The Jed Report not happy with Feingold

[ProSense]

Sun Aug 10, 1:21 PM Pacific

Russ Feingold Makes John McCain's Day

Either Russ Feingold is the most naive politician in America, or he just doesn't care who wins in November.

He says that he's for Obama but is out there calling John McCain a "maverick by nature" and saying "the notion that somehow (McCain) is going to get in there and be some kind of ideological Newt Gingrich right-winger is a joke. There's no way that he would do that."

It gets better. Here's some more choice Feingoldisms on McCain:

• "He's a very good legislator from my point of view, because when he gets onto something, he doesn't just want to introduce a bill, he likes to move it. And he's fearless."
  
  
• "He's a great guy to fight an uphill battle with legislatively. He keeps his word. . . . I probably shouldn't be saying this stuff, but to be honest about it, it was one of the better professional experiences I've ever had in my life."
  
  
• "He does seem much more tight and less fun than he was in the 2000 campaign. I worry for his sake - though I'm supporting his opponent - that his handlers are constraining him too much."
  
  
• "It's unfair, because McCain's a blast. He's fun to be around. He's certainly young in spirit. He's actually very young in energy."
  
  
• "Yes, he shows temper. But he burns fast, and he doesn't let it cloud his judgment. He would not be a loose cannon in the Oval Office. It's not like he's going to pick up the red phone in a rage."
  
  
• "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. 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."

Can you imagine if Hillary Clinton had said these things?

Call me cynical, but this sounds like Ross Feingold is more interested in getting reelected in 2010 than helping Democrats retake The White House in 2008.

[billyoc]

1. Of course he's more interested in getting reelected. Him and 537 others.

To think otherwise would be foolish.

[ProSense]

2. Feingold isn't up for relection for another two years. n/t

[billyoc]

4. Yes, the OP mentioned that.

[ProSense]

5. My point is that I doubt he's campaigning now despite the reference.

Frankly, I'm not sure what Feingold is doing.

[Upton]

3. Maybe he's been taking lessons from Lieberman

sure sounds like it.

[TwilightGardener]

6. WTF? Feingold is officially a fucking idiot.

[KittyWampus]

12. Oh good. After all years we FINALLY get a thread to hate Feingold.

[TwilightGardener]

14. Well, what's the explanation for him saying flattering things that are essentially

untrue about McCorpse, at Obama's expense? I see one of three reasons: #1--Jealousy. Russ had contemplated running himself, remember. #2--An attempt to make himself look "independent-minded" and post partisan. Or, #3--He doesn't see Obama as an acceptable standard-bearer for the party, perhaps due to the public-financing issue, and is out to exact a little revenge. Oops, edit for a possible 4th reason--maybe Russ, like Hillary, simply likes McCain better because of exclusive Senate clubbiness--it's not party or positions, it's how long you worked with someone that earns your respect.

[Skwmom]

44. His criticism of Obama over the public financing issue was harsh.

Why hasn't he come out and criticized McCain on his using campaign financing loopholes?

Why can't he admit that Obama would have been crazy to accept public financing b/c Obama would have been unable to fight back against the RNC and media?

Public financing is impossible UNTIL something is done about the corporate controlled media. The fact that Feingold fails to admit the obvious tells me he either doesn't get it or refuses to acknowledge the flaws with campaign finance reform b/c it would diminish his "great" accomplishment.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that accepting public funds would give the corporate media even more of a voice in electing the next President.

[joanski0]

7. If Feingold really said this stuff, than I am more

disappointed in him than I am in Johnny Edwards.

[ErinBerin84]

8. McCain didn't kiss up to the Republican establishment for the nomination?

Really?


I read this on Politico earlier and was disappointed, (if this is what he said)...I always wished he would comment on McCain's own McCain-Feingold shenanigans, since he commented on Obama not taking public financing.

[PresidentObama]

9. I know, what the fuck is Russ smoking?

McCain flip-flopped on EVERYTHING to appeal to conservatives.

[gateley]

10. There is NO justification for Feingold to be singing McCain's praises,

or defending him.

Plenty of other people are his "friend", and haven't said things that almost stand in support of him. :grr:

Damn! Feingold? Damn!

[PresidentObama]

11. I know. Of all people, Feingold? FEINGOLD?!? I expected this out of Lieberman.

But Russ?

Christ on a cracker, wow.

[CrispyQ]

18. My thoughts, exactly!

Feingold is one of the last dems I would expect this kind of statement from.

Disappointment doesn't begin to express my feeling.

[gateley]

13. Feingold sez:

"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."

We have a photo of McCain's nose in GWB's armpit that would argue against that statement.

Also, somebody else on Jed's blog mentioned:

"Feingold was also the only Democrat to publicly criticize Obama on opting out of public financing."


Hmmm. This is really disappointing.


EDIT: Oops -- ErinBerin84 already mentioned these points, but I'm keeping the post because my ire is still riled!

[ErinBerin84]

21. heh, no problem. It's worth repeating!

I also noticed the other day that in the DNC response ad to the McCain ad of "Dems praising McCain", Feingold was the only one of the Dems who was included in the original McCain ad that did not provide a worthy soundbite for the DNC ad . It's a shame.

[gateley]

24. Wow! I'm impressed by your laser sharp powers of observation --

you are SO RIGHT!

Has he EVER said anything positive about Obama?

[ErinBerin84]

26. I'm sure he probably has...maybe he just hasn't said enough negative things about McCain

and I don't want these posts to take away from putting out that I REALLY like him a lot, I just disagree with some of these points he has made.

[gateley]

28. i like him a lot, too -- a LOT.

It's not just that I disagree with these statements, it's that in this election it's just wrong for a Dem to come to the defense of the Rep nominee.

As somebody said, though, the timing of these statements says a lot. Guess I'd better look into that before I fire off a scathing e-mail to him!

[BlooInBloo]

15. Even the good ones have crappy moments....

Besides, didn't Feingold support Clinton?

[Alexander]

19. No, Feingold supported and voted for Obama.

[BlooInBloo]

23. Ok - thanks - just some crappy moments then.

[stray cat]

16. The date of the statements is important. Kerry mentioned him as VP 4 years ago

The 2000 John McCain wouldn't be likely to vote for the 2008 version

[ProSense]

17. Kerry did not mention him as VP. n/t

[PresidentObama]

25. Agreed. I never saw one article on Feingold being on Kerry's short list in 04'

I don't know where this poster got that.

[Alexander]

32. That doesn't mean he won't be the VP in 2008.

[ProSense]

34. I don't think the poster was talking about Feingold. n/t

[PresidentObama]

39. McCain? Oh no, why do people keep pushing that?

[Alexander]

20. I think Feingold is playing nice because he's going to be Obama's VP.

And traditionally the VP is the "attack dog" of the campaign.

I could see Feingold being nice to McCain now for a few reasons.

1) He doesn't want to give any hint that he'll be on the ticket.

2) He doesn't want to use the attack dog ammo too early.

3) He wants to appear post-partisan and like a "maverick" in his own party.

4) Obama has said he doesn't want his VP to be a "yes-man", in other words, he wants someone who will disagree with him sometimes.

All of those quotes could be true and it wouldn't bother me in the slightest.

[Kermitt Gribble]

22. Feingold is one of the best we have in the senate.

I'll judge him by his voting record rather than some quotes we don't even know for sure are accurate, or if he said them at all.

Not much room under the bus these days. Some DUers are unbelievably disappointing.

[Alexander]

27. Agreed. His actions are a lot stronger than these words.

Compare that to, say, John Edwards, who we found out is a phony on all fronts.

Feingold actually walked the walk, unlike most politicians.

Can anyone here name another US Senator besides Feingold who voted against the USA PATRIOT Act?

Answer: No.

[ProSense]

29. This has nothing to do with his voting record or judging him.

He needs to stop portraying McBush as something he is not.

You say "we don't even know for sure are accurate," but there are a lot of direct quotes there and all of them inaccurate in their portrayal of McCain.

McCain voted for waterboarding and supports everything Bush stands for. Feingold's statements are odd.

[Kermitt Gribble]

30. Nothing to do with judging him?

From the OP:
"Either Russ Feingold is the most naive politician in America, or he just doesn't care who wins in November."

"Call me cynical, but this sounds like Ross Feingold is more interested in getting reelected in 2010 than helping Democrats retake The White House in 2008."

Plus many knee jerk posts throughout this thread.

It has everything to do with his voting record - Feingold is one of the few true Democratic/liberal senators we have left, anyone here condemning him is shameful.

[ProSense]

31. He's questioning the statements with hypotheticals, not his voting record. The statements

are worth a raised eyebrow. When Feingold made his argument for the confirmation of John Roberts, he was resoundingly criticized. Obama came to his defense by posting a diary on Daily Kos.

It would be one thing if most Democrats' characterization of McCain was spin, but it is not.

Feingold his saying here that it is, which is hogwash.

[Alexander]

35. I think this is just more evidence that Feingold will be the VP.

Playing it nice now so he doesn't have to answer for any nasty statements about McCain later.

And he doesn't want to get into attack dog mode before the time is right.

[Upton]

33. Need I remind you

that the race in Wisc. will undoubtedly be close. Remarks such as this could put McCain over the top there.

[Alexander]

36. No, it will not be close. Obama's up 10 points in Wisconsin.

Need I remind you that Feingold did better than Kerry in 2004, and that placing him on the ticket would guarantee strong appeal from Independents and Republicans?

[Upton]

38. That would be nice but I wouldn't count on it

both Kerry and Gore only won by 1% there. Feingold's remarks just aren't helpful.

[Alexander]

40. Obama's from next door and has a lot more charisma than Gore and Kerry.

Between Obama and Dean, it seems the party's organizational skills are unmatched thus far.

Remember how the polls said it was close between Obama and Clinton in Wisconsin, and then Obama won in a huge blowout? If anything, polling is underestimating Obama's support.

We will win Wisconsin this year, and by a landslide if the ticket is Obama/Feingold.

[kwolf68]

55. Agree

Russ is a great leader. If Paul Wellstone had come out saying great things about Chimpy McCokespoon and voted the way he voted I wouldn't give two shits. The real work is how you handle your business in the Senate, not some damn quote.

On handling Senate business...who does it better than Russ? Get a grip people.

[MasonJar]

37. It is hard to believe that Russ Feingold said these erroneous things.

If so, I am triple confused and surprised and irritated.

[Alexander]

41. I prefer to judge people by what they do, not what they say.

Case in point: John Edwards.

[ladjf]

42. If Feingold said those things, I'm very disappointed.

I got over his ardent support of Israel attacking Lebanon shrugging it off as the necessities of politics. But this McCain stuff in nuts. Maybe he didn't say it.

[Skwmom]

46. Well if he's an ardent supporter of Israel maybe he wants McCain elected b/c he

views McCain as an Israel first loyalist (like Lieberman).

[Alexander]

49. That is the dumbest post I've read all day.

You're claiming the Senate's progressive hero, the only one to censure Bush and vote against the PATRIOT Act, is voting McCain because of Israel?

What an idiotic bunch of anti-Semitic tripe. You ought to be ashamed of yourself. Slink back to your hole where you came from already.

[Skwmom]

52. The anti-Semitic charge. What a surprise. Isn't Lieberman, a big neocon supporter, considered

a good Democratic vote in many ways?

Just because someone does not believe in blind support of Israel does not make them anti-Semitic.

I don't believe our blind support of their actions has helped them or our country. And surprise, surprise, I have Jewish friends who believe the same.

On edit: So why is Feingold making such comments? I heard him comment on the public financing and it really made me wince b/c he painted Obama in a very unfavorable light.

It can't be b/c Feingold is such an honest straight shooter b/c if he was he wouldn't remain silent and perpetrate the myth of John McCain while tearing down Obama for not accepting public financing. Feingold is not some new kid on the block. He has to realize that if Obama accepted public financing he would have do way to combat the media and RNC smears. Plus, where is the criticism about John McCain exploiting loopholes in campaign finance? Old Russ sure has been awful silent about that. Where's the outrage?

[Gregorian]

43. I have enough confidence in Feingold that I have to temper my response.

This is the man who wrote the bill to censure Bush.

Now if I take off my DU glasses and squint really hard, I can see truth in every statement he made on McCain. Revisit those Daily Show interviews with McCain. I guess it's like saying you'd want to have a beer with Bush. In all reality, if you divorce the fact that he's a war criminal, it would probably be somewhat entertaining to drink with Bush. Hell, Pol Pot was supposedly a charmer. I guess that's my context on this thing.

And now I'm swaying in Clark's direction as VP. Clark's the man we need. Leave Feingold in Congress where he belongs.

[Colobo]

45. Feingold is truly stupid then!

[scarletwoman]

47. I'd like to know WHEN Feingold said those things. Last week? Last month? Last year?

Two years ago? Six years ago? How many of those quotes are old and how many of them are recent? To whom was he speaking when he said those things?

I think it's a little dishonest to just put out a compilation of quotes without context or sources. Not that I care to justify ANY of them, but I want to at least be fair enough to judge them in the context in which they occurred.

sw

[TheKentuckian]

48. I just like everyone on message

Senator Drill Surgent McKeating Five is fine.

McBush
McSame
McInsane
McSenile

are also acceptable. Though crass.

All the "Maverick" stuff went out the window when he flipped on all the few little issues that made him different than the rest of the nutbags.

This man is such a puppet to those who brought us Dubya, that he isn't permitted to speak on behalf of his own campaign.

The McSame campaign must be forced to explain how they differ from Bush. So far, it sounds like a surge on the same. Make them say that or smash their base. The question must be posed repeatedly to the McKeating Five campaign, "What will be different under the McCain Administration from Bush's?".

There's no winning answer for him and it must be asked.

[Alexander]

50. Exactly. They could easily be making these quotes up or taking them out of context.

Amazing how quick some idiots here are to attack Feingold over this.

[Canuckistanian]

51. I could understand collegial respect

But when he mentions "The Oval Office", he's gone too far.

Even if you think your opposition is worthy, you don't praise of the idea of him as president.

And certainly not OUT LOUD IN FRONT OF RECORDING DEVICES.

[Overseas]

53. Seems like Jed Report WANTS TO SMASH DEMOCRATS IN GENERAL.

Because the comments are pulled out of context and laid out there as a group, it sounds like the JED REPORT wants to smash Democrats in general by insulting Feingold.

I'll bet in the "honorable gentleman from Oregon" language world, you could find all kinds of compliments that Democrats have paid to Republicans and vice versa.

And because JSM III has said whatever he thought necessary to advance his career, I'm sure Jed could dig up compliments paid by all kinds of Democrats.

He could get us to hate all the leading Democrats. They try to be bipartisan, so Jed can probably find Ted Kennedy compliments to McCain.

[ProSense]

54. The Jed Report is not responsible for this

Feingold: McCain "Calls 'Em As He Sees 'Em"

By Greg Sargent - August 11, 2008, 12:52PM

What's in the water Dems are drinking today? Don't they want Obama to win the presidential race?

First we had Bob Kerrey praising McCain as someone whose war service shows he "can deal with a crisis." Now the Milwakee Journal Sentinal has this from Senator Russell Feingold:

"I think the guy calls 'em as he sees 'em, and as president would call 'em as he sees 'em, and would make people mad all over the place because it wouldn't fit anybody's playbook," said Feingold, who teamed up with McCain to rewrite federal campaign laws.

"He would be very original," Feingold said.

Feingold even went on to describe McCain as a "maverick by nature."

This isn't exactly on message with the Obama camp. In fact, the Obama campaign message is that McCain has an image as a maverick who "calls 'em as he sees 'em" but that in reality he isn't that at all. Obviously, someone somewhere has decided that Obama's most prominent surrogates are all supposed to go out and praise McCain en masse today in terms directly at odds with Dem efforts to define him.

Thanks to TPM Reader JR for spotting this one.

[Overseas]

56. Seems like a Republican campaign move-- compile Dem comments praising JSM III.

JSM III's camp recently ran their ad with HRC praising his experience and that hit a nerve.

So it kind of seems like a Republican plan to build on that morale killer -- alert all their pals to find, promote and discuss all Democratic comments praising JSM III now while the iron is hot.

The Bob Kerry dumb comment may be new, but as others above noted, the Feingold group seems like a compilation, with no info regarding sources or timing.

[ProSense]

58. The timing is in the story

"But the notion that somehow (McCain) is going to get in there and be some kind of ideological Newt Gingrich right-winger is a joke. There's no way that he would do that," Feingold said.

Worked with both

Feingold was interviewed about the race because of his unique history with the two presumptive nominees, partnering on each man's signature legislative effort: in McCain's case, the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law of 2002; in Obama's case, the ethics and lobbying reforms of 2007.

[barack the house]

57. No wonder things get so hard for us. Well he said one positive thing in this clip-->

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qj942vfKP_E