What the fuck, Russ?!?!

it makes me befuddled that both sens. feingold and kerrey said positive things for mccain. it seems odd that they would do so, but i am glad that they are said during a lull in the media coverage of the race.

also, perhaps there is reason behind them praising mccain right now...perhaps they will take a stronger role as bulldog as we get closer to election day, so that they can say "i have said some nice things about sen. mccain before, but i have to say something bad about him right now..."

or perhaps i'm searching for a silver lining that's not there?

This from the guy who claimned his support of Ashcroft would lead to a new era of cooperation between Dems and BushCo.

As someone who helped vote Russ into the Senate, and even met him back before he ascended his current sainthood, I like him a lot.

Unfortunately, when Russ plants his shoe in a pile of dogshit, he really gives it a twist.

Palin praised Obama's energy roll out and Pawlenty praised his positive messages.

Regarding Feingold, I guess this is the blow back for Obama thumbing his nose at Feingold's Campaign Finance Reform Bill.

There is also rumblings that McCain might pledge to serve only one term, with the message being that since he won't worry about getting re-elected he could really clean up Washington. This would be interesting because it would lessen the age issue people have with him, and the GOP base might rally around him more if they know they'd only have four years with him and it would given them time to right their ship.

Jesus,

McCain can take every weekend off since he clinched the nomiation, and you hear nary a peep out of the Repub, but Obama can't go 3 whole days on vaction in 18months before Dems start putting their feet in their mouths.

This is just ridiculous. This just reaffirms that if Obama does win, it wasn't because of the efforts of those old school "elected" dems.

I'm sorry, but this really pisses me off. I'm all for speaking freely, but STFU. I think that this is another case where the speaker is not apart of the Obama teams insiders, so they go running off at the mouth out of spite.

Idiots.

Even worse, Saint Russ threw this tidbit to the right wing Journal Sentinel, meaning it's gonna get play from now until November.

Wouldn't be surprised to see McGoo pop it in an ad... the perfect rebuttal to recent challenges to his "Maverick" image.

Fuck you, Feingold. Fuck you twice.

I had the honor of seeing Sen. Russ Feingold this last weekend. Feingold did lump some praise on McCain then as well, however, he also drove it home that we had to vote for Obama as President and was very strong on why we had to do so.

--"I'd rather have Obama for many, many reasons," Feingold said, citing his deep differences with McCain over foreign policy, health care and civil liberties, and his belief that Obama could be an inspirational president.

Notice how the article doesn't focus on what is in bold? Now, obviously this is still sloppy and ripe to be taken out of context. However, some blame needs to be placed on the reporter who didn't see it fit to put all of Feingold's interview into print. namely, the part that, I'm sure, was very similar to his statements this weekend- a strong rationale as to why Obama has to win.

I think it's also important to understand that the two worked together for 6+ years on campaign finance reform. They are friends and obviously have earned each other's respect.

Finally, in his personal appearance this weekend he really drove home how we need more and better Democrats at all levels of gov't. The desire to turn out the vote for local, state, and federal Democrats was palpable. His interest in grassroots efforts was obvious. Not too many Senators will travel to a small town in Republican district to hold a listening session and then help open a freshly minted Democratic office. He did, and on a Saturday, no less. On Sunday he was in the next county over doing a listening session. The guy works hard and he works hard for Democrats and progressives at all levels of government.

So please, consider those things before you rake him over the coals.

is this too absolutist?

democrats want to win and be right, so they're willing to criticize their presumptive nominee if he isn't perfect on a number of issues

republicans want to simply win, so they're willing to keep their mouths shut on the obvious failings of their presumptive nominee

[blockquote]Obviously, someone somewhere has decided that Obama's most prominent surrogates are all supposed to go out and praise McCain[/blockquote]
Again, Bob Kerrey isn't an Obama surrogate. Not in any way, shape, or form could he be considered an a surrogate.

I think this is much ado about nothing. Feingold has worked with McCain before and I suspect he wants to work with him again after he loses to Barack in the fall. No need to engage in personal attacks or lie to stay on whatever talking point that believes is appropriate.

It's not disasterous. It's just not.

kerrey is an original neocon, so i'm not surprised, but feingold? WTF?

"I don't belong to an organized political party. I'm a Dimmicrat.

“The Democratic Party ain’t on speaking terms with itself.”

"Mr. Dooley" (Finley Peter Dunne)

As people have pointed out, this just goes to show why we really do need people who are good at being politicians, despite how much everyone despises them. It doesn't matter if you spend half an hour praising your party's candidate, when you make comments that support your opponent it undermines everything you've said and that's what gets picked up.

this is typical Feingold. he is great as an idea leader but doesn't understand leading people or movements

If a Democrat Senate colleague is complimentary of McCain, that Dem is more credible with independents when he endorses Barack.

Just at thought.

Feingold's a post-partisan Progressive in a very partisan world.

I think it's important to look at this statement through that lens.

He looked at both candidates, saw admireable qualities in both (after working with them), but endorses Obama because he lines up best with his Progressive agenda.

It's a good endorsement for anyone who's wavering between the two candidates, or at least it was this weekend when (I saw him in person) Feingold said similar things but also made a strong case for voting FOR OBAMA.

If you want to blame someone, blame the shitty reporter of this article for not putting any of Feingold's endorsements FOR OBAMA into print.

Wow, this is the one time I've been very disappointed in Russ Feingold. Usually everything that comes out of his mouth is pretty much gold, but wow, he is way off the mark here.

Apparently Russ isn't aware of McCain's 95% vote-with-Bush rating.

I am saddened. Russ just lost a few points with me.

To all above: Oh, calm down, Mary.

What Feingold said about McCain first off was not the verbal equivalent of tonguing his arsehole. He essentially said that McCain has no filter between brain and mouth and would piss a lot of people off. And the "original" could just as easily be a backhanded compliment. Looks like to me he made some comments that weren't overly praiseful. And as josephcast points out, they were no doubt coupled with a longer statement about why Obama would be the better president. He managed to say something that wouldn't alienate McCain, who he has worked with closely in the Senate, without singing his praises.

Second, there has been some speculation for some time now about whether or not it's appropriate to continue to call Bob Kerrey a Democrat. He has shown several times over the past few years that in his mind, bipartisianship = capitulation. And he doesn't currently hold office. Tell me again why anyone gives a fart in a high wind about what his opinion is on anything?

Third, back to Russ: pretty much every comment above excoriating him for these tepid comments includes this idea: "why can't Democrats stick together?" I'll leave it up to the reader to pinpoint the irony there. Because when it comes to the things that most people who read and comment on this blog care most about, there has not been one single, solitary Democrat serving in national office who has supported us more than Russ Feingold has. And suddenly none of that matters because he made some comments about McCain that fell short of being openly insulting?

Get a grip, folks.

Thanks for nothing, Russ.

Feingold indicates he now realizes Mr. Oilbama is a self-absorbed celebrity who ducks meetings with wounded American troops and wants to raise taxes, and is someone who voted for Dick Chent's Big Oil Energy Bill. People are catching on to Oilbama as he gets vetted by the Republicans. Hillary had to take it easy on him because of Oilbamabots screaming that everyone who did not agree with them were racists. Since that got old no one will believe them anymore.

I see why the dem's keep losing elections---they talk too much. But then again, Governors Paulin, Plawlenty and Sanford all have praised Obama in the past. I guess it cuts both ways, that said, dem's need to refrain from praising McShame--its not helpful to themselves, Obama or the party.

Feingold provides fulsome praise of Obama in the article. However, the author of the article continues to push feingold-McCain working relationship. Don't blame feingold.

josephcast:
I don't have the power to throw anyone under any bus. I just want Russ Feingold to not be stupid. His vote against the Patriot Act was great. Progressive Patriots is a great idea. And neither will mean shit-all if John McCain gets into the White House.
Why is Russ Feingold "comfortable" with a man who is, literally, the incarnation of the Patriot Act in the Oval Office?
If Russ Feingold wants to have dinner with Senator McCain next February and gab about how much fun they had with McCain-Feingold, that's none of my business. As a Democrat and an American, it is my business if Senator Feingold is fluffing McCain on the record during the campaign.

As for "underhanded praise", this seems to be the defense? That Feingold was damning McCain with faint praise? Please.

Feingold calls McCain "very original" and a "maverick by nature." McCain's own TV ads call him the "original maverick."
[...]
But he doesn't take issue with McCain's presentation of himself as a politician with a deep independent streak.

"He is not a guy who wants to be chummy-chummy with political leaders of the party. He doesn't like that sort of constraint. He's an independent," said Feingold. "So he somehow managed to become the nominee of the Republican Party. But we all know it's not because he was somebody that was kissing up to the Republican establishment, to say the least."

Besides being straight out of McCain's own campaign ads, this is complete and utter bullshit. McCain has, as he gleefully admits, spent eight years kissing up to the Republican Establishment: MCA? the Webb vets' bill? FISA? Jerry Falwell? Tax cuts?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3U5KZzgaB2k

Feingold has his head square up his ass, and judging from this interview, is more concerned with his social relationship with McCain than with policy and consequences of this election.

I find it interesting that the two of the men I respect the most in the party, Schweitzer and Feingold have made these statements. I do not condone them by any means, yet I still have great admiration for what they have DONE. I'm not going to let what they've said, inartfully, go against all the good they have done. So I still support them both. I do wish they wouldn't make statements like these without being damn sure it's in the right context.

I suppose what makes them say these things is also the reason I like them so much. Namely, they march to their own drummer.

Calling them "supporters" is not even accurate.

Kerrey has been smearing / slandering Obama for over a year. Why tag him with the "supporter" label?

He's an anti-Obama troll.

Why, oh why, must you force people who have nothing to do with Obama into the "surrogate" or "supporter" role???

Maybe Feingold figures the blue dog wing is no more likely to defend our liberties and our children's future than are the Republicans. I hope it's payback for Obama's stand on FISA. Probably isn't but if it is I say way to go, Russ!