16 November 2005
Anti-war Politics
Michael Crowley at the New Republic has an interesting piece about the potential presidential candidacy of Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin. The article goes on to discuss the parallel between Feingold and Howard Dean. As many recall, as Howard Dean's campaign for President gained momentum, it compelled many other candidates including John Kerry to shift to their ideological left. F&P warns other potential Democratic candidates not to fall into the same trap should a Feingold campaign pick up traction.
However, despite his opposition to the War in Iraq, Senator Feingold is clearly a principled person who (unlike some other future and past candidates) will not tell the far left anything he thinks it wants to hear. While Feingold cast "nay" votes for the bill authorizing the President to go to war, as well as casting the only vote against the Patriot Act, he voted to confirm John Roberts on the basis of showing deference to a President's nomination, as well as vote to sustain the impeachment of President Clinton, on the basis of preserving the political process.
F&P is a political animal and cannot wait for the 2008 campaign to get started for both Parties. However, be on the look out for the Senator from Wisconsin.
However, despite his opposition to the War in Iraq, Senator Feingold is clearly a principled person who (unlike some other future and past candidates) will not tell the far left anything he thinks it wants to hear. While Feingold cast "nay" votes for the bill authorizing the President to go to war, as well as casting the only vote against the Patriot Act, he voted to confirm John Roberts on the basis of showing deference to a President's nomination, as well as vote to sustain the impeachment of President Clinton, on the basis of preserving the political process.
F&P is a political animal and cannot wait for the 2008 campaign to get started for both Parties. However, be on the look out for the Senator from Wisconsin.
Tell 'em Joe
Senator Joe Lieberman so eloquently describes the moral justification for the War in Iraq, Freedom & Progress salutes him. F&P understands that popular wisdom dictates that distancing themselves from the War will serve Democrats in the 2006 and 2008 elections. However, the Senator from Connecticut understands that some issues that are more significant than electoral gains.
"[Iraqi leaders] have done something remarkable in a country that lived for 30 years under a dictator who suppressed all political activity, encouraged the increasing division and bitterness among the Shias, the Sunnis, and the Kurds. These people, with our help and encouragement, have begun to negotiate like real political leaders in a democracy. It is not always pretty. What we do here is not always most attractive. That is democracy. Most important of all, eight million Iraqis came out in the face of terrorist threats in January to vote on that interim legislation. Almost ten million came out to vote on a constitution, which is a pretty good document, a historically good document in the context of the Arab world. What happened when the Sunnis felt they were not getting enough of what they wanted in a referendum? They didn't go to the street, most of them, with arms to start a civil war. They registered to vote. That is a miraculous achievement and a change in attitude and action. They came out to vote in great numbers and they will come out, I predict, again in December in the elections and elect enough Sunnis to have an effect on the Constitution next year."
"[Iraqi leaders] have done something remarkable in a country that lived for 30 years under a dictator who suppressed all political activity, encouraged the increasing division and bitterness among the Shias, the Sunnis, and the Kurds. These people, with our help and encouragement, have begun to negotiate like real political leaders in a democracy. It is not always pretty. What we do here is not always most attractive. That is democracy. Most important of all, eight million Iraqis came out in the face of terrorist threats in January to vote on that interim legislation. Almost ten million came out to vote on a constitution, which is a pretty good document, a historically good document in the context of the Arab world. What happened when the Sunnis felt they were not getting enough of what they wanted in a referendum? They didn't go to the street, most of them, with arms to start a civil war. They registered to vote. That is a miraculous achievement and a change in attitude and action. They came out to vote in great numbers and they will come out, I predict, again in December in the elections and elect enough Sunnis to have an effect on the Constitution next year."
