On 3/13/06, Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) introduced a resolution to censure George Bush for illegally wiretapping American citizens.
Of course we believe Bush deserves far more than censure. Feingold said Bush's illegal wiretapping "is right in the strike zone of the concept of high crimes and misdemeanors" - so impeachment is "an option that we could look at." You go, Russ!
Naturally, Republicans went ballistic. Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN) called Feingold "crazy" and tried to strangle his resolution in the crib. But Democrats wouldn't let him, so now the bill will go to the Judiciary Committee for further consideration.
Feingold's gutsy action has forced a debate on a topic that has been taboo in Washington: how to hold George Bush accountable for his innumerable crimes. Obviously this is a debate Republicans are desperate to avoid at all costs. But why are Democrats (other than Feingold) avoiding it too?
Feingold himself is baffled. He told Fox News "I'm amazed at Democrats, cowering with this president's numbers so low. The administration just has to raise the specter of the war and the Democrats run and hide... Too many Democrats are going to do the same thing they did in 2000 and 2004. In the face of this, they'll say we'd better just focus on domestic issues... [Democrats shouldn't] cower to the argument, that whatever you do, if you question the administration, you're helping the terrorists."
We couldn't agree more. The time has come for Senate Democrats to stand up to George Bush and the Republican thugs in Congress and the Media.
Call your Senators at 202-224-3121 or toll-free at 888-355-3588 or 888-818-6641 or directly at the # below and deliver a simple message:
"I urge you to support Senator Feingold's bill to censure George Bush."
And for Democratic Senators, add this:
"And stop cowering in fear of Republican thugs!"
This is not a one-day issue. We're going to keep after all 100 Senators until they censure Bush - and ultimately impeach him. Let us know the answers you get when you call by posting below, and we will update our tally below.
http://democrats.com/senate-censure
Censure Champions (S.Res.398 Cosponsors)
Russell D. Feingold (D-WI) 202-224-5323
Tom Harkin (D-IA) 202-224-3254
Barbara Boxer (D-CA) 202-224-3553
Cowering Democrats (* supported censure of Clinton)
Mark Pryor (D-AR) 202-224-2353
*Blanche Lambert Lincoln (D-AR) 202-224-4843
*Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) 202-224-3841
Ken Salazar (D-CO) 202-224-5852
Christopher J. Dodd (D-CT) 202-224-2823
Thomas R. Carper (D-DE) 202-224-2441
Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE) 202-224-5042
Bill Nelson (D-FL) 202-224-5274
*Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI) 202-224-6361
*Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI) 202-224-3934
Barack Obama (D-IL) 202-224-2854
*Richard J. Durbin (D-IL) 202-224-2152
*Mary Landrieu (D-LA) 202-224-5824
*John F. Kerry (D-MA) 202-224-2742
*Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) 202-224-4543
*Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD) 202-224-4654
Paul S. Sarbanes (D-MD) 202-224-4524
Debbie A. Stabenow (D-MI) 202-224-4822
*Carl Levin (D-MI) 202-224-6221
Mark Dayton (D-MN) 202-224-3244
*Max Baucus (D-MT) 202-224-2651
*Byron L. Dorgan (D-ND) 202-224-2551
Kent Conrad (D-ND) 202-224-2043
Ben Nelson (D-NE) 202-224-6551
Robert Menendez (D-NJ) 202-224-4744
Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) 202-224-3224
Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) 202-224-5521
*Harry Reid (D-NV) 202-224-3542
Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) 202-224-4451
*Charles Schumer (D-NY) 202-224-6542
*Ron Wyden (D-OR) 202-224-5244
*Jack Reed (D-RI) 202-224-4642
Tim Johnson (D-SD) 202-224-5842
*James M. Jeffords (I-VT) 202-224-5141
Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT) 202-224-4242
Maria Cantwell (D-WA) 202-224-3441
*Patty Murray (D-WA) 202-224-2621
*Herb Kohl (D-WI) 202-224-5653
*John D. Rockefeller, IV (D-WV) 202-224-6472
Robert C. Byrd (D-WV) 202-224-3954
Bushkissing Democrats
*Joseph I. Lieberman (D-CT) 202-224-4041
Evan Bayh (D-IN) 202-224-5623
Goosestepping Republicans
Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) 202-224-6665
Ted Stevens (R-AK) 202-224-3004
Jeff Sessions (R-AL) 202-224-4124
Richard C. Shelby (R-AL) 202-224-5744
Jon Kyl (R-AZ) 202-224-4521
John McCain (R-AZ) 202-224-2235
Wayne Allard (R-CO) 202-224-5941
Mel Martinez (R-FL) 202-224-3041
Johnny Isakson (R-GA) 202-224-3643
Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) 202-224-3521
Charles E. Grassley (R-IA) 202-224-3744
Mike Crapo (R-ID) 202-224-6142
Larry E. Craig (R-ID) 202-224-2752
Richard G. Lugar (R-IN) 202-224-4814
Pat Roberts (R-KS) 202-224-4774
Sam Brownback (R-KS) 202-224-6521
Jim Bunning (R-KY) 202-224-4343
Mitch McConnell (R-KY) 202-224-2541
David Vitter (R-LA) 202-224-4623
Susan Collins (R-ME) 202-224-2523
Olympia Snowe (R-ME) 202-224-5344
Norm Coleman (R-MN) 202-224-5641
Jim Talent (R-MO) 202-224-6154
Christopher S. Bond (R-MO) 202-224-5721
Trent Lott (R-MS) 202-224-6253
Thad Cochran (R-MS) 202-224-5054
Conrad R. Burns (R-MT) 202-224-2644
Richard Burr (R-NC) 202-224-3154
Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) 202-224-6342
Chuck Hagel (R-NE) 202-224-4224
John Sununu (R-NH) 202-224-2841
Judd Gregg (R-NH) 202-224-3324
Pete V. Domenici (R-NM) 202-224-6621
John Ensign (R-NV) 202-224-6244
George Voinovich (R-OH) 202-224-3353
Mike DeWine (R-OH) 202-224-2315
Tom Coburn (R-OK) 202-224-5754
James M. Inhofe (R-OK) 202-224-4721
Gordon Smith (R-OR) 202-224-3753
Rick Santorum (R-PA) 202-224-6324
Arlen Specter (R-PA) 202-224-4254
Lincoln D. Chafee (R-RI) 202-224-2921
James DeMint (R-SC) 202-224-6121
Lindsey Graham (R-SC) 202-224-5972
John R. Thune (R-SD) 202-224-2321
Lamar Alexander (R-TN) 202-224-4944
William H. Frist (R-TN) 202-224-3344
John Cornyn (R-TX) 202-224-2934
Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) 202-224-5922
Robert F. Bennett (R-UT) 202-224-5444
Orrin G. Hatch (R-UT) 202-224-5251
George Allen (R-VA) 202-224-4024
John W. Warner (R-VA) 202-224-2023
Michael Enzi (R-WY) 202-224-3424
Craig Thomas (R-WY) 202-224-6441