With "impeachment on the horizon," he wrote, "maybe, just maybe, conservatives would not stay at home after all."
Oh, now there are some great campaign slogans waiting to be written. "Vote Fitzpatrick to protect the president." Very organized crime.
Posted by truffula at March 16, 2006 12:05 AMThis is Republican talking point #13. There is a tiny kernel of truth in that it may fire up the slavering true-red believers, but I don't think it gets independents and even slightly dubious supporters too excited. The people this meme is for are the Democratic waverers and worriers. The DLC stooges and wormtongues can use this as ammunition to attack Feingold and anyone who dares agree with him.
Does anyone know how find the membership rolls of the College Republicans? I wonder if we would find the names of many Democratic "advisors" and "consultants" buried in those lists. I find it hard to believe their performance is due solely to stupidity and incompetence. I mean, even Brownie showed some competence, didn't he?
DeminNewJ I've been wondering that for a while now, the saffers are moles, working to defeat the Dems in everything.
Also, today's times (david kirkpatrick) quotes Rush Limbaugh, at least twice. Wouldn't that seem like quoting Micheal Moore as a democratic stategist?
Posted by PwapVt at March 16, 2006 03:49 AMWhy isn't the headline: "Most Americans want investigations of Bush's incompetence, law-breaking"? As it should be.
Posted by Avedon at March 16, 2006 03:56 AMWhen Republicans start talking like the censure motion is great for them, Democrats ought to see it for what it is -- whistling in the dark. If the Feingold censure motion were to be 100% backed by every Senate Democrat, the Democratic Party might finally be seen as capable of leading the country out of this morass by the 60% of Americans who already know or strongly suspect that the President broke the law.
Posted by AJ at March 16, 2006 05:40 AMI think this is a head game. Yet another attempt by the Rove machine to attack the Dems' strength: Feingold's brave and righteous stance. And I don't think the threat of impeachment is nearly as much of a voter draw as gay marriage.
Posted by ann at March 16, 2006 05:43 AMIt's funny how the verbage changes from 'censure' to 'impeachment' so quickly.
Feingold never said 'impeachment'.
More projecting from the repukes!
When your president has committed impeachable offenses, well, impeachment is a possibility. Like Clinton, of course, there is no likelihood of conviction and removal given the make-up of any conceivable Senate in 2007.
But it's not fair to blame Feingold for "transforming" this into an issue---28 House Democrats have sponsored Conyers impeachment call, haven't they?
Supposedly, a majority of the citizenry supports impeachment "if" Nero Jr wiretapped citizens without court approval. Unfortunately the press will not directly tell the populace this has already occurred, and that Nero has admitted to it.
As always, it will be up to the "independents". If they're mostly a bunch of cowering, hand-wringing grannies (apologies to decisive grannies out there), then this will seem to be a real "issue" to such people.
There's never an easy, clear, obvious path to victory. It always involves risk.
Posted by euzoius at March 16, 2006 06:11 AMBut seriously, now that I think about it, is that the best they can do? Clearly the Republicans have no plans and stand for nothing other than loyalty to Bush. That's pretty pathetic. Our political system is starting to look worse than the election for Class President in Napoleon Dynamite. What's next, a pinata that looks like Feingold?
Posted by ann at March 16, 2006 06:49 AMthe truth is simple. Its right out front for all to see. We don't like Bush. Bush is a bad president, has few ideas that would do anything for the country, and lots of bad ideas that have,so far, been rejected by the public as a whole. He lies, and his Administration is full of real, actual crooks. He is all politics, no policy. Forcing another war is not going to work - we are expecting the same lies, and will get them. Scaring the 60+% of the country to vote for him because he might get impeached if they don't is hardly a solid election plan.
Posted by T2 at March 16, 2006 08:51 AMEvery time the goons start talking like this, you know they're actually worried. Every time. As regular as the sun rising.
As Glenn Greenwald points out (see also here), if this bluster were actually a true reflection of how they felt, they'd be doing everything possible to draw out Feingold's resolution (and the NSA scandal in general) and to give it maximum political exposure.
Posted by KM at March 16, 2006 09:14 AM