Cowtipping Russ Feingold

Maybe it is unnecessary, but Sen. Feingold's statement has me uneasy.  I think he needs a little push in the correct direction.  Follow me over the fence line and let me know if I did a good job of tipping - or what I might say differently - before I fax it off to Wisconsin and DC.  If you think it doesn't suck too hard, you are welcome to make use of it - Russ's DC and Wisconsin contact info is at the end.

Update: Sorry I forgot to include the statement:

   Statement of U.S. Senator Russ Feingold
   On Judge Mukasey’s Nomination to be the next Attorney General
   November 2, 2007

   I have not made up my mind about Judge Mukasey’s nomination to be the next Attorney General. Judge Mukasey is a marked improvement over Alberto Gonzales in many ways, including his apparent commitment to running the Department in an apolitical fashion. He may be the best nominee we can get from this administration in this respect. But I am concerned about his views on executive power, and I am weighing whether his answers to questions in that area adequately demonstrate a commitment to the rule of law. We need an Attorney General who will tell the President that he must abide by statutes enacted by Congress, and who will not equivocate on an issue as fundamental as torture. I will consider these and other issues as I weigh my vote.

Dear Senator Feingold,

Please do not vote to confirm Mukasey for AG.  If you do, you will be putting your imprimatur on a man who cannot say unequivocally that waterboarding is torture. The more insidious problem is his inability to say flat out that the President has to obey the law. Another thing - sure, this guy is smarter than Gonzales, but that just makes him more dangerous.

It would not make any sense for the man who has fought the death penalty over his whole career and made much righteous fuss over the lawlessness of the warrantless wiretapping to turn around and rubber stamp an AG nominee who is willing to see human beings tortured and to treat the President like a King. Remember, you did say the President is not a King. You know that this "administration" has a pre-1776 mentality. Don’t stain yourself with complicity, Senator.

I seriously doubt enough of your colleagues could be compelled by any argument, moral or otherwise, to refuse this confirmation.  But I am astounded that I would have to plead with you, of all people.

I don’t understand how you can treat this President with any deference at all.  If we had a semi-normally functioning Executive Branch, your ethics about letting the President pick his advisers would be fine. (Putting aside for the moment that the AG isn’t supposed to be the President’s lawyer, rather the people’s lawyer.)  But these are not normal times. The government is not normal anymore. Don’t treat this executive branch like it is business as usual and can be dealt with in good faith.

I know I am not the only American who looks to you as their only glimmer of hope in the Senate.  But confirming Bush’s man is going to make some rethink their support of you – I know I will have to - and it pains me to say that. You need all the help you can get in promoting the progressive agenda, but progressives already feel burned by most members of Congress; progressive Democratic voters are  discouraged and frustrated and you voting to confirm Mukasey is going to kill a little bit more of our spirit. How are you going to get us to still want to donate to or participate in Progressive Patriots Fund or your Senate reelection when we are left feeling like even you, as good as you are, don’t quite get the depth of this country’s Constitutional and moral crisis.

I know you don’t do things on a partisan political basis or on a knee-jerk basis - thinking things through carefully is your way, and that is a good thing.  I just hope, desperately hope, that at the end of your thinking you come to a conclusion of a firm NO on Mukasey.

Washington Office:
506 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-4904
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Main District Office:
1600 Aspen Commons, Rm. 100
Middleton, WI 53562
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

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