This morning the Senate Judiciary Committee met to consider...and debate...Sen. Russ Feingold's resolution for censure of Bush for ordering the NSA to wiretap the conversations of unsuspecting American citizens. Russ needed support from the rest of the Democrats, and from his witnesses there to testify.

Russ got help from his witnesses, and some from the other Dems......which may not be enough. Fuckin' spineless bastards!

First from Reuters via Google News:

John Dean backs uphill case for censure of Bush

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former White House counsel John Dean said on Friday that U.S. President George W. Bush's domestic spying program raised more concerns about abuse of power than the Watergate scandal that toppled his boss Richard Nixon.

Dean, who served time in prison for his role in Watergate, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on behalf of a seemingly futile Democratic bid to censure Bush for the eavesdropping program that is part of his war on terrorism.

"I appear today because I believe, with good reason, that the situation is even more serious," Dean, whose testimony three decades ago help lead to Nixon's resignation in 1974, said in support of the seldom-used measure to discredit a president.

....and now from New York Times via Google News:

Censure Resolution Sparks Bitter Debate in Senate

WASHINGTON, March 31 — President Bush's once-secret surveillance program sparked a bitter debate today before the Senate Judiciary Committee over what kind of president George W. Bush has become and how he stands in history.

The committee met to consider a resolution by one of its members, Senator Russell D. Feingold, Democrat of Wisconsin, to censure the president over the surveillance program. The resolution was not voted on and is almost surely going nowhere, but it still had the power to ignite feelings.

Under Mr. Bush's theory of government, Mr. Feingold said, "we no longer have a constitutional system consisting of three co-equal branches of government. We have a monarchy."

Senator Patrick J. Leahy of Vermont, the panel's ranking Democrat who was congratulated on his 66th birthday today in a rare moment of bipartisan friendliness, sided with Mr. Feingold, although stopping short of saying he would vote for censure.

The Congressional resolution of force passed after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, makes no mention of surveillance, Mr. Leahy said, yet "the administration claims now that Congress unconsciously authorized warrantless wiretaps."

"This is 'Alice in Wonderland' gone amok," Mr. Leahy said. "It is not what we in Congress said, and it certainly was not what we in Congress intended."

Go read both articles. True to form, the Dems are spineless and the Repubs are trying to legitimize Bush's illegal behavior.

Political labels, just about everyone has one. If you have ever taken a stand on a political issue....which I know most of you have....you've been labeled by someone.

Whether you are a liberal, or a progressive, or a democrat(I know, I didn't need to through this one in), or a socialist, or a communist, or maybe even a moderate republican, you will probably find humor in what I have below. If you're a republican/neocon, or just a plain ol' repub, yor're probably gonna get pissed.

If you are offended by this....waaaa, that's too bad. And for those who maybe/are offended remember one thing: It was King Louis XVI who BANKROLLED THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION!


And now for your enjoyment, the following:

I've written about it before....and, yeh, I think Russ would be a good President. If you stop to think about what some of the other "hopefuls" have done, along with their spinlessness, there is not one who has consistently stood up for us.

From the Associated Press via the Boston Globe:

Feingold's censure resolution may pay off

WASHINGTON --While only two Democrats in the Senate have embraced Sen. Russ Feingold's call for censuring President Bush, the idea is increasing his standing among many Democratic voters as he ponders a bid for the party's presidential nomination in 2008.

Feingold, a Wisconsin Democrat, insists his proposal has nothing to do with his political ambitions. But he does challenge Democrats who argue it will help energize Republicans.

"Those Democrats said that within two minutes of my announcing my idea," Feingold said in a telephone interview last week. "I don't see any serious evidence of that."

A Newsweek poll taken March 16-17 found that 50 percent of those surveyed opposed censuring Bush while 42 percent supported it, but among Democrats, 60 percent favored the effort.

Feingold's resolution would censure the president for authorizing a warrantless surveillance program, which the senator contends is illegal. Co-sponsors are Democratic Sens. Tom Harkin of Iowa and Barbara Boxer of California.

......and.....

Feingold said his sole purpose was to hold Bush accountable, but he argued that it's also good politics.

"These Democratic pundits are all scared of the Republican base getting energized, but they're willing to pay the price of not energizing the Democratic base," he said. "It's an overly defensive and meek approach to politics."

Some Democrats have accused Feingold of putting his 2008 presidential ambitions over helping Democrats try to recapture the House and Senate in this year's midterm elections. Should Feingold run, his opposition to the war in Iraq, the Patriot Act and the spying program would help position him as the liberal candidate.

...............

More at the link.