Senator Feingold Goes To Washington

A week ago, Senator Russell Feingold (D-WI), showed up in Seattle to support Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) whose campaign for re-election has hit some rough spots.
Their voting individual voting records if not their political views, are polar opposites.
The rally was one of the most oddly conducted political gatherings I have ever attended.
Senator Feingold exceeded expectations. Senator Cantwell did not attend.

Feingold has been against the war since the beginning. He has objected strongly to the
parts of the Patriot Act that grant the state extraordinary powers and erode individual rights. He has refused to give the crooks, cronies and incompetents that Bush routinely nominates a free pass. He consistently stands up for the interests of his constituents over the special interests and corporate bad actors that are lording over both Houses of Congress. He is pro-choice and live and let live.

Cantwell is an unrepentant hawk who supports the war and the power of the state. She for the Patriot Act twice. She votes to confirm almost every Bush nominee and defends her vote with a lose interpretation of the Senate’s advice and consent powers. She often votes for corporate welfare over the welfare of her constituents. Her pro-choice credentials could bear some scrutiny after her vote for to end the Democratic filibuster that would have kept anti-choice corporatist, Samuel Alito off the Supreme Court bench.

Senator Feingold is not the first high profile Democrat to go to bat for Senator Cantwell. Barak Obama appeared with her at a March rally that turned into a protest against her support for the Iraq war. Her appearance at a multi-racial school in the ‘hood, in which she touted her support for education was viewed with cynicism. The money she had voted to send to Iraq has meant cutbacks in funding for education.

The email notice sent out by progressive Democrats announcing Senator Feingold’s appearance failed to mention that the event was actually a rally/canvassing event for Cantwell.
The omission might have been an oversight but her absence from the rally adds to the suspicion that the omission was deliberate. Perhaps she wanted to avoid the unpleasant comparison of the audience’s support for Feingold and their barely tolerant attitude toward her that has been apparent at every Democratic event I have attended.

The venue was a smallish elementary school cafeteria tucked away in a residential neighborhood. It was not the sort of place you would expect someone of Feingold’s stature to appear.
Feingold gets more national coverage than Senator Reid, the Senate Minority Leader and is a probable presidential candidate. His resolution to censure Bush for lying in the run up to the Iraq war has made him a national hero.

The overflow crowds I had expected were not in evidence. The place eventually filled up but I have seen better turnouts for one of Jay Inslee’s constituent coffees.

Two or three rows of chairs were set up close to the stage. Everyone else was milling about. The atmosphere in the main room had a tentative air (is this really going to happen?). The aging demographic was unhappy with having to stand for an undefined amount of time. Did they really expect the audience to go and ring doorbells after standing around for several hours?

Requests for more chairs went unheeded. Audience members took it upon themselves to locate and set up additional chairs.
What happened next was jaw dropping.

Two of Cantwell’s people tried to stop the chair brigade. When they were resisted, they gave the following explanation; “if people stood, it would look like a bigger crowd”.

My dear and my goodness; if an incumbent Senator is having difficulty drawing a decent crowd even with star power from DC, a few chairs for the old folks is unlikely to cause irreversible political damage. Making constituents comfortable might just might be helpful.
It was a metaphor for Cantwell’s relationship to her constituents.

The situation was resolved when a member of the audience stated the obvious; “this is a democracy and we’re having chairs”. Over the protests and furrowed brows of Cantwell’s campaign people, that’s exactly what happened.
It is my hope that this micro drama is portent of things to come in both Washingtons.

The “The Backbone Campaign” were in the audience. One of them held a replica of a human spine fastened to a black base with Feingold’s name engraved on it.
Their famous “spine” award is given to members of Congress and others who stand up for progressive values and who have shown “the personal courage to stand up for a future worthy of our children”.
“Backbone” was not permitted to make their presentation in the main room or God forbid, on stage. They were shunted out into the back alley for their award presentation.
Pushing “Backbone” out the door was richly symbolic of today’s Democratic Party.

Senator Feingold arrived looking relaxed and radiating confidence. He stopped to speak with each of us and accepted the “Backbone Award” graciously.
The award delegation asked him to pressure on Senator Cantwell to change her stance on the war in Iraq. He said he’d try and I expect he will. It is unlikely that Cantwell to change her position. Others have tried and failed.

Emboldened by “Backbone”, I buttonholed the Senator before his speech and gave him the laundry list of concerns voters had regarding Cantwell apart from her stance on the war. In spite of her pro-environment stance, the majority of voters I’ve spoken to don’t like her.
Her pro-corporate voting record, her unflagging support for Medicare D, her carelessness of our civil rights, her support of the administration have soured voters. They feel she is aloof and doesn’t listen to them.

He listened carefully. He said several times he understood my concerns. He said he wished the Senator was more willing to re-evaluate her positions. He mentioned her stand on ANWAR and that she had helped mitigate the bankruptcy bill by pushing through amendments. (The primary cause of bankruptcy is medical costs. Giving the hugely profitable credit card industry carte blanche while doing nothing to address root causes or the abusive practices of the industry is shameful.
Meanwhile corporations are allowed to declare bankruptcy for frivolous reasons with the aim being little more than unloading their pension obligations to their employees.)

I told him that I thought she could win handily if she recanted on positions that have upset voters. If she made a sincere promise to do a better job of representing them in the future, voters would support her overwhelmingly.

Voting for a change of leadership in the Senate is a no brainer if voter’s interests aren’t being compromised in the process.
Running a candidate that voters are unhappy with is unlikely to produce the heavy turnout that traditionally favors Democrats.

When Senator Feingold stepped out onto the stage, he was greeted by a prolonged,
standing ovation. The audience was behind him for his principled stands, his courage and leadership. He is an engaging speaker and the audience loved him.
It’s really too bad Cantwell wasn’t there. She could have learned a great deal
about winning the trust and admiration of constituents.

The only time the audience’s support flagged was when he spoke about Cantwell. Even her decent environmental record drew only a modest response. On other issues, the lack of enthusiasm was embarrassing.
The audience’s response was not lost on Feingold.

There is something unforgivably arrogant about Cantwell’s refusal to represent the views of her constituents. Especially when her views are not supported by the word or intent of the Constitution. There is something arrogant about expecting constituents to support her when she has sold out their interests to big business.

In my opinion, the Democrats need look no further than Feingold in '08.
Feingold has the personal appeal and dynamism of a winner.
He is unlikely to buy into the appeasement strategy that has propelled the Democratic Party into obscurity in recent years.
When the press starts to push him around, he can take care of himself.
His sensible position on issues would put the country on the road to recovery from the depredations of the Bush years.

The Democrats and the country are in urgent need of new leadership.
We know Senator Feingold has the “spine” to get the job done.

Carol DW