike Clark) and without showing any active interest in the presidency, only hints, and still relatively unknown, even in the Democratic internet-activist community, this is a strong showing, especially when considering his recent divorce. Where Bowers seems to think that this is a sign that Feingold is sinking, I prefer to see it as a sign that he can bounce back.

Indeed, in the DKos poll, it's especially impressive that he could do so well, considering the disagreements that Feingold, Markos, and others there have had on regulating blogs.

On the Kos discussion thread, at one point Feingold supporters were challenged to explain why he was a good candidate. The entire discussion is an interesting read, but here are a few highlights:

From KainIIIC-

He is a progressive, midwestern senator who perhaps has one of the best voting records in our nation. If questioned by anyone as to his voting record, he delivers a straight and articulate answer, rather than the "well i voted against this because, uh, well... yeah" we may get from some of those senators.

His votes on trade issues(vote against NAFTA, CAFTA, etc.) will certainly help out in the midwest, not to mention his status. That means he'll flip Iowa, and have great success in Missouri, Ohio, West Virginia and maybe Arkansas.

While most people say that him being Jewish would hurt him, it would actually help flip Florida to blue.

NO ONE in the country will ever get the impression that Feingold is a fake politician, that he's two-faced, or that he will deceive you. He votes with integrity and conscience, he talks with integrity, and hell he looks like a human-form of integrity.

He would probably run as a mid-western populist in the west and would have a great chance of picking up NM, CO, NV, and perhaps MT.

His candidacy would make the idea of the rest of the midwest turning red be absolutely ridiculous.

From Miss Blue-

TV Appeal

Great speaker - speaks plain English, easily understood by even vegetables. Doesn't mince words - says what he thinks, gives his reasons why he thinks that way, simple, short, and sweet.

Voting record that needs no defense. No hidden agenda. His record is 100% consistant with his spoken beliefs.

Appeals across the board. Has the backing of teachers, police, firemen, unions, farmers, environmentalists, soccer moms. Not a target of the NRA.

Brings the Midwest to the table, can definitely offer pluses to the Heartland and the West. Carries the East, and has started building bridges with the south.

Feingold has had a townhall meeting with every county in the state, all 72, every year since first being elected Senator. He knows how to build, and keep, grassroots support.

Owes NOTHING to corporate money. Does not take soft money. He is a big believer, proven by his record, of small government, fiscal responsibility, and a balanced budget.

All of this will sound good to Dems, and moderate Repubs.

And that's just two comments. It's clear that even if some of the momentum Senator Feingold had in February was lost, there's still a lot of support out there.

As the only possible candidate listed who was anti-war from the start, and with so much potential support from the Dean movement, the recent straw polls show that in the netroots, there's plenty of support for the maverick senator from Wisconsin.

Quick Update

2005-06-18T21:37:00.000-04:00

Just a quick site update...

Over the past several months, as this blog has grown little by little, I've been adding links to the side bar, and I just want to drawattention to them for a moment.

My latest additions, which I encourage everyone to check out, are Michigan Liberal, a Scoop-style site modeled after MyDD and Daily Kos, and that shows a lot of promise for organizing the progressive and liberal communities in our state, and The Rural Populist, a blog focused on rural issues and populist ideals. Brian Depew, who kindly commented on a previous post and said that he will soon be moving to our fair state, seems like an intelligent, forward-thinking guy. The rural point of view is particularly important to me, living in rural southern Michigan.

Those are the latest, but all of them are worth checking out.

Iraq Withdrawal?

2005-06-18T00:17:00.000-04:00

So I'm back in the United States after a short trip north of the border, and, after a week and a half without internet access, I was surprised by the amount of Feingold-related news.

So, here's a quick sampling of what we had... In no particular order:
Feingold and Fighting Bob, Feingold and Evan Bayh, together in Wisconsin, money matters, and lastly, this just for fun.

However, the two biggest stories were the white powdery substance mailed to his Middleton office, which Jerry Troiano at NJ for Feingold basically has covered, and Senator Feingold's Iraq pullout legislation.

A number of people have made noise about this (including over at the new and improved RussForPresident.com website), but I want to add my own comments, if I might.

From a Common Dreams press release:

“While I was in Iraq in February, I was able to witness firsthand the truly amazing resolve all of our troops in Iraq – I cannot describe how very proud I am of all of those who serve. It is with that trip and those soldiers in mind that I will introduce a resolution tomorrow that calls on the President to clarify the objectives and timeframe of the current U.S. mission in Iraq, including a timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops. And I will work with my colleagues to hold the Administration accountable for meeting our goals and achieving clear standards of success.

We owe our brave servicemen and women a concrete timetable for achieving clear goals, not vague, open-ended commitments. Having a timetable for the transfer of sovereignty and having a timetable for Iraqi elections have resulted in real political and strategic advantages. Having a timetable for the withdrawal of troops should be no different.”

Senator Feingold's resolution is exactly what we've come to expect from him; it challenges the Bush Administration to give us a clear plan and strategy, without demanding an immeadiate, and perhaps unwise, withdrawal. It recognizes that there is still a lot of work to be done in Iraq, and that once we're in, we've got to stay in for some time. After the damage already caused, pulling out now would leave the region even more unstable than it is now. Senator Feingold sees the realities of the situation.

At the same time, though, this recognizes that the public is growing tired of this war. It was marketed as a quick, clean, efficient thing. "Greeted as liberators" and whatnot. Since the initial fall of Saddam Hussein, there has been no clear plan, and absolutely no exit strategy. What we have with Feingold's resolution is a chance to work out the next phase.

There have been some recently who have suggested that Senator Feingold could emerge as the anti-war candidate of 2008. And at first glance, that sounds great. It'll be a great way to be noticed. It'll get a lot of attention, it'll get him in the newspapers and on CNN's "Inside Politics", and it could even win the New Hampshire primary for him. But, in my opinion, it won't win the nomination or the general election.

An anti-war candidate would have demanded an immeadiate withdrawal, and Senator Feingold did not do that.

An anti-war candidate is framed entirely around that issue. If Senator Feingold gets noticed as an anti-war candidate, should he run, it would mean that health care, and education, and civil liberties, and half a dozen other issues that would be important to us would be shoved to the back page. The anti-war candidate makes noise, but doesn't win. He opens up the door for someone else to win. Eugene McCarthy was an anti-war candidate in 1968, and that's exactly what the country needed then to get LBJ out of the race and Robert F. Kennedy into it.

Other events of that race aside, I'd rather be supporting Bobby Kennedy than Eugene McCarthy.

There have been a lot of comparisons between Senator Feingold and Howard Dean, and I agree with a lot of them. But I think people are wrong when they say Dean was the anti-war candidate of 2004, because he wasn't. He was critical of the Bush Administration on numerous fronts, and laid out a good, progressive agenda, and he just happened to be anti-war.

Come 2008, I suspect that most Democratic candidates will be campaigning against the war, only because it's the popular thing to do. That won't be the issue. The issue will be finding the person to lead us out of the war. And that's Senator Russ Feingold.

Sorry for the sort of disjointed post here. It's late, and I'm tired. For those interested, the text of his resolution can be found here.

An Apology and A Beginning

2005-06-03T09:47:00.000-04:00

First off, I'd like to apologize to anyone who has been expecting regular postings lately. The second half of May was a very turbulent time in my life, unfortunately, and the past six months or so have been pretty rough overall. I wasn't even able to send that letter I wrote until this morning, sad to say. But with summer and blue skies and green grass, I think things are calming down again, so expect regular updates in the future. Except for next week, though, when I will be out of the country. But after that, all will be back to normal.

That's out of the way. Now, for the excitement...

Even though I haven't been writing much, I've still been following the news about the 2006 and 2008 races, the presidency, and, of course, Senator Russ Feingold. May seemed to be the Month of Hillary, with quite a few articles on Senator Clinton and her possible bid for the presidency. More recently, there's also been buzz about a Hillary Clinton vs. Laura Bush campaign. Hey, why not? It's fun to think about, and everyone deserves a little bit of buzz in the news now and then. Meanwhile, Senator Feingold has been continuing to do his job, with legislation intended to help the people of Wisconsin.

Then, in the Google News Alert e-mail I have set up for news about him, there was a link to this. And I came to the same conclusion of the author at that link: this could be the first step toward a bid for the presidency. Senator Feingold's PAC, the Progressive Patriots Fund, has launched a website to help further their goals and message.

Okay, so launching a website doesn't sound too exciting, does it? Well, to me, it does. With the website, the PAC will have a much easier time raising money and working to accomplish what it is trying to do, and it will raise Senator Feingold's visibility quite a bit. It's the first step toward a campaign website, in much the same way that Wesley Clark's WesPAC website has kept him visible for a potential 2008 run. So I'm excited, even if it's a touch premature.

It's still far too early for any major moves by Senator Feingold. But every now and then, something might be a good sign.

A Letter to Senator Feingold

2005-05-14T23:10:00.000-04:00

On the various Draft Russ Feingold sites, there's always a page to write a letter to him asking him to run. I've struggled with that task for some time, because there are so many reasons I want to explain to him. But I think I finally managed to get it close to right. Here's the first draft-- well, the first I'm willing to share. Please, make suggestions. I'll send it next week.

Dear Senator Feingold,

On November 3, 2004, I felt sick. I felt as if everything I had been working for had come crashing down, and the emotional investment I made was for nothing. There seemed to be no good that came out of the election.

Then, I heard that, despite Democratic losses in the Senate and House, you kept your seat. I nearly leapt for joy when I learned of this, because, while I appreciate the hard work of Michigan's senators, Sen. Levin and Sen. Stabenow, I have always been a fan of yours With very few exceptions you have always taken positions that I would take. But more than that, you're even willing to speak out in favor of these positions even when you're the only one who does. You aren't afraid to be the only voice speaking. I've always respected that.

In the weeks that followed the election, I began thinking about what went wrong. I think everyone did. The election seemed like ours to lose, and somehow we managed it. However, where some embraced conspiracy theories, I, along with many others active in the "netroots", chose instead to look toward 2006 and 2008. I've got a senator and a governor up for reelection next year, and have a Republican representative in Congress who may be vulnerable, and I plan to devote a lot of energy toward those causes. But, of course, my thoughts also went to the White House and 2008.

I am by no means a powerful figure in the Democratic Party, not even on a local level. But every once in a while it's fun to play kingmaker, to think and decide who I would pick to be the next "leader of the free world." I did a lot of reading, looking at Democratic leaders from Governor "Teddy K" in Oregon to Senator Evan Bayh in Indiana. It's incredible to see the talent and potential the party has in it-- perhaps no John F. Kennedys or Franklin Roosevelts or Thomas Jeffersons, but men and women who are intelligent, dedicated public servants. But, as you can probably guess, all of my reading led back to you.

This has been, of course, a very round about way of asking you to run for president in 2008. In Wisconsin, a state critical to electoral success, you've won election after election. The people who work on your campaigns are genuinely excited by you and what you represent. Somehow, despite many years in the Senate, you've remained, well, a real person. I think that it's time for the rest of the country to get to know you the same way.

Ever since I came to the conclusion that you were the right man for the job, you have done nothing but impress me more. The return trip to Alabama, for example. There you were, listening to real people, trying to understand their positions and their points of view, in a state you don't even represent. Or posting on MyDD and Daily Kos, where even though many, including Markos himself, disagreed with you, I think all were impressed by your presence there.

Indeed, I've even started blogging in support of your candidacy. I started a Feingold for Michigan blog, where I write regularly about various news items relating to your potential candidacy, and trying to find ways to gain support for you in the Michigan primary. And there are more people who have taken similar steps.

I apologize for the length and style of this letter, but more than anything I wanted to somehow convey the reasons why I would like you to run for president. You're an inspiring leader, and between now and the primaries you'll be getting a lot more letters like this.

A while back, you told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that you'd run if people asked you to run, and told you that you could win. Senator Feingold, please run for the presidency. You're the right person, and you could win. And if you do run, I and many others will be working to ensure victory.

Sincerely,

Suggestions? Errors? Any thoughts at all? Leave them in the comments, please.

(Cross-posted in the Russ for President and Draft Russ forums, and on Fox for Feingold.)

Hillary, oh Hillary

2005-05-14T17:12:00.000-04:00

I said I'd post about the Democratic primaries and that polling data later. Didn't quite think it would take this long...

If the 2008 Democratic presidential primary were held today, whom would you support if the candidates are:

May 2005

Feb. 2005

Hillary Rodham Clinton

40%

39%

John Kerry

18%

21%

John Edwards

16%

15%

Joseph Biden

7%

5%

Wesley Clark

4%

4%

Russ Feingold

2%

2%

Bill Richardson

1%

2%

Mark Warner

<1%

1%

Evan Bayh

<1%

1%

Tom Vilsack

<1%

<1%

Undecided

12%

10%

- Angus Reid Consultants

(Sorry, all, for the inconvenient spacing of the above. I've tried tweaking it all I can, but can't get it any more condensed. Blame the source I copied it from, and it's disagreement with Blogger.)

So, looking at this, it doesn't look too hot for Senator Feingold. Obviously, Senator Clinton is the favorite, because she's well-known and has a strong following. This far out, that's all that really matters in polling, because if you're excited about Russ Feingold this early like I am, let's face it, you're a political geek. It's something to be proud of, don't worry.

So these numbers really don't mean anything, do they? Before the 2004 primaries, as close as September 2003, Joe Lieberman was leading in the polls, albeit by a small margin. The voters haven't had a chance to even hear most of these names, and so no one has an opinion on them yet, good or bad. The only reason Senator Clinton is doing well is because she reminds people of the good old days of a Democratic White House.

Except, here's the thing: I like all these people. I think Senator Feingold is the best, most exciting, most representative of my and most peoples beliefs, and even in some ways the most electable. However, the names just listed in that poll show that we, as Democrats, have an enormous number of truly good people, who are all qualified to be the leader of the United States of America. Add in the so-called "rising stars", like Gov. Brian Schweitzer, Sen. Barack Obama, and many more, and you've got a strong, vibrant party. You may not agree with them all of the time, but all of these people prove that we are the party that believes good can come out of government. That compassion is at the root of public work.

Today and every day, I'm proud to be a Democrat.

"McCain: 'absolutely' want to be president" and polling

2005-05-08T11:26:00.000-04:00

In an article found in the Tuscon Citizen and several other newspapers, especially in Arizona, there seems to be growing evidence that Senator John McCain will be running for president again in 2008.

Highlights from the article:

WASHINGTON - Sen. John McCain said that he "absolutely" wants to be president and that he is qualified for the job but that he is focused on his Senate duties and will "wait a couple of years" to decide about a White House bid in 2008.
"I have the luxury of being able to wait because I don't have to lay any of the groundwork. I don't have to go meet all of the state party chairmen - I've done that before," McCain said in the June issue of Men's Journal magazine, due Tuesday on newsstands.

and

He also declared that the right wing of the GOP has become "more accepting of me than they used to be - not accepting but more accepting - because of the fact that I worked hard for Bush's re-election."

Plus, for those worried about his health,

The 68-year-old Arizona Republican also discussed his battle with melanoma, a potentially fatal form of skin cancer, and described his health as fine.
"I just came from my dermatologist yesterday with a clean bill of health, McCain said.

Reading this, you'd think that McCain has the advantage over all other potential GOP candidates. And, in a way, he does: everyone knows his name, he's respected by the American people, and he has at least some support for turning down Kerry and backing Bush. Especially among independents, he has support not because people agree with him, but because he's willing to break with the party when he feels the need.

In fact, during the 2000 primaries, when it was clear that Vice President Gore had things wrapped up before they began, I supported McCain in the Michigan GOP primary (which was open to independents as well as Republicans). In part, it was because I disliked (and still dislike) then-Governor Engler, who promised then-Governor Bush that Michigan would go to him (it didn't, by the way). But more than that, when compared with Bush, McCain was far more qualified to be president. I rather suspect he thinks that too, though he won't come out directly and say it. The closest he's come in this article is:

McCain, who was defeated by George W. Bush in the 2000 GOP presidential primary, explained that he continues to want to be president "because I think I'm qualified to help make the world a better place; I'm qualified for the job."

While I certainly don't like a lot of his positions, I'd take McCain over other Republicans any day.

Of course, we're still a long way away from a Feingold vs. McCain race anyway, according to a recent poll.

On the GOP side, Rudy Giuliani is leading, getting 27 percent of nationwide Republican support, where McCain only receives 20 percent. However, the party machinery will likely start working against him, as fewer and fewer moderates seem to be in the party. Once the Rove wing of the GOP decides to support someone (my money is on Senator Frist), expect both these candidates to lose support.

On the Democratic side, Senator Feingold faces a bigger problem, with Senator Hillary Clinton receiving 40 percent in the poll, compared to his single digits. There's still a lot of work to be done.

I'll have more on Feingold, Clinton, and other Democrats later, but right now I'm going to go see my mother. Happy Mother's Day, everyone!

And he blogs again... Part II

2005-04-30T23:39:00.000-04:00

When I made my last posting, linking to Senator Feingold's Daily Kos diary "Can they hear us now?", I was excited. I was happy that Feingold was reaching out to the blogosphere again, and to the supporters that he will need in 2008, should he run. I liked that he was asking for the opinions of readers, and that it could be seen as an online listening session.

Then Kos himself responded with "Feingold and blogger freedom", as the original diary had been in response to the comment Kos made. This I liked even more. I liked that he would clarify his opinion in order to have a civil discussion with the senator. Like a few others, I was a touch surprised by what I saw as a harsher-than-normal tone, but any discussion is good discussion.

Senator Feingold replied with this comment. Later, after a few people commented on the qualms they had with regards to Kos's and Feingold's comments, Kos posted the diary, "Loving Feingold".

Of course most Feingold fans already know about this, and have probably read all those, but I thought I'd give a short summary and links in case anyone hadn't.

I think, as nearly everyone else seems to, that this can only be seen as a good thing. It shows a couple things to the netroots, and could help swing them to Feingold when they start searching for the next Dean-type candidate in 2008.

First, it shows that he takes this medium seriously. You don't want a candidate who is afraid to touch the internet, or to engage the bloggers, because this is the beginning of a new and unique medium. Blogging is probably here to stay, and whoever embraces it first will probably feel positive results. It returns us to the days when news and politics were discussed openly, allowing anyone who wanted to voice their opinions, except now it's on an international scale.

Then, there's the way in which Senator Feingold wrote. He avoided two mistakes perfectly, I thought, and did much to make the blogosphere appreciate him. Instead of making a speech and leaving, he asked questions and debated honestly. He also avoided pandering, which would have been very easy in this setting. Many other politicians would have gone on and said, "Kos is great, I love blogs, I agree with everything you say" and then turn around and vote the opposite. He didn't. He's not afraid to say what he believes.

Lastly, it gets his name mentioned. There are plenty of possible candidates, but active grassroots leaders will remember this.

Over at Feingold for Illinois, there's some good commentary too.

And he blogs again...

2005-04-25T16:05:00.000-04:00

Over at Daily Kos today, Senator Feingold made another blog post, this time titled "Can they hear us now?", which is in part a response to the incorrect remark Kos made on Feingold's view of blogging, and in part asking for the opinions of those in the blogosphere with regards to political blogs.

Go check it out. It's a short post, but I think it sends an important message, one which we've all recognized from Senator Feingold: he's willing to listen and to change his mind.

I hope he continues to post, and on a wide variety of issues.

Feingold in the News

2005-04-16T13:57:00.000-04:00

I've been busy lately, and unable to post, nor can I write a detailed post on anything right now... But I'll be back soon, I promise.

Until then, to keep you all interested:

The Divorce:
"Feingold, Wife Announce Plans to End Marriage"- JS Online. This article provides a bigger view of it, as well as reactions from political analysts, which wasn't present in the short announcement I linked to previously. Dan K. has some good comments on this at his Russ Feingold for President blog.

A Successful Senator:
Political Wire has a short post about how Russ Feingold was named the fifth most successful senator when it comes to passing amendments. MyDD also has some comments on this.

Bolton Nomination:
I've been following this really closely, and would dearly love to write a long, long post on it... Maybe tomorrow, probably not until next week. But read this article from The Capital Times.

The SAFE Act:
Senator Feingold, with bipartisan support, released a statement on the Security and Freedom Enhancement Act of 2005, which will hopefully fix that which is awful with the USAPATRIOT Act. If you're at this site this early in the race, it's pretty likely that you're a Feingold fan already, and love him dearly for voting against the PATRIOT Act, so I don't need to talk much about that.

And now, I'd like to thank Brian and Dave at the Russ Feingold Archive for most of these links. The site is a wonderful summary of the Feingold news out there, and in tandem with a Google News search for "Russ Feingold", it's been easy to find Feingold news.

That site also had a good piece on the Russ Feingold Blog Community. It's worth reading, and, if you're interested in joining the movement, try filling one of the gaps Brian points out. And I'm not recommending the piece just because of the glowing review of my work (though that did make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside...).

"Feingold, Wife Divorcing" -- WisPolitics.com

2005-04-11T16:28:00.000-04:00

Well. It's too bad for the the Feingold family, and I'm certain that both Russ and Mary, as well as the children, are going through a rough time right now. But, as both are responsible adults they have every right to do this, and don't deserve to have the entire country prying into their lives. It's a private decision, end of discussion.

Politically, this shouldn't matter, as the American people shouldn't care about the personal lives of their leaders, they should care about the leadership and ideas of their leaders. It's three years out from any candidacy, so, while this could be mentioned in the future, I doubt it will have any real impact should Sen. Feingold run.

That last paragraph sickens me. This is a tough decision for any couple to make, and here I am, and a dozen other political sites too, commenting on it in a political sense. But, this is a political blog, and so I have to mention it.

I wish both Sen. Feingold and Mary and their children the best of luck, and hope that they can find greater happiness in their new lives.

A night at the opera

2005-04-09T22:04:00.000-04:00

The other day, I went and saw Faust performed by the Toledo Opera Company. Now, before I get written off as an "elitist liberal" or whatever, I'll say that this is the first time I've ever been to such a production, it's not a regular habit, but even if it was, I would be no more of an elitist than if I attended a Toledo Mud Hens game instead. Worldwide, more people go to operas than sporting events, and I don't know why this beautiful theatrical art is shunned in the United States. Anyway, moving on from that minor rant...

Faust was excellent, with realistic acting, incredible music (but then, in my opinion, orchestra pits can do no wrong), fantastic sets... It was a great production. I enjoyed it very much, and liked the major theme of the story, as I saw it: some things come with too high a price. (For those not familiar with the story, the old man Faust makes a deal with the devil, to have youth and a chance at love with the beautiful Marguerite in exchange for his soul and eternal damnation and such after death. Let's just say it's not a happy ending.) Then, I went home.

As we were heading for the onramp to the freeway, I looked around at the area of Toledo we were in. Empty buildings. Buildings here and there with broken windows and boards covering them. A billboard for an attorney (something of an ambulence chaser, I suspect) with graffiti all over it. It was a brief view of the side every city tries to cover up.

Some things come with too high a price.

Today I was in the Detroit area. As you move from Detroit to Ann Arbor, following the freeway, and then to Lenawee county, you see something different. My region of Michigan is affected by Ann Arbor, Detroit, and Toledo. All throughout this area, small towns a reasonable distance from cities are becoming "bedroom communities". Suburb/rural town hybrids, really, land that once was a farmer's field or just woodland has become a massive subdivision, of huge houses and beautiful and large green lawns. The closer you get to the cities, the harder it is to identify individual towns. They aren't cities with unique identities and histories-- they're big housing developments. Almost all residential, no real shops in the downtown area, only Walmart on the edge, perhaps a grocery store or two. But mostly just houses. One big happy neighborhood. A wonderful place to live.

Some things come with too high a price.

Sometimes people don't make the connection between the ugly parts of the cities and the sprawl outward of these "communities", if they can really be seen as that. I've never lived in a big city, but I've always been a city person. Don't like the traffic, don't like the pollution, but I like walking down busy sidewalks past stores of all different flavors, seeing every type of person there is to see, and then going to the subway, or boarding a bus, and being taken almost exactly where I wanted to go for a low cost. Cities, it feels like, are where things get done. A massive collection of resources and people, allowing ideas to flow. Something nice about that.

I know that's not how it always is. But it's how it should be. And it's how it could be. The things being built further and further from the cities almost always have low taxes, and are very attractive. So nice, and green, and seemingly proof that the Republican way of doing things works. Cities have higher taxes, yes, they can be crowded and can seem like a horrible place to live. But look at what you get in return. You get a sense of community. You don't get row after row of nameless houses in perfectly neat, nice little shapes. You get a micro-culture that lives and breathes and creates opera companies that perform classics like Faust. You don't get a small town which once had its own rich and unique history with a thriving downtown and get replaced by housing developments populated by people who came for the low property taxes, don't give a damn about where they are now, and shop at the Walmart that sprung up on the edge of town.

Me, I'd choose the city. If circumstances in my life were different now, I'd be in the city.

But more and more people are lured out by the chance at saving a little bit of money, while losing so much life and culture. And when they leave, they take their money with them, money that would be reinvested into the community in a city, filling those vacant buildings, fixing those windows, cleaning those billboards-- or, better yet, providing the teenage kids who make the graffiti something productive to do, through quality schools. City neighborhoods that have so much potential become ghettos where all about, the only sign you see is one of despair. All because in our society some people have started to value the dollar more than the people around them.

Some things come with too high a price.

This doesn't have a whole lot to do with Russ Feingold. I offer no solutions to what I saw, and I offered no observations that haven't been pointed out before. I just thought I had to say this, after spending a night at the opera.

"Feingold urged to pursue presidency" -- The Journal Times

2005-04-09T19:44:00.000-04:00

Haven't posted for a while... been pretty busy. My apologies.

In The Journal Times, a newspaper in Racine, Wisconsin, there's an interesting article about one of Senator Feingold's famous listening sessions. A big chunk of the article, of course, talks about many of the people he spoke with (and, of course, listened to) urging him to run for president. I suspect that as more and more people catch on to the fact that this is the right guy for the office, Senator Feingold will have to be answering more and more of these sorts of questions at listening sessions and elsewhere. But then, he did say he "If at some point people say, 'Hey, we think you ought to run for president' (and) it's a serious thing, I'm going to listen" (Milwaukee Journal Sentinal). So keep telling him that, everyone!

The article is well worth the read, though I'm afraid I have no insightful thoughts on it today. One bit caught my eye, though, and I'd like to share it with you:

Phil Haney said what he really wants is a candidate he can be excited about supporting.

"I hope sometime in my lifetime to vote for a person for president like "Fighting Bob" LaFollette or Russ Feingold," he said. "I hope before I cash out of this realm I get to do that."

Says a lot right there, I think.

"Southern strategy for Feingold" -- Milwaukee Journal Sentinal

2005-04-01T18:05:00.000-05:00

I had known he was planning to go back to Alabama, but when I read this, I remembered again why I wanted Russ Feingold to be the president.

Highlights, of course:

Along with jobs and health care, he repeatedly brought up the deficit and trade, suggesting both issues could be used to win back conservative and blue collar voters upset by the nation's growing debt or the loss of jobs overseas. He argued that the environment could be a winning issue in red states, especially if Democrats linked it to hunting and fishing and conservation, something John Kerry sought with mixed success to do in 2004.

and

The notion that the national Democratic Party is culturally out of step with most Southern voters was an unsurprising but constant refrain among Feingold's hosts during the trip. One Democratic activist who met with Feingold summed up the problem as the "heart" issues, or "God, guns and gays."

Culture and values trump economics and issues, many Alabamians told Feingold.

"This is the Bible Belt part of the nation," said Greenville Mayor Dexter McLendon, Feingold's host for a day.

"They're not going to vote for you because they agree with you. They're going to vote for you because you understand them," said University of Alabama at Birmingham professor Larry Powell, who came to hear Feingold speak.

Some of this we've all heard before. How red states vote against their economic interests in favor of cultural and social views they agree with. But here's the thing: no matter how often I've heard that said, until Sen. Feingold went on this trip, I hadn't heard of any Democratic politicians who had made a real effort in understanding this divide. We can't just say, "Oh, well, that's how they make their decisions, so let's just write off Alabama etc." Instead, we need to do exactly what Feingold is doing, which is actually listening to the concerns of those who don't feel represented by the Democratic Party.

I'm certain that if "God, guns, and gays" hadn't been involved in 2004, Kerry would have won in a landslide. Unfortunately, we got bogged down by this stuff, and the issues that we, as progressives, view as important were ignored while cultural issues were argued. Feingold, by searching for common ground with others, may be able to neutralize these issues come 2008.

The article continued...

Throughout the trip, he criticized the tone of Bush's harshest critics, saying that "some of the language I heard Democrats use was very bad. . . . Don't say, 'I hate the president.' Don't say things like, 'We need regime change in the United States.' "

Here, I'll come out and admit, I too am at fault. Not here, but on other blogs or in other mediums, I've said some rather harsh things about the people of this administration. Unfortunately, the more of that we do, the harder it is to convince those who voted for President Bush last time that maybe they should vote for someone else next time. While I think the Republican leadership, from Newt Gingrich to Tom DeLay and Bill Frist, are primarily to blame, we also helped to create the division and tense political atmosphere we have today.

2008 is a unique opportunity, because there will be no one from the current administration running for president, with Cheney stating that he's not interested. It won't be a referendum on the incumbent or the challenger, because there won't be an incumbent or a challenger. So we've got to stop attacking Bush and start attacking bad ideas presented by his party.

Obviously, I like reading most articles about Sen. Feingold, since nearly all at this point have been positive (and I've been saving them to use in response when the slanderous attacks come). However, this article says a lot that I've been thinking and been unable to articulate. We think of Michigan as a blue-leaning battlegound state, which would never turn red for an extreme conservative like President Bush or Sen. Frist. But many forget, in the last election 48 percent of voters chose President Bush, which is a higher amount than most expect. Independents in Michigan were split 49-47, barely in favor of Sen. Kerry. We aren't as blue as we think.

Most people outside the state (and, sadly, some in the state) forget that there's a lot to it outside of metro Detroit. I live in Lenawee County, where Bush received 55 percent of the votes, a sizable majority. Lenawee County, in some ways, is more like the south than the north that we're in the middle of. My hometown-- the second largest in the county-- has about 8,000 people in it. Outside the city limits, you see a lot of farm fields, a lot of farm equipment, and housing developments creaping outward, as property prices in Ann Arbor and the Detroit area rise. Here, "liberal" is a bad word and Democrats get elected if they're conservative, "pro-life" Democrats. And, of course, "God, guns, and gays" sums up a lot of people's opinions too.

Sen. Feingold's trip might not swing Alabama into the blue state column. But the ideas and strategies it generates can help solidify Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania, and maybe flip Ohio, Missouri, Iowa, West Virginia, and others. It's not a "Southern strategy," it's a rural strategy. No, more than that: it's an American strategy.

"Searching America for Russ Feingold"

2005-03-31T20:41:00.000-05:00

The Daily Cardinal, a student newspaper for UW-Madison, had an interesting little piece which, I think, shows one of the greatest barriers to a Feingold candidacy, and is well worth the read, if only because I like the writing style. As Jake Herrera states,

The main problem Feingold must overcome is that of name recognition. Unless you live in Wisconsin or are a political junkie, you have probably never heard of Russ Feingold.

The worst of that:

More men actually placed Feingold in the starting backcourt of the Badgers than in the Capitol. One guy, in all truthfulness, responded immediately with "Oh, yeah he's great." I was excited, and he continued, "Seen every game, he can really shoot the 'trey,' but he should attack the basket more." Russ Feingold was being confused with Clayton Hanson, Alando Tucker or Sharif Chambliss. I didn't have the heart to tell him that Russ Feingold is a 51-year-old man who happens to be a U.S. senator.

Now, I'm most definitely one of those "political junkies" he mentions, and I suspect it's safe to say that anyone else who reads what I'm writing and goes to DraftRuss.com to post on message boards is too. Part of me wants to say, "You don't know who Sen. Feingold is? You fools!" but I recognize that to many, politics and politicians are a pain that they prefer to avoid.

So how do we fix this? Herrera mentions that everyone from Wisconsin he asked knew who Feingold was, and many had informed opinions about him. How do we ensure that people all around the country-- and Michigan-- know about this guy who is far from "just another politician"?

Thoughts welcome, of course. I'm hoping that I'm contributing in some small way to spreading the word, with this blog. Next up, making "Feingold for America" bumper stickers?

Feingold for Michigan

2005-03-30T23:03:00.000-05:00

In 2008, progressives around the country will have a chance to shape the debate to our issues. By running progressive candidates for high office, we can create discussion of all those issues which have been ignored over four years of a conservative Bush administration. We can discuss civil liberties, poverty, education, the environment, and dozens more similarly-ignored issues. And we can get these candidates elected.

On the presidential level, the most promising candidate at this early stage is Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold. A proven progressive and deficit hawk, Feingold is an honest and open politician who is willing to speak his mind on issues. Pushing for reform in the famous McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform bill and many others, he was the only senator to vote against the USAPATRIOT Act, citing concerns over civil liberties. His votes are based on logic and principle, two characteristics he will bring to the presidency.

Granted, he hasn't announced that he is running. The best sign of a possible bid can be found here, as it seems he has registered www.russfeingold08.com and similar domain names (and he's not running for reelection in 2008). No one but the senator knows for sure if he will go for the presidency, but he did say, when asked about his future political goals,

"If at some point people say, 'Hey, we think you ought to run for president' (and) it's a serious thing, I'm going to listen. I would only run if I honestly believed that I was the guy that really could win, that I was the person who was the best candidate to run." (Milwaukee Journal Sentinal)

So that's what we've got to do now. If we want to elect the right person, we need to show him the support he needs.

Hence this blog. The network of support can be built for Senator Feingold, to show him that he can win, and to make sure that happens. More specifically, we can discuss how to give him as many delegates as possible from the Great Lakes State (not Wolverine State-- I'll come out now and admit, I'm something of an MSU fan) in the primaries, and guarantee him victory in November 2008.

Now comes the disclaimer: This site and I are in no way connected or affiliated with Senator Russ Feingold, his Senate staff, his family, any household pets he might own, or really anything else. I'm not accepting donations-- this is in no way a PAC or anything anywhere close to that. This is simply a place for discussion of how we can help the senator win in Michigan. Comment on what I write, please; I'll be posting links to news articles, information on Senator Feingold, and anything else that seems important to me, and, if your comments are particularly well-written or thought-provoking and you live in Michigan, don't be surprised if I ask you take over a little bit of the blogging too.

2005-03-30T19:35:00.000-05:00

Banner image.

2005-03-30T16:03:00.000-05:00

Draft Russ Feingold banner

Bumper-style image

2005-03-29T20:49:00.000-05:00

Oh, fun with image editors.

2005-03-29T15:57:00.000-05:00

Suggestions? Ideas? Comments?

Office Sought:	President
State:	Presidential Candidate
District:	03
Party:	DEM (Democratic Party)

	May 2005	Feb. 2005
Hillary Rodham Clinton	40%	39%
John Kerry	18%	21%
John Edwards	16%	15%
Joseph Biden	7%	5%
Wesley Clark	4%	4%
Russ Feingold	2%	2%
Bill Richardson	1%	2%
Mark Warner	<1%	1%
Evan Bayh	<1%	1%
Tom Vilsack	<1%	<1%
Undecided	12%	10%

Feingold for Michigan

Russ Feingold Will Not Run For President

Announcing RunRussRun.com

The First Day of the Next Campaign

November 8th, 2006

Strategic Vision Poll for Michigan

Russ Feingold's Patriot Corps

Moving Michigan Forward - MI-14

"Mr. Feingold goes to Iowa"

Moving Michigan Forward - MI-01

Closing out June

Always Russ, All for Us

All 4 Russ and Russ 4 all

Quick updates

Summer Blues? Not with Russ

Feingold and the Federal Marriage Amendment

Summer 2006 -- The Summer of Feingold?

Happy Memorial Day!

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

Mr. Tough

All for Russ

Blog on for Feingold

Feingold in Texas

Equality for Feingold

Back to Work

Feingold's Censure and Michigan 2006

Feingold, the Censure Resolution, and Principles

Feingold: Censure Bush

News and Texas

Missouri for Feingold

Happy Birthday, Senator Feingold

Mass for Feingold

Ohio for Feingold Reborn

Feingold and the Netroots... Good or Bad?

Presidents' Day

Michigan Poll

Jan. 20, 2006

Welcome Iowa and MeetUps

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day -- Mid-January Update

Principled Leadership

December General Update

Presented by the Federal Election Commission

NOTE:

Candidate listings may appear here as a result of draft committees or independent expenditure committeesregistering with the FEC. If no official documents of an authorized committee appear below, theindividual identified here has taken no action to become a candidate.

Cloture Vote - Feingold wins

USA PATRIOT Act Showdown

Urgent: Join Russ Feingold's Filibuster!

Ohio for Feingold... and beyond

At RussForPresident.com -- Town Hall with Senator Feingold

"Forward" Part II

Post-Thanksgiving Update - "This Week" with Russ Feingold

Feingold, blogging, and Iraq

The Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month

Elections 2005... looking to 2006 and 2008

"Forward"

I'm still here... News and Wellstone

You can always count on Michigan, Russ

Early October Update

Feingold in New Hampshire

Feingold: "I will vote in favor of the nomination of Judge John Roberts"

Roberts Confirmation Hearings

"Forward With Feingold"

Blogad update

Katrina, Rehnquist, and General Update

Russ For President Blogads

Feingold in LA - Day Two

Feingold at the UCLA Law School

Feingold on "Meet the Press"

Feingold on Iraq Withdrawal

Feingold for Michigan Organizing

Campaign Update - 8 August, 2005

Senator Debbie Stabenow - Michigan 2006

Justice Roberts?

Feingold in Pennsylvania

MI GOP Primary 2008

The Path to Success

Democracy for Tennessee Convention (Part Two)

Democracy for Tennessee Convention (Part One)

Great day.

London Bombings

Candidate listings may appear here as a result of draft committees or independent expenditure committees
registering with the FEC. If no official documents of an authorized committee appear below, the
individual identified here has taken no action to become a candidate.