CENSURE: Time to Stand Up

CENSURE: Time to Stand Up

Must see Daily Show TV.

“I was taught that it's the Congress that makes
the laws and the president is supposed to sign them and he's supposed to enforce
them. He's not just supposed to make them up. And on this illegal wiretapping,
he apparently just decided that he didn't like things the way they were and
made up his own law. I don't think we can let him get away with that. So I
think it's a pretty mild step to say, by resolution, Mr. President, you did
the wrong thing. How about admitting and maybe apologizing.”

Stewart then asked Feingold why his fellow Democrats were running
away from him.

“Let me take a chance on this in terms of the
last couple of elections. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame
on me. This is what's happened here. We got fooled in 2002 on the Iraq war.
We had a Democratic majority in the Senate and we went along with this rather
unwise war. Same thing in 2004. How many times are we going to let George
Bush and Dick Cheney say you guys don't support the troops; you're not patriotic;
and let them push us around? We have to stand up to them. And it's pretty
mild to say, Mr. President, you broke the law. That's not the right thing
to do. I think that's a perfectly reasonable approach, instead of letting
the Administration push us around.”

Stewart played a tape of Rep. Boehner, where he asked whether
maybe Feingold was more worried about the “safety and security of the terrorists
as opposed to the American people.” You've got to wonder why someone hasn't
nailed people like Boehner before, when they've accused a Democrat of supporting
the terrorists.

Stewart simply asked Feingold, “How
long have you been working with the terrorists? And are they nicer than they
seem?”

Feingold laughed. It was a beautiful moment that said everything,
especially when he suggested that it's the terrorists we should focus on, not people
reading in the library who are innocent. But laughing at Boehner was the key.
We need to quit taking these charges seriously and start laughing at the Republicans
who make them.

The bottom line is that it's simply way past time to call George
W. Bush on his actions, because it's clear he doesn't respect our system or
our laws. Like Glenn Greenwald has said, it's the Nixon approach to laws. If
the president does it, it's not illegal. Feingold is taking that supposition
on, head on, and is not willing to back down.

“… We don't know everything about
the program, but what we do know is that there are no legitimate legal justifications
for it. They tried to sell the idea that when we voted to go to war in
Afghanistan, that what we were really saying was you should illegally tap
Americans and that's just ridiculous. So there is no valid legal basis for
this. Everybody basically knows it. They're just afraid to stand up to the
president, and it's time that the president has to hear the voice of Congress
and the voice of the American people. You can't make up your own laws.”

Stewart then nailed it by saying, even though he doesn't get
FISA and other issues surrounding censure, “it feels
like some attempt at accountability.” We can quibble as to whether Stewart understands FISA, etc., which I think he does, but it doesn't matter, because his point was made: You don't have to understand every aspect, but the president needs to be held accountable when he breaks the laws, just like everybody else. Then he added, “The
worse you screw up with these guys, the bigger the trophy they give you.”

Nothing was lost on Stewart, even as he finished with the reality
that Feingold's censure resolution may end up to be symbolic, given that the
Republicans control Congress, but even then it still has value.

Any Democrat watching this has got to sense the shift. A wave is coming if the Democrats can catch it.

When this all began, Russ Feingold was not on my radar at all,
though his vote against the war, as well as his solo fight against the Patriot
Act, had both gotten my attention for obvious reasons. I've had a lot of problems
with McCain-Feingold, unlike most of my Democratic colleagues, which isn't important
right now. But when Feingold stood up and presented his censure resolution everything
changed for me, because someone was finally pushing back. For many Americans it will be just that simple.

I've said it before and will say it again. The only danger for
Democrats is if the Senate doesn't start fighting back against President Bush.
Bush fatigue is great, because people having lost their anger after the 2004
election, so that now they almost feel helpless, like there's nothing we can
do. Even more important, there is no Democrat willing to lead so the people
can follow in a new direction.

In every election, the most committed wins. For us to win in November,
we will have to be more committed, because the GOP has one hell of a fighting
team. But to be committed, people have to know what it is they're being ask
to commit to. Being against George W. Bush will no longer be enough, because he's
over. Standing up to follow Democrats because you're proud to follow the people
leading in a new direction is, however, something to which we can get people
to commit, because people are hungry to walk in a new direction with Democrats if given a good reason. Whomever has the courage to lead the fight will get great support and enthusiasm. That person right now
is Senator Feingold. He gives people hope that there is a way out of this mess and that a Democrat knows the way.

There's something else. Russ Feingold has shown Democrats that you can stand up, push
back and do so with grace. There's no screaming anger, no yelling, no mean Democrat
to demonize. Feingold is a nice guy, with a great smile, who also has the courage
of his convictions. He's in direct contrast to the thugs currently running this
country. The Rush radio crowd can try to make him the bad guy but it won't be
easy. Swiftboating will still happen, but it's losing its effectiveness because
people are weary of the smearing, not to mention that Russ doesn't look like the bad guy. He looks like what he is, a hero.

Senate Democrats need to swallow their pride and get on board
with Russ Feingold. The November elections could depend on it.