I don't understand what Senator Feinstein's problem is

[dennis4868]

It's clear from testimony that the intelligence community wanted any references to that al-QUEDA group out of the public talking points so as not to tip them off early on after the Benghazi attack. In addition, the intelligence community and Patreaus signed off on the final version of the talking points. But now Sen Feinstein wants answers from the WH and find out who edited out the references to al-QUEDA in the talking points. WHO GIVES A SHIT ABOUT THAT? The CIA said leave it out in the final unclassified talking points and it was done. WHY IS FEINSTEIN GOING ALONG WITH THE GOP BULLSHIT? What is her problem?

[msongs]

1. just another rich, old, closet republican nt

[WinkyDink]

22. Yep---too much money. (Not snark.)

[JimDandy]

2. Where are you hearing she is going along?

Watched her this morning-didn't catch that.

[dennis4868]

4. Read an earlier post on DU

that linked an article saying she needs answers from the WH bec she has lingering concerns that al-QUEDA was taken out of the talking points when everyone in the intelligence community knew early on it was a terrorist attack. WTF?

What did you hear her say on the Sunday morning shows?

[elleng]

3. Could be she sees need to get what you've stated on the record,

for administration to clear the air and to say 'We've explained this, and too bad if you are not satisfied with explanation containing as much secured info as possible.'

[cally]

5. she's horrible and completely tied to defence contractors

I also think she is getting too old and I wish she would retire.

[HiPointDem]

6. +1 on the defense contracting thing.

[dennis4868]

7. But what does that have to do

With her wanting more answers from the WH when it's unnecessary?

[HiPointDem]

8. i don't think any of us out here in the cheap seats can do anything but speculate

about the reasons for anything having to do with US foreign policy.

I speculate that difi's interests aren't entirely pure, and that will affect whatever she does on foreign policy, war, intelligence, etc.

i don't like her and never have, and her husband's business is only one reason. i think she's an empty hat.

[Le Taz Hot]

14. She was just re-elected

so we're stuck with this DINO for another 6 years. She's 79 for gawdsakes. She needs to let in some new blood.

[shanti]

37. what you said

[abelenkpe]

9. Feinstein disappoints again

Wish there was a better dem to take her spot.

[BlueCaliDem]

10. There was. Mike Strimling. But he got less votes than Orly Taitz in the primary

Biographical Highlights

Party: Democratic

Occupation: Consumer Rights Attorney

UC BERKELEY Law Degree Boalt Hall, Uof Chicago (Dean's Honor List), U.C. SANTA CRUZ (B.A. honors) only candidate from UC; LA public schools

PROGRESSIVE Judge Pro Tem Arbitrator Mediator, complex litigation for individuals, public agencies, companies, homeowner associations & union members.

STAFF ATTORNEY FOR APPELLATE & TRIAL COURTS for 5 Years, handling broad variety of civil and criminal matters.

U.S.PEACE CORPS Legal Advisor;State Bar Committee on Administration of Justice; San Francisco and Alameda Bar commendations for pro bono work for poor

LAW PRACTICE in Superor Courts in 12 California Counties, Federal Courts, US Court of Claims in Washington DC, Courts of Appeal

A TRAINED LAWYER who knows class actions, environmental, condemnation, construction, injury, financial, family, probate & civil rights laws

Here's a link to his site with more helpful links that gives you a look at the man I had voted for in the primaries against Dianne Feinstein: http://www.smartvoter.org/2012/06/05/ca/state/vote/strimling_m/

Man! I wish more people had voted for him. I am sick and tired of Dianne Feinstein! She's such a mismatch with Progressive Barbara Boxer while Mike Strimling would have been the perfect match!

[JimDandy]

11. This guy sounds great on paper.

Apparently it's hard for progressive dems to get through primaries.

[Le Taz Hot]

15. The California Democrats Party sees to that. n/t

[Egalitarian Thug]

16. That is the bottom line. There is an organized establishment that ensures that no one

gets through that is not well connected and approved by a minority of business interests that in turn fund them.

When the game is limited to only two players, it is cheap to simply buy both teams. No matter who wins the election, the owners will get what they want.

Just ask how it is possible that so many career politicians come in with fairly moderate means and become extremely wealthy making $150K - $190K a year. Their spouses also fall into fabulous wealth with alarming regularity.

Just how common is it for the child of an upper middle class family to acquire a net worth of $70,000,000 on the pay of a civil servant? That is what Senator Feinstein is worth. This figure does not include her current husband's money, which is reported to be in excess of $400,000,000.

[BlueCaliDem]

21. I've noticed. So it's been proven to be myth that term limits are our elections

because in practice, as long as the candidate keeps his/her nose clean and out of the news, he/she will be re-elected again and again and again until they decide to retire.

I've come to realize that the excuse of elections being the natural term limits is nothing but a farce, because the incumbent appears difficult to remove unless they piss off someone powerful and find themselves in the news long enough to get a negative approval rating. I hope, with Dianne Feinstein's desire to besmirch Susan Rice's rep will earn her the ire of President Obama.

Dianne Feinstein really is no friend to the Democratic Party, and I'm shocked to see how much support she gets from them here in CA. She's a warmonger and war-profiteer, and she not only voted to impeach President Clinton, she helped draft a censure against him with the Republicans when there weren't enough votes in the Senate to remove him. Does that sound like a Democrat to you?

Now she's siding with the Republicans again in taking on Fox "News" Channel talking points and wanting a hearing to find out what had been edited out of the talking points given to Ambassador Rice. I sure do hope President Obama goes after this Republican-in-Democratic-clothing, and exposes her for the fake she is for trying to besmirch Susan Rice.

*Edited to include a longer message

[coalition_unwilling]

13. Marsha Feinland of the Peace and Freedom Party would have also made

a wonderful Senator and, I think, a close confederate of Bernie Sanders.

I voted for Marsha in the primary, then held my nose tightly and voted for warpig Feinstein in the general. As bad as she is, the pig Emken would have been even worse.

[BlueCaliDem]

20. We have a two-party system. To vote for a third party is to give your vote

to either the Republican or the Democrat. This is just how it works.

[Le Taz Hot]

23. That's the status quo.

But history is replete with people and groups who fought the status quo and won. If we continue to accept this corrupt system as "this is just how it works" nothing will ever change.

I KNOW these people, literally. It's a gentrified system and there needs to be more competition WITHOUT the interference of the CDP. The damned CDP needs to treat all Democratic primary candidates equally, THEN support the nominee. That's the way it's supposed to work. In reality, the CDP chooses their candidate and they give that candidate all the resources while starving any challengers. George Carlin was correct when he said that we don't have a Democracy. We have the appearance of Democracy. We need to free California of the stranglehold that is the current closed system.

The GOP has already become impotent here. "No Party Affiliation" is now the largest voter registration category. That SHOULD tell the Democrats something. If the Democrats think they can hold this state by not letting in any progressives, when there is absolutely a demand for them, I think they're delusional. There's a sea change going on in this country and this last election proved it. People aren't going to reject the status quo of the hate and fear-mongering of the GOP while accepting the oligarchy that has become the CDP. The CDP needs to evolve or the CDP will be JUST as irrelevant as the GOP has become.

[BlueCaliDem]

24. I completely agree with you on the CDP. They're corrupt as hell,

but there is such a thing as a Progressive Democrat and a ConservaDem. Feinstein is a ConservaDem (DINO), and I still don't understand why in the hell she's being so coddled here other than having to accept that the CDP is, indeed, corrupted by money - and she has tons of it, thanks to the American taxpayer.

Mike Strimling is a Democrat, but a progressive Democrat. Considering his incredible background, he was/is the right choice for California and for our Party, more in line with Sen. Barbara Boxer than Dianne Feinstein has ever been. I don't need to go outside of our Party to find strong progressives who can strengthen the progressive wing of the Democratic Party in Congress. A third-party candidate would have no influence in the entrenched Congress.

I wanted to see that Bush-cheerleader, Feinstein, GO, but for some strange reason, no one seems to know about Strimling who stands for everything Californians stand for and want. He would have been a powerful voice for a newly pure Democratic California and for the American people.

[Le Taz Hot]

25. Feinstein gets support from the CDP

because she's been useful to them. She's a senior member of the Senate, has money, influence, clout and the following committees:


Chairman, United States Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control
Chairman, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
Senate Committee on Appropriations
Chairman, Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
Member, Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
Member, Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
Member, Subcommittee on Defense
Member, Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Member, Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Senate Committee on Rules and Administration
Senate Committee on the Judiciary
Member, Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security
Member, Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/dianne_feinstein/300043

Your advocacy for your candidate proves my point. He was locked out by the CDP and that is the system in which I am advocating change. Advocating for a third-party is against DU rules and I try to always respect that. Having said that, IF the CDP doesn't allow REAL competition in the primaries, people will start looking for alternatives as they're tired of having to hold their nose and vote for DINOs like Feinstein. There's just too much of a demand for progressive representation in California for that not to happen. It's up to the CDP to open up their doors to diversity.

[BlueCaliDem]

35. Wow. She sure as heck does!

That's one friggin impressive list. Yet, I remind myself again and again, she's only as powerful as the voters who keep voting for her and no amount of money and influence can change that IF we take our civic duty seriously, and are not culled by lying ads.

As I've disclosed in my previous post, I understand the frustration some Democrats have with the Democratic Party, especially the state's wing of it, but I will first try and find candidates for our Party within our Party who are more progressive than the entrenched DINOs inhabiting it now. I would LOVE to see our Senator Barbara Boxer the senior senator of CA.

Mike Strimling is a diehard Democrat, but he actually is a Democrat, through and through. Perhaps we can canvas for him in six years, and I hope he'll win the seat from Feinstein. I'm so tired of her, and I hate it that although she wears the "D" by her name, she's long ago lost any connection with the Democratic Party platform. She's nothing more than a Republican to me.

[coalition_unwilling]

38. Well, the California primary election for U.S. Senate is kind of a weird bird, as

Last edited Mon Nov 19, 2012, 04:30 PM - Edit history (1)

candidates from all parties run against one another and only the top two vote-getters face off in the general election. Thus, it is entirely possible, if a bit improbable, that a Senate general election could feature two Dems running against one another. In the general election for U.S. Senate, one does not have a 3rd-party option provided that the top two vote-getters were a Dem and Rape-publi-scum, as was the case this November when Feinstein faced off against Rape-publi-scum Emken.

[lunatica]

17. I didn't see any Democratic candidate running against her on my ballot

Or I would have voted for him. As it is I voted for her because I refuse to do anything that would give a Republican any advantage. God! I despise that woman!

[BlueCaliDem]

19. Strimling was on my ballot out here in the I.E.

I voted for him, but he got so few votes (less that Birther Queen) that I was depressed. I'd even canvassed for him on DU and among my group, but it was as if people didn't see it.

In the end, I had to vote for DINO Feinstein. I didn't want the Repig to win.

[diane in sf]

12. She would be a Republican in many other states. She's a warmongering, profiteering, debt

increasing, economic royalist. She is however, pro-choice and into gun control after witnessing the Milk and Moscone assassinations. She also approved all of bushler's war plans, judicial appointments, "Patriot " Act and other dreadful shit, even after her constituents begged her in very large number not to do these things. I had hoped she would retire before she ran last time. I would never vote for a Republican, but I cannot bring myself to ever vote for Feinstein.

[lunatica]

18. I remember how sanctimonious she was about voting for the Patriot Act

She said something like, "If I didn't know the secret things about what's going on with the terrorists I would have voted against the Patriot Act like my constituents wanted. But I know things they don't know, so I voted for it."

She said it with her trademark condescending smirk. I'm sure you know exactly what I'm talking about.

[BlueCaliDem]

34. I remember how sanctimonious she was after SCOTUS crowned Duhbya pResident of the WH.

I received a personal e-mail from her back in January 2001 (wished I saved it to copy and paste here), wherein she advised me to "let the recount go and to stand behind "our new president" to begin healing the nation". Yeah right. This after she couldn't let President Clinton's impeachment go and was so pissed off that the senate didn't remove him, that she decided to co-sponsor a censure against him together with the nine sore-loser Republicans.

(WaPo 02/13/1999):

Feinstein later yesterday reintroduced the censure resolution, which had 38 co-sponsors, including nine Republicans, making it part of the Senate record.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/stories/censure021399.htm

[still_one]

26. assuming that feinstein said that, it could be a strategy to make the repukes look like the fools

they are.

Of course feinstein has been know to usually see which way the wind is blowing before she gives an opinion

Personally I see no evidence that the public supports what the republicans want to do with this issue, in fact just the opposite

Most polls show the Presidents approval up to 58%, while the republican approval is decreased even more

[kentuck]

27. She should be pissed off but about other reasons...

She was left out of the loop in regards to the Petraeus affair. She was told nothing. Now she wants to get all pissy about why al Qaeda references were left out of the talking points? It's time for some fresh blood, imo.

[truebluegreen]

28. She's always been more conservative than dem...

<sigh> Think how much better things would be if Harvey Milk was CA's senior senator...

[leveymg]

29. Focusing on this stuff distracts from the Libyan Jihadis and MANPADs to Syria pipeline from Benghazi

Everybody's loudly bickering over the significance of BS failure to assist issue and misrepresentation of the motives for the attack. All of this fogs over the very real regime change policy question of what the CIA and the late Ambassador were doing in Benghazi.

I think DiFi is just adding to the background noise.

This is all getting twisted into a partisan hodge-podge of misleading inquiries and false issues and trivialities. We're all getting so sick of the dog and pony parade that few still pay attention to the fact that we've put ourselves into the middle of a growing proxy war between the Shi'ia and Sunni. Like that's going to work out well.

[AntiFascist]

39. I agree...

there's obviously a covert CIA operation at the root of this that the mainstream media will, no longer, touch with a 10 foot pole. Even if DiFi gets to the root of it, it will likely fall into the black hole of neocon corruption. Some reports indicate that Qatar and Saudi Arabia were funding the "illegal" flow of arms.

[leveymg]

41. The road to Iran goes through Damascus.

DiFi is very much part of that.

[MjolnirTime]

30. I really regret voting for her...again. You'd think California could do better.

[slackmaster]

33. She'll keep getting re-elected until her Heir Apparent has been sufficiently groomed

Whoever that turns out to be, will be an ideological clone.

[Zen Democrat]

31. You have that wrong. She's backing the White House and Susan Rice.

The only change in the talking points that the White House made was to exchange "mission" for "consulate" in order to be more exact. It didn't happen at a consulate, but at a CIA safe house.

[SoCalDem]

32. Diane needs to "spend more time with her family" and let a younger, less crochety person

be the senator..
She's being as nitpicky as Mccain these days..

[amborin]

36. her husband?

[butterfly77]

40. Her problem is..

she is a republiCON portraying herself as a Democrat who always stays right on that line but usually falls on the republiCON side for things that Democrats deeply believe. I have always said how in the hell does she keep getting voted in doesn't she live in California? Someone needs to run against this woman she is another one who is living in the past.