Russ Feingold has done it again. First, he absolutely nails it with his performance on the June 25th edition of “Meet The Press,” speaking extemporaneously and vividly about the beliefs and values of the Democratic Party like no other Democrat has done on national television for some time.
Well, he did it again this weekend. Appearing Sunday on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos,” Feingold succinctly slams traitorous Joe Lieberman but, more importantly, makes the point and reiterates that invading Iraq and fighting Al-Qaeda’s terrorism have no commonality.
Granted, there is no way Feingold is going to be appointed to any lead position in the Democratic Party. He has infuriated too many of his compatriots with his insistence for ‘cleaner’ electoral money and his courageous stands on ‘unpopular’ issues. I would support his bid for the presidency if he chooses to do so but have to admit that, if he secured the Democratic nomination, his chances of winning are limited. He wouldn’t ‘play’ anywhere in the South and I’m unsure about the Mountain West and Southwest.
Maybe I’m just caught up in the fervor of finally seeing someone so eloquently express my personal and political values–maybe it’s been too long since such has happened. But more of Feingold in the media and less of many others can only be beneficial to the Democratiuc Party and our nation.
Here’s an excerpt from his appearance Sunday:
Lieberman (on video): “If we just pick up as Ned Lamont wants us to do and get out by a date certain, it will be taken as a tremendous victory by the same people who wanted to blow up these planes in this plot hatched in England, and it will strengthen them and they will strike us again.”
Stephanopoulos: “Senator Lieberman thinks that your approach will strengthen the terrorists and it’s a victory for terrorists. What’s your response?”
Feingold: “Well, I like Joe Lieberman, but I support Ned Lamont. Because Joe is showing with that regrettable statement that he doesn’t get it. He doesn’t get it. The fact is that we were attacked on 9/11 by Al Qaeda and its affiliates and its sympathizers, not by Saddam Hussein. And unfortunately Senator Lieberman has supported the Bush Administration’s disastrous strategic approach of getting us stuck in Iraq instead of focusing on those who attacked us. I mean, look at the places that have been attacked: India, Morocco, Turkey, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Somalia, Spain, Great Britain. What does this have to do with Iraq? And Senator Lieberman is stuck on that point. Ned Lamont and I believe that we should refocus on those who attacked us on 9/11 and not simply try to cover our tracks because this was such a very poor decision in terms of the overall battle against the terrorists who attacked us.
Stephanopoulos: Do you think Senator Lieberman should get out of the race?
Feingold: Well, you know, I think that’s his own decision. It would be better for the Democratic Party, I think it would be better for the people of Connecticut, it would be better for the country if he did it. Not because he hasn’t been a good Senator, not because he isn’t a good man, but this is a critical time. And we have to change course. We have to focus on those that attacked us on 9/11 and get away from this very mistaken policy in Iraq. So it would be helpful if he would do it, but obviously Joe will have to make that decision for himself.