"This administration," he told us, "doesn't know how to govern the country. But they are brilliant at intimidating Democrats." Obviously, they don't intimidate him at all. He speaks his mind because he believes in his core values and principles. Voters sense that. When Kerry, whose public perception was wishy-washy and someone with a weak value-system, squeaked by to a 10,000 vote victory in Wisconsin, Feingold's far more progressive and outspoken positions garnered him a 300,000 vote victory, despite an avalanche of right-wing money pouring into the unfathomably filthy campaign against him. But it wasn't really about the policy positions per se. It was about the man and how he makes decisions and what he's made of.
What the Democrats don't understand is that even when people don't agree with everything a candidate says, they respect a candidate who stands for what he or she believes in. Here in the NJ 5th District, I'm working with the campaign of Camille Abate, a candidate not afraid to take a firm stand, running against a typical wishy-washy, finger-in-the-wind opponent who not only doesn't even live in the district (he's rented an apartment here solely for the purpose of running for Congress) but who seems unable to take a definitive stand on anything. And this is the party's Designated Guy.
Remember Paul Hackett's appearance on The Daily Show, where the post-consultant, de-fanged Hackett says "Some people think the President lied about the reasons for the Iraq War. I think we should look into this"? Well, I wrote Paul Aronsohn asking whether he would support holding George Bush accountable, as Russ Feingold has tried to do with his censure resolution, and his answer was:
We desperately need accountability in Washington, and to that end, we need to restore a system of checks and balances. The best way to do that is by putting the Democrats in the majority in one or both houses. Then -- and only then -- will we be able to look into the Bush Administration's many transgressions, such as with respect to the war in Iraq, the leaking of classified information, and the use of warrantless wiretaps.
Of course he's right about checks and balances, but the translation here is that you don't even TRY to fight any battle you're not likely to win. This certainly serves to get the Democrats off the hook for now, doesn't it? Sure -- let's just turn a blind eye to the lies into war, the domestic spying, the bunker buster test taking place in the Nevada desert in June in preparation for dropping nuclear bombs on Iran, the coziness with the energy industry, the response to Katrina, and on and on ad nauseum -- until we have a majority. Never mind that Bush's approval ratings are hovering close to the 30% line.
And this is the guy the Democrats in my county are pushing -- just more of the same.
I've seen Camille speak in front of groups, and she has the goods. She doesn't have the organization, but she has the goods. People like what she has to say. They hunger for someone to take a stand and believe in it. In my district, we have a two-term far-right Republican Congressman who is going to eat Paul Aronsohn's liver with fava beans and a nice chianti -- and then ask for seconds. And this is the party's Designated Guy.
Russ Feingold has it exactly right -- and so does Howard Dean and so does Camille Abate. And every organization of party hacks who think that the kind of weak-ass kowtowing to the wingnuts we saw out of John Kerry in 2004 is going to take back the House and Senate this fall against Republican incumbents who may find themselves going to jail if they lose the majority, they'd better guess again -- or they'll find themselves with quite a hangover on the day after Election Day.
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