Tag: Russ Feingold

Jun 18 2011

Reporting From NN11: Russ Feingold Keynote Address

Cross posted from The Stars Hollow Gazette

Thursday night’s opening speakers to the nearly 2500 bloggers attending this year’s Netroots Nation were former Vermont governor, Dr. Howard Dean, WI State Senator Chris Larsen, AFT President Randi Weingarten and Yemeni blogger Afrah Nasser. The highlight of the night was the keynote address by former Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold who was introduced by Marcy Wheeler of FDL.

Russ Feingold is a hero, and for good reason, to progressives. Russ was one, if not the only one, of the Democratic Senate, make that Senate as a whole, who really stood up for civil liberties in the face of the bipartisan onslaught that has occurred over the last decade, both under George Bush and Barack Obama.

Russ Feingold: ‘The Democratic Party Is In Danger Of Losing Its Identity’

By Amanda Terkel

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Former Wisconsin senator Russ Feingold issued Democrats a dire warning at the annual Netroots Nation conference here on Thursday, saying the party was in danger of losing its “soul” if it accepts corporate contributions in the 2012 elections.

“Sometimes we have to be very direct with the Democratic Party,” said Feingold to the crowd of progressive activists and bloggers at the Minneapolis Convention Center. “Just as you have long pushed our Democrats to stand up for their ideals, I’m here this evening to ask you to redouble your efforts. I fear that the Democratic Party is in danger of losing its identity.”

Feingold pointed to Priorities USA, a new Democratic independent expenditure group — known as a super political action committee (PAC) — that is allowed to raise and spend unlimited amounts of corporate money. It was launched by former deputy White House press secretary Bill Burton and former senior adviser Sean Sweeney in April.

“Creating those kinds of super PACs for Democrats is wrong. It is not something we should do. I disagree,” Feingold said. “I think it’s a mistake for us to take the argument that they like to make — that what we’re going to do now is, we’re going to take corporate money like the Republicans do, then after we win, we’ll change it. When’s the last time anyone did that? Most people don’t change the rules after they win.”

Dec 16 2010

Sen Feingold Accepts 23,000 Thank You Cards From DFA

cross-posted from Sum of Change

I was honored today to join folks from DC for Democracy, the local Democracy for America affiliate, to personally deliver over 23,000 thank you notes to Senator Russ Feingold. Shortly after the the 2010 election, Jim Dean asked DFA members from all across the country to send the Senator messages of appreciation. In an email to all members, he wrote:

Oct 31 2010

The “Creative Destruction” of American Lives

Much as been said and written about “Creative Destruction” lately — including this good Ad by Russ Feingold, which focuses on the fallout of this Economic policy stance, held by his GOP-Tea Party opponent Ron Johnson:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…

Well, in a free-market capitalist system, there are always winners and losers. It’s creative destruction. That just happens. It’s unfortunate. But let’s face it, if it weren’t for that we’d still have buggy whip companies.

— Senate candidate Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.)

“Winners and Losers”, Nice.  

I suppose with his CEO background Mr Johnson feels qualified to pick them?

Oct 31 2010

LAST CALL: SUPPORT RUSS FEINGOLD OR LOSE EVERYTHING!

LAST CALL: SUPPORT RUSS FEINGOLD OR LOSE EVERYTHING!

Senator Russ Feingold needs our help folks. It is time to put our money where our keystrokes are and really support this guy in his hour of need.

Russ Feingold has been the only consistent profile in courage in the U.S. Senate, and the only firewall against the wholesale legalization of criminal mass looting, mass corruption, and mass tyranny by the Elites against the common people for the last 10 years.

  • He voted against the U.S. Patriot Act (in fact, the only U.S. Senator to ever do so).
  • He voted against the Iraq War.
  • He voted against the Bailouts.
  • He was the only Senator to try to censure Bush & Cheney.
  • He stood by the HC Public Option all the way to the very end.
  • He wants Obama to stop the futile Afghanistan War and criminal racket.
  • He has been a leader on Campaign Finance Reform issues.
  • He opposed NAFTA.
  • He opposed the filthy Bush Tax cuts for the rich.
  • He opposes all the efforts to “privatize” Social Security.
  • He voted against the confirmation of Timothy Geithner!!
  • He voted against Bush’s Corporatist Supreme Court  judges.

___

Now try to name any other U.S. Senator in all of government with that record of Integrity on all of the great defining issues? You can’t find another U.S. Senator with even a roughly comparable record on each one of these issues.

This is the only guy in the U.S. Senate that has actually put his public votes and advocacy where his mouth is, and has actually been helping the Middle-Class (in this screwed-up Country) instead of participating in its destruction.

We need him. This is the one guy we cannot lose!

Support Russ Feingold!!

Feingold Campaign Site Link:   Our Best U.S. Senator: Russ Feingold

Contribute Link ==>:       Support Senator Russ Feingold

Oct 25 2010

Suppose Your Actions Swung the Election

Imagine if your actions made the difference in electing a Senator, Governor, or Congressional representative? Suppose the phone calls you made, money you donated, doors you knocked on, and conversations you initiated helped swing a critically close race, or two or three. Suppose the friends you dragged to the polls helped America reject the anonymous corporate dollars that threaten to drown our democracy?

You’d feel pretty good, I believe, at least about your own efforts. So why aren’t more of us doing everything we can from now through the election to ensure the best possible outcome?  In 2008, millions of people reached deep and then deeper to stake our time, money, and hearts on the possibility of change. We knew it was a critical election, and helped carry Obama and the Democrats to victory.  Now, too many of us feel burned and disillusioned, with dashed hopes. We’ve lost the habit of being engaged. The election seems someone else’s problem. We doubt what we do will matter–for this round or in general.

Oct 13 2010

URGENT: SUPPORT RUSS FEINGOLD OR LOSE EVERYTHING!

URGENT: SUPPORT RUSS FEINGOLD OR LOSE EVERYTHING!

Senator Russ Feingold needs our help folks. It is time to put our money where our keystrokes are and really support this guy in his hour of need.

Russ Feingold has been the only consistent profile in courage in the U.S. Senate, and the only firewall against the wholesale legalization of criminal mass looting, mass corruption, and mass tyranny by the Elites against the common people for the last 10 years.

  • He voted against the U.S. Patriot Act (in fact, the only U.S. Senator to ever do so).
  • He voted against the Iraq War.
  • He voted against the Bailouts.
  • He was the only Senator to try to censure Bush & Cheney.
  • He stood by the HC Public Option all the way to the very end.
  • He wants Obama to stop the futile Afghanistan War and criminal racket.
  • He has been a leader on Campaign Finance Reform issues.
  • He opposed NAFTA.
  • He opposed the filthy Bush Tax cuts for the rich.
  • He opposes all the efforts to “privatize” Social Security.
  • He voted against the confirmation of Timothy Geithner!!
  • He voted against Bush’s Corporatist Supreme Court  judges.

___

Now try to name any other U.S. Senator in all of government with that record of Integrity on all of the great defining issues? You can’t find another U.S. Senator with even a roughly comparable record on each one of these issues.

This is the only guy in the U.S. Senate that has actually put his public votes and advocacy where his mouth is, and has actually been helping the Middle-Class (in this screwed-up Country) instead of participating in its destruction.

We need him. This is the one guy we cannot lose!

Support Russ Feingold!!

Feingold Campaign Site Link:   Our Best U.S. Senator: Russ Feingold

Contribute Link ==>:       Support Senator Russ Feingold

Oct 06 2010

Don’t Let the Russ Feingolds Go Down For the Sins of the Blanche Lincolns

In trying to get one-time Obama supporters to volunteer for the November election, I often hear this refrain: “The Democrats have sold us out. I’m tired of their spinelessness, their subservience to corporate interests. I’m staying home to teach them a lesson.”  Not everyone responds this way, but enough do to make me worry, because if these people don’t show up and work to get others to vote, it could make the difference in race after neck-and-neck race, as a similar withdrawal of Democratic volunteers and voters did in 1994. As I’ve written, we either get past our broken hearts  to help elect the best possible candidates between now and November, or cede even more power to the most destructive interests in America.  

Jan 12 2010

Feingold considering asking Reid to step down

Crossposted at Daily Kos

    Where is Joe Lieberman to save you now, Harry?

    Or maybe C Streeter Jon Ensign can come to Harry’s rescue again

Add John Ensign’s parents to the list of Republicans for Reid.

    Michael and Sharon Ensign donated $4,800, the maximum donation, to Nevada Sen. Harry Reid during the third fundraising quarter, according to a report from political newspaper Roll Call.

Bold added by the diarist

  More below the fold.

 

Sep 24 2009

Only 3 of 763 Patriot Act wiretaps in 2008 were terrorism related. 65% were Drug cases.

Crossposted at Daily Kos


    Only three of the 763 “sneak-and-peek” requests in fiscal year 2008 involved terrorism cases, according to a July 2009 report from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. Sixty-five percent were drug cases.

HuffingtonPost.com

Bold text added by the diarist

    You must be frigging kidding me.

    A partial transcript, commentary and more below the fold.

Sep 15 2009

McCain-Lieberman-Graham urge Obama for more war in Afghan

——-

Cross-Posted at Dkos http://www.dailykos.com/story/…

Also cross-posted at MyDD and Openleft.

——-

In the Wall Street Journal on September 13, the two Repubs and one former Democrat wholeheartedly endorsed sending more of our troops to eat $#!t sandwiches in Afghanistan.

We are confident that not only is it winnable, but that we have no choice. We must prevail in Afghanistan.

snip

However, we need more than the right team and the right strategy. This team must also have the resources it needs to succeed-including a significant increase in U.S. forces.

Aug 25 2009

Military wants more troops, Feingold wants exit timeline

American military commanders have been steadily repeating the message that more U.S. troops may be needed in Afghanistan, while the support for the open-ended war is diminishing by the American people and some members of the U.S. Congress despite President Obama’s saying Afghanistan is a ‘war of necessity‘.

The New York Times reported, “American military commanders with the NATO mission in Afghanistan told Obama’s chief envoy to the region this weekend that they did not have enough troops to do their job, pushed past their limit by Taliban rebels who operate across borders.”

Then on Monday, Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) told the Appleton Post-Crescent editorial board that now a timeline for a military pullout from Afghanistan is needed.

Jun 21 2009

Baucus is only the Symptom of a much more Chronic Condition

Did you Vote for Change?

for Accountability; for leveling the playing field; for National Health Care?

Well, your vote apparently doesn’t carry as much weight as it use to.

Here’s one of the main reasons why:

U.S. Democracy Under Siege — Senate Debate Excerpts

Excerpts from the Congressional Record of the October 14, 1999 Senate debate.

The following is a tabulation, for clarity, of the figures cited by Mr. Feingold:

– 1980 1992 1996
Total soft money contributions to parties ($millions) under 20 86 about 250
# of donors giving over $200,000 – 52 219
# of donors giving over $300,000 – 20 120
# of donors giving over $400,000 – 13 79
# of donors giving over $500,000 – 9 50
# of companies giving over $150,000 to each of the political parties (“double givers”) – 7 43

 (emphasis added)

http://urielw.com/campfin.htm

There has been a tidal wave taking place, that threatens to swamp our fragile system of Democracy.  Indeed it probably already has …

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