The Real Deal

I’m always a little reluctant to write about Senator Russ Feingold because it inevitably leads to teasing about my (non-existent) crush on the man, but it’s hard to ignore him when he consistently proves himself the best of the lot of potential Democratic Presidential candidates.  He’s so good on the issues, he could write my blog for Christ’s sake (I am going on vacation next month, maybe I’ll ask him to fill in) and he’s great with a crowd.  He’s got the right message at the right time, too bad the pundits are determined to keep him relegated to the fringe.

There is a great interview with Feingold in The Washington Post.  It is refreshing to hear a politician talk like the rest of us, and not out of both sides of his mouth at the same time.  He answers all of the questions in a straightforward and honest way and doesn’t mince any words.  He has the kind of “spine” that we are constantly begging our Democratic leaders to have and he has a proven track record of reaching across the aisle to reach consensus on issues (ever heard of McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform).  Reading his words or listening to him speak, it is hard not to be reminded of FDR, he’s tough, speaks his mind and isn’t afraid to stand on principle, even if he’s all alone in doing so.  We need a liberal to fix this country and Russ Feingold is an unapologetic liberal who speaks with the kind of authority that comes from knowing for certain that you are fighting for what is right.  

And the thing that we all should realize is that Russ Feingold is not a fringe left candidate!  He advocates for what most Americans want.  Universal healthcare is not a fringe idea!  72% of the country thinks government should provide health insurance for all citizens.  Withdrawing our troops from Iraq is not a fringe position!  68% of Americans think the war was a mistake.  Publicly funded elections are not a loony left position!  We all see the corruption of the legislative process at the hands of lobbyists that are paid outrageous fees by corporate interests and even in 2000, 68% of us favored publicly financed elections.  Allowing the President to break the law is not what Americans want and no matter how many carefully worded questions are posed to the electorate, we do not want to be spied on by our government!  Shit, impeachment isn’t even a fringe idea so how in the hell could censure be considered the domain of only the tinfoil hat crowd?

Russ Feingold is saying what most Americans want to hear.  The fact that the mainstream media is going out of their way to ignore him when possible and cast him as “out of touch with mainstream America” when they can’t, should be a tip off that his appeal is much broader than they are comfortable with.  Check out what he has to say and go see him when he comes to your town.  We need a liberal in the White House, not another middle of the road Democrat that will keep this war in Iraq going and continue the flow of money to oil companies at the expense of citizens and the environment.  Russ Feingold is the real deal.  He is authentic, honest, on the right side of the issues and has a spine of steel.  He is everything we say we want, I hope when the time comes, we put our money where our mouth is and support him, regardless of what the DC consulting class says.