Manipulative Russ Feingold

Are there mavericks in the U.S. Senate?

The names of John McCain and Russ Feingold usually come up. The Old Media like to attach that label to politicians they deem to be brave risk takers.

More often than not, these mavericks are manipulators, skilled at playing the press and getting the Old Media's attention and adoration.
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In an interview that aired on Milwaukee TV Sunday night, Senator Russ Feingold refused to say whether or not he planned to vote to confirm the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court of the United States.

The interviewer, Mike Gousha, asked Feingold, "How are you going to vote on Tuesday?"

Feingold responded, "Well, I haven't finally decided. I do have serious concerns about Judge Alito. I'll be making a statement and a decision on Tuesday.

He stated that he was uncomfortable with the answers that Alito provided regarding executive power, wiretapping, torture, and eavesdropping.

Feingold said, "I gotta tell you, I didn't get a very strong answer from him. So it made me very concerned and, um, you know, I'm gonna have to consider those things before I put somebody on a lifetime position on the Supreme Court who's only 55 years old.

Gousha followed up, "So it's those couple of issues that make him less acceptable than, for example, a Justice Roberts."

Feingold said, "It's not the issues. It's whether or not overall I get the feeling that this man is capable of being objective in the critical cases.

"He's clearly qualified from the legal point of view, just like Roberts was. He's a decent person. But he seems to have more of an ideological agenda based on his rulings...

"[I]t's hard to imagine him being as objective as he should be when he may be the final decision-maker on the Supreme Court, given the fact that he would succeed Justice O'Connor, who was often the critical deciding vote. So, this is a very important decision."

Are we to believe that Feingold hasn't made a decision on Alito?

I don't buy that. I think Feingold is just trying to milk this thing for all it's worth. If he announced how he planned to vote, he would lose the attention of the press. The case would be closed. Instead, he can keep up the suspense and keep the cameras focused on him while he pretends to be undecided.

I think it's really a joke that Feingold comes right out and says that Alito is "clearly qualified from the legal point of view, just like Roberts was. He's a decent person."

OK. That should settle it, right? Supreme Court Justices SHOULD be confirmed on the basis of their qualifications. It's that simple. Feingold acknowledged that Alito is CLEARLY qualified.

Although at first he says it's not Alito's apparent stance on issues that bothers him, he turns around and says that is the problem.

In effect, Feingold also says that because Alito is filling Justice "Swingin' O'Connor's" seat, being qualified in terms of the law and in terms of character is not enough.

Feingold should have just said straight out that Alito is too conservative.

Remember, the Republicans confirmed Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the first director of the ACLU's Women's Rights Project, by an overwhelming vote of 96-3. She was CLEARLY extreme, an ideologue. Nonetheless, the Republicans did not block her nomination. She sailed on to the Court.

In Alito's case, it appears that he may only receive one or two Dem votes, a handful at most.

That is positively disgraceful. The Dems are pandering to their radical Left base. Failing to vote for a CLEARLY qualified nominee, to use Feingold's words, will expose the Dems as catering to mindless Michael Moore, Barbra Streisand, Harry Belafonte wacko types.

Rather than acting on principle, the Dems are content to play political games with the Supreme Court.

The comments of the supposedly highly principled, maverick Senator Feingold reveal something very telling, that he's not a maverick at all. He's really more of a manipulator. He's becoming the P.T. Barnum of the Senate.

I find Feingold's adherence to his "still undecided" facade to be very annoying. It's CLEARLY self-serving and discredits his image as a man of integrity. He's killed that.

Feingold's silly gamesmanship is meaningless in terms of the outcome of the confirmation vote. It's a complete waste. That makes his fakery even more irritating.

The Dems should give it up. They have lost this one. Judge Alito will soon have the title of Justice Alito -- for life.

FOR LIFE!