I think it is interesting to see Russ Feingold basically knee-capping Harry Reid. I don’t know if it has any higher meaning than just one senator’s personal opinion, but it could be an indication of something more. Could there be an effort on the left to dethrone Harry? Who would lead it? And how would it end?
Personally, I’d like to see a different Majority Leader, but I don’t want to lose Reid’s vote. I don’t see how those two things can be reconciled. Reid will have a difficult time winning reelection as things stand, but if he loses his position as leader, he’s definitely toast. Most Democrats seem to understand this, but some don’t care. For Feingold to go out on a limb like this makes me wonder what is simmering below the surface.
Wasn’t Sen. Feingold the one bolstering the whole zcar nonsense too? rolls eyes
I’ve no love for Reid, but one should never underestimate Feingold to go kneecapping his own teammates.
Has everybody forgotten Feingold covering for McCain on the illegal campaign finance flip-flop last year while attacking Obama for foregoing public financing?
Same old Phony Feingold.
This is, of course, to say nothing of the fact that nobody’s better at taking a stand when he knows he’s going to lose and rejoining the Village when he can attach his name to toothless “reforms” like St Russ.
…adding: Not to say he’s wrong that Reid should go. Reid is a lousy Majority Leader, in my opinion. But I can’t take the inevitable Feingold knob-polishing that will follow throughout much of the blogosphere seriously.
You mean, Russ “Clinton deserves to be impeached” Fiengold?
Yes, Russ “My Friend Senator McCain Would Make A Fine President” Feingold.
To me, he epitomizes “progressive” America. A bunch of symbolic 1 to 99 dissents for the feel good portion, and no idea of solidarity or common cause.
I wouldn’t mind so much if he were something approximating a true believer. At least that’s principled. Not necessarily right, but I can salute principled people whether I agree with them or not.
Feingold is not principled. Scratch the surface of that Great Dissenter, and you’ll find someone who’s as much a Villager as any of them.
what courage…
not.
I abandoned Harry Reid a long time ago, but I have particular resentment over the way he handled the FISA Amendments Act.
when you make your friends and allies eat shit for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, don’t be surprised when you don’t have any friends and allies.
Feingold is running for re-election.
That’s why he’s harping on the deficits. That’s why he’s investigating czars. And that’s why he’s knee-capping Reid, IMO.
This is not a larger plot. This is Russ Feingold looking out for Russ Feingold.
Your problem is you think that Reid can win. He can’t. They are beginning to jockey because they can see the writing on the wall.
I definitely think he can win. I’d actually take that bet with even money.
Silver is agnostic on it but his final comment sums things up well:
“Nevertheless, this is a conversation that Democrats need to be having, if they aren’t already. Reid’s favorability ratings are quite similar to those of former New Jersey governor Jon Corzine, who like Reid had an enormous monetary advantage, a good turnout operation, and a somewhat underwhelming Republican opponent, but ultimately gathered no more than 45 percent of the vote.”
How much do you want to bet?
i’ll wager a growler of all-grain homebrew. i think reid loses.
to Tark the Shark Jr. or the beauty queen?
whoever wins the primary.
lowden is polling 50% to Reid’s 40% (fresno bee.
Except Obama was an unknown quantity, we know exactly what we are getting with Reid.
except Harry Reid has a bajillion dollars to help us learn all about his opponent.
And so did Corzine and yet he still lost .. didn’t Dodd have a ton of money, too? Yet he packed it in .. all that money can’t hide the fact that Reid’s in charge while the Las Vegas area is a big mess right now
Did you even bother with that one? Really? All the money on earth doesn’t matter when people hate your guts and you don’t give people a positive reason to vote for you. Corzine showed that.
I agree that Reid is in deep jeopardy. But he is still lacking a strong opponent, he still has an enormous money advantage, he still has the machine and labor in a state where that really matters, and he still has strength in the Mormon community that typically tips the balance to Republicans (when Republicans win). On top of that, simple self-interest says that you don’t trade the most powerful man in the Senate for a back-bencher from the minority party.
I still say it’s more likely that Reid wins than that he loses. I think Dodd would probably have won, too, depending on his eventual opponent. I’d be more worried about Blanche Lincoln because I think Arkansas has moved away from the Democrats rather decisively.
New Rassmussen shows Reid’s numbers ranging from mid-30s to 40. It’s Rassmussen but even adding for their bias it’s not a good number.
a reminder of what? that a charismatic young man ho appeals to young voters can beat an older, not-as-charismatic woman? or a reminder that voters, including independents, might want to take a chance on a fresh face rather than someone they’ve already met and who’s got a lot of baggage?
because let me tell you something: this guy ain’t this guy in any way shape or form.
no, it’s a reminder that polls don’t mean shit 11 months before an election.
especially not when the underdog is charismatic, young, and fresh.
unlike reid, who is charm-free, old, and a known quantity. kinda like arlen specter, but without the leadership skills. (i had to link, it’s one of my all-time favorite arlen stories)
Feingold took a similar stand during the Clinton impeachment. He is a good Senator but hardly a good team player. If Reid is forced to step down, it should be because he is ineffectual, not because he once made a comment that sounded like grandpa speak, and which was no more offensive than the crap Chris Matthews spews out on a daily basis.
I’m starting to think I’ve been wrong about Feingold. I’ve always greatly admired his independence and his sticking to his principles, even when they were wrong. This stooping to the most mendacious level of gotcha politics makes me wonder if his virtues were all just calculated window dressing. Either he’s knowingly latching onto a Rep hatchet job for his own political gain of some kind, in which case he’s being an unprincipled opportunist, or he really believes this pious bullshit, in which case he’s not all that bright after all. Sickening.
I wouldn’t miss Reid as majority leader, but his departure should be about performance not some made-up PC parsing of a sentence reported by a couple serial liars. Getting aboard this GOP scumshot is inexcusable. I always imagined Feingold was way better than that.
I have a feeling Russ Feingold and Glenn Greenwald are a lot alike. Which I mean only partly as a compliment.
Don’t agree with that. I generally find Glennzilla to be quite principled, although I’d have to allow for the fact that I may have missed stories that would suggest otherwise.
Feingold is simply an opportunist.
” I don’t know if it has any higher meaning than just one senator’s personal opinion, but it could be an indication of something more. “
It seems to me that every so often Russ has to be a dick. This could be one of those times.
I’d rather see Feingold knee-capping the filibuster. Last I heard he is still in favor of it.
Feingold has always failed to impress me. I think he sometimes takes his stance just to get press. It’s difficult to pin him down on which side of the aisle he’s on sometimes, IMO. I’ve doubted Reid on more than one occasion, but is there anyone in the Democratic Senate that could have gotten the health care bill as far as it has? I know, it could be much better, but I’m just asking. Seriously. I’m not being a smart ass.
Feingold is apparently backpedalling now, Boo.
I love it.
What a fraud.
Posturing, just like he did when he called out Obama for not helping enough.
Feingold always does this crap. He goes to the media rather than expressing things behind closed doors; this is why you can tell when he’s expressing grievances and when he’s posturing.
As has been said, he’s not really a team player. This can be positive and it can be negative. In this context, I think he should STFU.
One has to question the motivation behind Feingold’s remarks. It wasn’t as if there was going to be some kind of backlash if he didn’t offer his statement about Reid. Yet more self foot-shooting by Democrats.
There’s a shocker. Feingold loves nothing more than getting media attention for attacking another Democrat. That’s the only time you hear from him.
or the only time the media give him airtime…
It seems to me that the cool headed thing to do is see how Reid’s numbers go after Obama signs the healthcare bill and the brouhaha over his grandpa Obama comment has died down. Then Reid will have a solid legislative accomplishment to trumpet.
If the people of Nevada then still don’t care – or care for the goodies Reid’s seniority can put their way – then he should probably go. However the last I heard neither the Dems or Gops have decent alternatives on offer, and right now all this looks like a lot of panicking about a few dodgy poll numbers.
Who knows how Obama’s numbers will look in November? If the economy really picks up and Reid has passed a jobs bill and some pork for Nevada then he could be odds on when people actually come to vote.
It seems to be some Dems are seriously challenged in the testicular department. Whatever happened to sticking up for your man/team/policy program? Are the Dems as scaredycats as the Gopers?
If Reid is only in it for his own self-aggrandizement and would retaliate in the event that he lost his leadership position then Dems are better off without him. Some principles just can’t be sacrificed in order to keep everyone happy much less a single individual. Start chipping away at principles and after violating them in rapid succession to keep everyone happy and you find out that you are no longer credible.
I like Feingold, but the same reason why I like him (his principled stands) make him do things to kneecap Democrats as a whole like this.
What was principled about this Reid move? Looks like pure gotcha politics of the sleaziest kind.
There’s nothing principled about this.
mildly offensive remarks to advocate for Reid’s ouster as leader he’s a cowardly cretin. If he has another reason he should have the balls to state it.
What’s “simmering below the surface” is just what’s wrong with our government – nobody wants to actually stand up and speak their mind.