DEMS FAIL TO SUPPORT FEINGOLD RESOLUTION

What are they thinking?

Harry Reid declines to endorse, says he "hasn't read it."

Nancy Pelosi declines to endorse and says, "the House and the Senate must fully investigate the program and assign responsibility for any laws that may have been broken." AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN WHILE THE RETHUGS CONTROL CONGRESS. Just ask Sen. Pat Roberts.

John Kerry says he will "need to take a closer look at a proposal that would censure President Bush over the president's domestic spying program before he decides whether to support it."

I suppose these Democratic leaders are hoping against hope that we'll take over control of the House or Senate in the 2006 midterm elections and that then they'll get the opportunity for a little oversight. At the rate of events under Bush, the illegal wiretapping will be an old story and dead issue something along the lines of the Downing Street Memo. Bush is still breaking the law RIGHT NOW, the current Congressional leadership won't investigate it (are you kidding?) honestly, and Feingold's resolution is the best thing we've got going to refocus media and public attention on this issue. There's no real debate: almost every legal expert has declared that Bush is breaking the law, he's flaunting it, and he's pledged to continue doing it. A responsible Senate HAS NO CHOICE but to bring such a resolution to the floor AND TO PASS IT. Any Senator opposing it says by doing so that he/she doesn't care if the president violates the Constitution and the law of the land as long as that president is George W. Bush.

Dems better rethink, and think fast, about opposing the resolution, especially those eyeing the presidency in 2008.

One Democratic political organizer, Joseph Trippi, told The New York Sun that Mr. Feingold's call will require some response from other contenders for the 2008 nomination.

"Regardless of the public opposition and of how many people roll their eyes, this is pretty serious stuff," Mr. Trippi said. "I think it's going to have an effect on the rest of the field."

Mr. Trippi said he thought Mr. Feingold's motivations were sincere and consistent with his long track record in favor of civil liberties. The senator is already popular among online activists, sometimes called the "netroots," and will gain ground with his latest move, the analyst said.

Mr. Trippi warned that any potential candidate who dismisses the censure idea risks being flamed online. "Anybody who says this is going too far is somebody who's probably writing off that side of things," he said. "Anybody who writes off the netroots or says you don't have to pay attention is really playing with dynamite."

Tags: Russ Feingold, President Bush, resolution to censure, illegal NSA wiretapping