Madison, Wisconsin—The lone voice in the U.S. Senate voting against the infamous 2001 Patriot Act is Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wisconsin) whose vote for liberty then, and in support of the Fourth Amendment throughout his career, will help secure his re-election amid growing and groundless shouts that Feingold is in trouble.
Consider RealClear Politics (RPC), a site that takes news-opinion from the mainstream media (mostly dailies and more often from the political right) and presents the aggregation as: Real clear politics.
RPC's foumula for clarity leads predictably to erroneous results which roughly comprises the conventional political wisdom. It's that bad.
RPC 's latest RE Wisconsin is a piece from Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (MJS) columnist Patrick McIlheran that Russ Feingold may be "done" in Wisconsin politics.
I can guarantee you two things: Feingold's people got a laugh out of this one, and McIlheran's analysis such as it is will be taken seriously among those formulating the conventional political wisdom.
As a writer, McIlheran is a bold sign (along with fellow MJS columnist Mike 'send-innocents-to-prison' Nichols) of the decline of the American daily newspaper—ideological and insipid.
McIlheran quotes Feingold's GOP opponent, Terrence Wall who says that "I'll win. ... Feingold's done."
Using data from the discredited Rasmussen polls, and the amazing fact that GOPers bad-mouthed Feingold at listening sessions, McIlheran agrees with Wall that Feingold just may be over, though he also allows that this all depends on former Gov. Tommy Thompson entering the race.
The problem is Thompson has not announced for the September primary; GOP candidate Wall says he's in to stay; and Thompson accepted a job in February as a capital fund advisor after making a lot of money from corporate America—an enterprise that might not present a problem in some campaign seasons but certainly does in this one after that whole economic catastrophe thing.
So though on occasion progressives too are driven to head-shaking by the idiosyncratic ways of Feingold, for example Feingold foolishly voted for the confirmation of John Roberts and against the dismissal of impeachment proceedings against President Clinton, Feingold's people would welcome Thompson as a candidate and I think Thompson and his advisers know it.
What Patrick McIlheran knows is anybody's guess.
Showing posts with label Terrence Wall. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Terrence Wall. Show all posts
Feb 6, 2010
US Senate Defends Doing Nothing
In the United States Senate, doing nothing is protected as a point of historical pride. It is the privilege of a U.S. Senator to do nothing and the do-nothing gang does not want this august legislative body to lose its harrowed privilege.
As Gail Collins puts it this morning: "There is a stupendous lack of real enthusiasm in the Senate for doing anything as dramatic as eliminating the senators’ right to stop things."
“It’s beyond the breaking point,” said Senator Tom Harkin, referring to the U.S. Senate's obstruction-as-usual, holds on nominations, filibusters, the whole paralysis of a sick legislative body. Harkin will introduce a bill to eliminate the Senate filibuster next week.
Even reformers like Sen. Russ Feingold defend the filibuster. Maybe Feingold and the Senate will have a change a heart, feeling that the problems facing Americans are so serious that a decaying institution's relics and undemocratic rules must change for the good of the citizens of our republic.
Will Feingold's GOP opponents this year, Terrence Wall and Dave Westlake [who otherwise do not stand a chance], challenge Feingold's on his defense of doing nothing? That would be ironic as the GOP employs the filibuster so often in its attempt to see the Senate do nothing. Even more ironic as the Senate Democrats are the GOP's allies is preserving this tool of obstruction.
Nothing like arming your opponents in defense of an undemocratic body. Welcome to the Democratic Party. Maybe the Democrats will finally kill the filibuster.
And then maybe the Republican Party will come out in favor of teaching evolution, and empowering the rights of American citizens [even black people] to vote, slash the American empire and slap the military-industrial complex. Right.
-via mal contends
As Gail Collins puts it this morning: "There is a stupendous lack of real enthusiasm in the Senate for doing anything as dramatic as eliminating the senators’ right to stop things."
“It’s beyond the breaking point,” said Senator Tom Harkin, referring to the U.S. Senate's obstruction-as-usual, holds on nominations, filibusters, the whole paralysis of a sick legislative body. Harkin will introduce a bill to eliminate the Senate filibuster next week.
Even reformers like Sen. Russ Feingold defend the filibuster. Maybe Feingold and the Senate will have a change a heart, feeling that the problems facing Americans are so serious that a decaying institution's relics and undemocratic rules must change for the good of the citizens of our republic.
Will Feingold's GOP opponents this year, Terrence Wall and Dave Westlake [who otherwise do not stand a chance], challenge Feingold's on his defense of doing nothing? That would be ironic as the GOP employs the filibuster so often in its attempt to see the Senate do nothing. Even more ironic as the Senate Democrats are the GOP's allies is preserving this tool of obstruction.
Nothing like arming your opponents in defense of an undemocratic body. Welcome to the Democratic Party. Maybe the Democrats will finally kill the filibuster.
And then maybe the Republican Party will come out in favor of teaching evolution, and empowering the rights of American citizens [even black people] to vote, slash the American empire and slap the military-industrial complex. Right.
-via mal contends
Feb 3, 2010
Rush: Bin Laden Tape Is "Democrat Talking Points," Sounds Like "Russ Feingold"
Seems Rush Limbaugh, de facto head of the GOP, can't tell the difference between Osama Bin Laden and Democrats; and Rush singled out Sen. Russ Feingold.
Specifically, Limbaugh said the al Qaeda leader's most recent audio tape: "sounds like this could easily be [said by] Russ Feingold, the Senator from Wisconsin."
Wonder how Wisconsin Republican candidates for U.S. Senate, Terrence Wall and Dave Westlake, feel about this. Will they condemn this trash?
Sen. Feingold writes to supporters: "This isn't the first time Limbaugh has crossed the line and it won't be the last, but this is the sort of slash and burn politics that we are up against. Extremists and corporate special interests are going to do everything they can do to attack Russ's character."
Specifically, Limbaugh said the al Qaeda leader's most recent audio tape: "sounds like this could easily be [said by] Russ Feingold, the Senator from Wisconsin."
Wonder how Wisconsin Republican candidates for U.S. Senate, Terrence Wall and Dave Westlake, feel about this. Will they condemn this trash?
Sen. Feingold writes to supporters: "This isn't the first time Limbaugh has crossed the line and it won't be the last, but this is the sort of slash and burn politics that we are up against. Extremists and corporate special interests are going to do everything they can do to attack Russ's character."
Jan 23, 2010
State Journal Buries GOP Senate Candidate Tax Scandal
Update: Rightwing radio pans Terrence Wall.
"Republican U.S. Senate candidate Terrence Wall has not paid personal state income taxes in nine of the last 10 years (because Wall had no tax liability), according to state Department of Revenue figures obtained from the liberal group One Wisconsin Now (OWN) (last week)." (Wisconsin State Journal, Jan 23, 2010; Mary Spicuzza)
But the editors of the State Journal placed the story on the bottom of page three of the Local section in the hard copy of this morning's (Saturday) newspaper. WisPolitics ran the story on Jan 16 and an online Politics Blog report by Spicuzza ran on Jan. 18, last Monday.
Let's hope for some more prominent campaign coverage in the State Journal even if the coverage puts leading GOP candidates in an unfavorable light.
OWN's campaign exclusive last week comes as the GOP aggressively tries to redefine Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Middleton) from maverick to publicity seeker and Democratic Party lackey.
Here are the pieces the State Journal editors front-page today instead of the politically damaging Wall scandal:
- L'Etoile restaurant will move and broaden its menu
- Middleton developer wants a 10-foot-high sculpture in corporate park, complete with two pictures, including an 8 1/2"- 5" shot, and some 129 words in three cutlines (picture captions)
- And a legit front-page story about a possible uptick in heroin use among Wisconsin youth
"Republican U.S. Senate candidate Terrence Wall has not paid personal state income taxes in nine of the last 10 years (because Wall had no tax liability), according to state Department of Revenue figures obtained from the liberal group One Wisconsin Now (OWN) (last week)." (Wisconsin State Journal, Jan 23, 2010; Mary Spicuzza)
But the editors of the State Journal placed the story on the bottom of page three of the Local section in the hard copy of this morning's (Saturday) newspaper. WisPolitics ran the story on Jan 16 and an online Politics Blog report by Spicuzza ran on Jan. 18, last Monday.
Let's hope for some more prominent campaign coverage in the State Journal even if the coverage puts leading GOP candidates in an unfavorable light.
OWN's campaign exclusive last week comes as the GOP aggressively tries to redefine Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Middleton) from maverick to publicity seeker and Democratic Party lackey.
Here are the pieces the State Journal editors front-page today instead of the politically damaging Wall scandal:
- L'Etoile restaurant will move and broaden its menu
- Middleton developer wants a 10-foot-high sculpture in corporate park, complete with two pictures, including an 8 1/2"- 5" shot, and some 129 words in three cutlines (picture captions)
- And a legit front-page story about a possible uptick in heroin use among Wisconsin youth
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)