Digby on Huff Post: "The Dems are Missing the Boat on Feingold"

[flpoljunkie]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/digby/the-dems-are-missing-the-_b_17475.html

Digby answers Democrats' reasons for not supporting Feingold:

None of these reasons hold up for me. They do not denote timidity, so much as a kind of political blindness. Let's take them one by one:

One: The port legislation was reported on CNN. And it was reported with as much fanfare as it ever would have been. But it is as dry as tinder. The mojo of that controversy is past. It did its job. It helped to further drive the president's approval ratings into the dirt and split the Republicans from the president. Any thought that the controversy could be effectively extended by legislation announced in a press conference by Nancy Pelosi is wishful thinking. That's not a good reason not to do it, of course. But it isn't an excuse to be angry at Feingold.

Two: Please tell me that the Democrats are not going to withhold criticim of Bush because it might make Republicans rally around him. Karl Rove and Tom DeLay have run the GOP with an iron fist for almost eight years. The Republicans have lost the ability to function without them. They are confused and rudderless and they will run back and forth toward Bush and against him dozens of times over the next few months. They literally don't know where to turn. Yes, Feingold probably did bring Republicans together. For five full minutes until the latest polls came in which have George W. Bush at 33% today. Do Democrats really think that Republicans can turn that around if they vote for this censure motion? (If they do then Rove and Delay have already done their jobs well. They have convinced the Democrats that the GOP is omnipotent.)

Three: It's apparently true that Feingold didn't consult with the party. But considering the response I can sort of see his point. Something dramatic had to happen to change the dynamic. If party coodination means being forced to wait for them to hold plodding press conferences about x-raying cargo boxes, then it's hard to see why anyone who wants to take the fight to the Republicans would bother.

Four: Iraq is the issue that's killing the Republicans in the polls. It is going to be with us thoughout the campaign and the Dems need to use it effectively. All national security issues, planned or otherwise, should seamlessly pivot to Iraq. If it isn't part of the agreed upon calendar of events for a particular day, then make room for it every chance you get.

Five: Well yes, by all means a strategy whereby we count on Arlen Specter to hold "real" hearings is spot on. What could possibly go wrong? Why, if we wait until after the 2008 election, he might even do it. And Democrats worry far too much about looking "silly" to beltway pundits and Republican attack dogs. They need to start worring a little bit more about how they look to their base. This image of "powerlessness" at a time when the Republicans are on the ropes is the biggest problem Democrats face for the fall elections. If Democratic pols don't understand that they are flirting with terrible grassroots defeatism, then they are going to lose. They must take action (and I don't mean boring press conferences and 10 point plans) or it won't matter a damn if the Republicans are imploding --- demoralized Democrats are not going to bother to vote. Rage is not enough. People must see that Democrats have the will to win or they are going to lose hope.

Feingold stepped up and spoke for millions of Americans who see this administration's abuse of power as a very serious matter for which this president should be held to account. We are desperate for such leadership and we care nothing about the lack of political politesse with which it was raised. The president and his party are held in very low esteem by two thirds of the country. If not now, when?