This week's newspapers have been filled with stories about Democrats' silence on the Feingold censure resolution. Hopefully ARG's new poll, which shows a plurality of adults (46%) and an even higher percentage of voters (48%) supporting censure, will wake the sleeping Democratic Senators. I've called both my Senators urging them to support the right honorable gentleman from Wisconsin. Here are three reasons why all Democrats should do the same.
1) The president broke the law. Unconvinced of the veracity of that statement? Just check out the second half of this post. Letting the President go above the law is a precedent no one should want to set.
2) From a strategic point of view, we need to prolong this debate. The more days the press is discussing whether and how the President broke the law, the better. The simplest mechanism for such a lengthy national conversation is congressional hearings. Unfortunately, 8 days ago, the Senate Intel Committee balked at performing its primary duty--to provide executive oversight. The only way we'll get to hearings now is if Republicans such as Lincoln Chafee and Olympia Snowe (who sits on the Intel Comm) to propose hearings as a compromise between censure and no action.
3) Censure is not overreaching. See the ARG poll for evidence. No one is mistaking this action with attempting to throw the President out of office. As Feingold said to Soledad O'Brien, we'll have a Dem President in two-and-a-half years anyway. Let's focus on preventing this and future presidents from breaking the law.
Wonderful Post!
Heh, well, hopefully our Dem Senators will get off their arses and so something productive.