Group Of Progressive Democrats Call For DiFi Censure
By Logan Murphy Monday Nov 12, 2007 1:17pm
Via The Huffington Post:
One day after voting to elevate a divisive conservative judge to the federal appeals court in New Orleans, California Sen. Dianne Feinstein was the president's guest aboard Air Force One. She had been invited to survey the damage from the recent spate of Southern California wildfires.
Two weeks later, Feinstein was one of two Democrats on the Senate judiciary committee to vote to send Michael Mukasey's nomination to be the new attorney general to the full Senate. Her support helped turn the tide in favor of a nomination that faced an uncertain future after Mukasey refused to say whether waterboarding was torture.
Now, a coalition of progressive Democrats upset with Feinstein's controversial votes will ask the California Democratic Party to censure her at its executive board meeting this weekend, the Huffington Post has learned. Read on...
The Courage Campaign is looking for your help to ensure that this censure resolution has legs... We need to remind DiFi that she is answerable to her constituency, not her buddies in the Bush Administration or the defense industry.
C'mon, we don't need another Lieber-Dem Bush Dog in the Senate.
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Nice... I hope that they do censure her.
How about censuring Busholini?
That picture sure says alot.
I am so sick of this Fienstien. She is in bed with Bush. In the run up to the war she was all over TV, especially Hardball, assuring everyone that she saw absolute proof of WMD in Iraq. I am embarassed that she is still my senator.
She needs to be cesnured, she is flipping the bird at the entire nation and the Constitution. Better than censure, can Californians recall her?
How many "Dem Bush Dogs" are there?
WAY TOO MANY
That's the problem with the Dems - way too many are beholden to the Corporations.
That's the REAL conflict in this country .. THE PEOPLE vs THE CORPORATIONS.
Dems vs Repugs is a side show.
I'd take a populist Repug (rare creature!) over a corporate Dem (all to ordinary) any day.
POWER TO THE PEOPLE!!
Paul @ 5:
That would be nice!
I signed. But DiFi was re-elected in 2006, and will be pushing the age envelope by the time the 2012 election rolls round. That is, unless Hillary Clinton is elected president. Feinstein will then be the attorney general of the United States, and Schwarzenegger will have appointed himself or Maria to fill her seat.
This might be OT, but, wear some f'ing sensible shoes when you go to view a disaster site!! A woman in her position leaning on a man's arm like she's some fragile china doll. Sheesh.
Oh, yeah, and censure the hell out of her!
Censure? Why? She may suck at her vote selection, but she doesn't need a censure. When she commits political crimes and votes based solely on special interests..then you have something.
How bout stop voting for the old sea hag?
If all Dems want to do is censure her, then that might explain why Congress gets these low ratings. This was not a small issue.
Iraq, Afghanistan, New Orleans, pick a place. What a fuck up. Please stay away from Chicago!
Scott in Chicago @ 7:
Excellent idea! Censure her for not doing what her constituents voted her in to do... it sure as hell wasn't to kiss Gov Bush's ass!
ironchef @ 10:
Um, she has a husband you know, know what he does?
I'll never vote for her again. I hope she gets censured!
It takes guts for a small USA paper to come out with the truth like wise C&L.
http://baltimore.indymedia.org/newswire/display/16136/index.php
Please don't skip the bottom half,C&L is right on Muckass---America is in deep do-do
She is touching him!!! This is like being bitten by a vampire. She is now Diane Bushstein, a Zombie Democrat. (Then again aren't they all Zombies these days?)
I'd just kick her ass out into the street and say bye nice knowing you.
In Section II Article IV of the US Constitution it reads:
Section 4. The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.
The parton impeachment for...refers to the House which Nancy Pelosi controls. Her taking impeachment off the table shows her to be derelict in her duties. It is not a requirement that it be air-tight, and the Senate could convict (although the numbers may or may not be there). But if we're a nation of laws, not men, immediate impeachment proceedings should beginulate.
Impeachment is a political remedy not criminal, although an impeached person could later face criminal charges, so arguments about prosecutorial discretion, especially with all that booshcho has done, is pretty much beside the point.
If impeachment does not at least get a debate or hearing in the house, than Nancy should be impeached herself.
>Um, she has a husband you know, know what he does?
Makes more money off the war than Dick and Bush put together
How bout stop voting for the old sea hag?
well, she's not up for re-election till 2012 and odds are she won't run again, as she'll be nearly 75 years old.
they should also expose her husband's relationship with the war machine.
Good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was talking about Nancy Pelosi, not DiFi:
So for the latter, censure away!
Have to agree, that is one freaking scary pic.
dino feinstein, eh?
Tho her one vote would not have made a difference on the confirmation of the "new" AG,
what I find more irrehensible and disturbing is the reports that she will vote in favor of
allowing the telecommunication industy immunity as a part of the survillence program.
IF that is true, that issue alone is reason for censuring her.
ysbaddaden @ 23:
why not a twofer?
I must say California has given us noxin, raygun, ahnold, Peloser and Frankenstein. what a list!
DiFi's husband is a big defense contract broker. She and hubby have profited mightily off the Iraq war. That's how she financed the big manse she lives in in San Francisco. Meanwhile, 400 dead birds washed up on SF's shores after the tanker "bumped" the Bay Bridge. Let's see if DiFi pushes for real hearings on this. I signed the censure petition. I didn't vote for her in 06. I can't stand her.
Censure won't effect that slab-sided, satchel-assed bint a bit. She'll laugh at it.
What Reid otta do is cut her off from the goodies: cut her staff, reduced her senate budget, move her office into a latrine, that kind of stuff...same sorta shit he SHOULD have done with JoeLoserman...
but he won't cuz hes a gutless, sold-out, feckless, co-opted piece of dreck.
I signed the petition earlier. I'd like to see her censured for her war profiteering too though.
Another American Likudnic follows Joe Lieberman, Rahm Emanuel, Sten Hoyer
and the comedian with the purple hair. She's very good friends with Infofe.
I hope the courage campaign does more than censure her.
They actually need to REPLACE her.
Surely there is a democrat in California that can take her on! ! ! ! !
Censuring her is like pissing in the wind. Maybe Reid should look to Waxman in the House
and follow his lead and send a stern, strongly worded letter to DiFi..those types of
steps always get results...NOT
Dianne Bush...
Yellowbird @ 33:
yeah, but who wants to wait until 2012 when she "might" next seek re-election?
The gay community in San Francisco used to have a saying about her: "Diane doesn't care who you sleep with -- as long as you're in bed by ten!" DiFi is liberal-authoritarian suffering from testosterone poisoning. She's Giuliani in drag and the world doesn't need two of them.
American Liduknic huh? well said realnoid
DiFi's seat in the Senate is good until 2012 and she is not going to run again. So she gives a rat's buttocks what we think, and her votes reflect it.
She has always been a closet Republican, but had to call herself a Democrat to get elected in California. Just another accessory to war crimes. But, a minor player so she shouldn't get more than 10 years at hard labor.
Don't forget ... it took the assassination of the most-popular Mayor George Moscone and the first openly gay supervisor Harvey Milk for her to finally become Mayor of S.F., she never won an election for Mayor on her own --- she is such a farce!
CoIntelPRo @ 27:
If we can't get Nancy impeached, she should at least be censured.
Hmmm...well ya'll can say what you wanna say. But I am of the school of thinking that says that repubs or white house officials have something on DiFi, Schumer as well as Reid. They could muddy the water and have thrown them to the dogs but why not use them to make all dems look inactive and then throw them to the wolves. No democratic senator in their right mind would have voted for or made some of the moves Reid made. As for DiFi, some of her moves have been tip-offs from the begining. She'd be 80 into her next term so it's safe she won't venture out there again. She made her and her hubby a good piece of cheddar. She's just getting cozy with Bush now to cover all her escape routes. She's counting on her fellow dems not to thorw her under the bus.
http://www.cnsnews.com/Politics/archive/200704/POL20070402a.html
Not to mention Chucky;
Foundation For Defense of Democracies...are you kidding me Chuck?
Just look at the Board, and "Distinguished Advisors"
Hell, the Board of advisors reads truely toxic:
Gary Bauer
William "the bloody" Kristol
Zell Miller
Richard Perle
Charles Krauthammer
Victoria Toensing
http://www.defenddemocracy.org/biographies/biographies.htm
THE Manchurian DEMS!!!
Doggiebobo @ 34:
Doesn't that depend on whether the winds blowing away from you or toward you?
ysbaddaden @ 43:
Into the wind means toward you.
This is why I come to C&L.
I signed on at the The Courage Campaign link provided in the post. Then I went to the blog on the site. Seems that DiFi trolls are defending her. I gave them some sass.
Good post, Murphy.
OK, let's censure Lieberman and other Dems who side with the current White House??? WTF??? Can we all just rise above this type of partisanship? Tese things are going to happen from her until the end of time. Censuring is useless, almost as useless as voting for your candidate, because in the end, no matter what party affiliation, they will do what helps them financially maybe when it counts most. It's all a big shell game and we are the suckers most of the time.
Sorry for the cynicism, but it has been such a bad news month in politics and it's only the 13th.
How much are you worth? Maybe we can hookup after all.
Jello Biafra can probably beat her now!
Come on. There's always room for Jello.
Well, now you see why you don't want all the spy programs like Total Information Awareness. It helps nail political corruption, too, and was used without oversight. So now there is plenty of dirt on the Dems and the Repubs can get them to dance their puppet dance whenever they want. So now we get nothing for having elected the Democrats. I say we beat the Repubs to the punch and run the dirty Dems out of office. At least that way we will get real opposition.
Ricky Bones @ 46:
I meant, "these things will happen from here until the end of time" not "her" :)
Diane is strong on flag burning... but I digress.
Let's talk about her California constituency for a minute. There is no question that the military industrial complex has done very well under the current regime. And many of those companies have a large presence in California, where they employ thousands of workers. Those workers have mortgages, kids in college, car loans, etc. Any effort to reduce the profits of their employers by, say, ratcheting down military spending or the "War on _______" [fill in the blank] would ultimately impact workers (and shareholders) of said corporations.
Consider, also, the money that pours into the economy via military bases like Camp Pendleton and Travis Air Force base. As long as these bases are fully funded then everyone in the surrounding communities is happy. These are also the same people that typically support the Iraq War and an interventionist foreign policy, though some may be called on to make the "ultimate sacrifice" when their loved ones are killed so that the aforementioned scenarios can be maintained. Nothing to do with freedom and democracy, of course, just about getting paid.
Now you can understand why Diane does what she does. She follows the money and, by doing so, ensures that her constituents are happy.
Manamongst @ 42:
I concur. My first thought was that she is either being blackmailed or bribed. It is certainly not her strong Democratic principles generating this kind of behavior in her, that's for sure...
f difi and her rich hubby
Ricky Bones @ 46:
If you're one of Lieberman's constituents then do with him what you will. I'm a Californian and am dissappointed with MY senator. She needs to be put on notice.
this is one of the coolest things I've read since coming to this site years ago.
lets just hope it actually goes through.
Manamongst @ 42:
How about the two "distinguished advisors" also, being Joe LIE-Berman(shown as a Dem whereas we all know he was elected as an Independent Repig) and Newt Gingrich.
Beau Jangles @ 55:
Great! Let's go back and have Jefford's constituents retro censure him for leaving the GOP, or Larry Craig for not stepping down as his constituents would like, or Arlen Specter's peeps for bucking the White House. Hey, no one has mentioned censuring Schumer, that I have heard. It's pointless to censure - Barney Frank was censured and he still has his job and has been re-elected and no one cares except the right.
CoIntelPRo @ 28:
Who'd a thunk that Ahnold would become the best of that bunch. All things considered he's doing a decent job for Californians when compared to the ones that represent us in Congress.
I love that photo. When she is rerunning I'm going to blow up the photo and march in front of her SF office. Same goes with Tom Lantos and Bush arm in arm.
What ever happened to Democracy?
RK @ 53:
Well, she made the statement that her time on Air Force One with shrub during the California fires was "illuminating". Perhaps "illuminating" means they reminded her of the list of things they have on her.
The picture with her arm tucked into Bush just makes me sick! She does not appear to give a damn about representing the interests of Californians that voted her into office. I voted for her and feel I had been "conned" by this phony corporate - war profiteer.
"How about the two “distinguished advisors” also, being Joe LIE-Berman(shown as a Dem whereas we all know he was elected as an Independent Repig) and Newt Gingrich."
Well no one except octeginarian Jewish ladies like Lieberman and I'd vote for Gingrich before I would Hillary...well...I take that back...I'd vote for him before Zell Miller.
I agree with Truth...we need to beat them to the punch, we watched while they plotted Dean's demise, will we watch them put the fix in for Hillary? You've already heard Edwards say he wouldn't join her ticket if he lost...he know's the score...they would have those free thinkers anywhere near there tent. We need to rid the idiots and the finger to the winder's...
Unrelated: Does anyone know how that scumbag Rahm Emanuel lost that bit of his finger???
I say lets recall.
Nevermind:
I love wikipedia!!
Emanuel lost part of his right middle finger to a meat slicer while an employee at Arby's as a teenager.
Support the Censure California it's the right thing to do. Dianne was wrong on this vote and she needs to be held accountable for her gifts she recieved for betraying our party.
feinstein should be censured, and if that doesn't shake some sense into the old bag, then strip her of her committee assignments. and if that doesn't get her to behave, then pressure her to resign. she's a federal representative, so recall doesn't work.
While you're talking about censuring Feinstein in the Senate, talk about Removing Pelosi as Speaker in the House -- this will clear the way for impeachment proceedings, and real public oversight of Congress and the President.
Public oversight of the US government is possible. We can lawfully threaten to deprive the leadership of their power. Senators and Representatives, when they refuse to assert power or check the President, can be stripped of their power. Lawfully. Between elections.
Censure that hair-don't! You're a waste of space Diane, I can't believe I voted for you!
One argument to "Justify voting for the AG" was that the President would, if blocked, use a recess appointment. "Go with the devil you know, than someone else." However, this "logic" misses the obvious: If the (speculative) recess-appointed AG "didn't work out," or engaged in illegal activity, the House has the power to impeach.
No, the Senators were not "stuck" with this AG-nominee/Mukassey. Feinstein voted for "this" AG because she chose to believe she was stuck; or that there were no other options.
Yea... I signed on to that.... for all the good it'll do... Course, turns out ya can't actually recall a sitting senator... imagine that... So, pretty much this symbolic censor shit is all we got...
not a pretty picture folks.... JD
The Dems will rescue us! Not.
Effin-A. DO IT! Censure that Lieberman-lite cow.
Perhaps this can be prelude to replacing her next time around (or forcing her "retirement" in lieu of being forced out).
Next stop...SCHUMER!
I write to my congressman and my senators often, sometimes weekly, to get my opinion across. Being a Californian, this means I write to Feinstein as well as Boxer. I also write to other leaders from states where I lived in the past. Oddly enough, the only answers I ever receive are from Boxer and the other states. Senator Byrd's office (from West Virginia) replies regularly, Bernard Sanders of Vermont puts you on his "Bernie's Buzz" mailing list and ALWAYS responds. There is never a word from California Congressman Brad Sherman or Diane Feinstein. By the way, I have written to them informing them that they will not be marked on my ballot next time, not because they don't write back, but because I don't like their voting records.
Paul @ 5:
Well, we now who taught her how to flip off the American people
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ig5gPbKdJk
If a recall is good enough for Grey Davis, it's good enough for this sorry heffer. Or is overturning an election only good when it's a GOPer wanting a Democrat's seat?
Funny quotes about what the DNC promised, "Just give us more power, and we'll protect you. . ."
They've got Control of the Committees, budgets, and have subpoena power. But they won't use it. They're arguably unfit for office, have defied their oaths of office, and fail to defend the Constitution against domestic enemies.
We the People have the power. We can use it.: Lawfully removing from the Speakership, Nancy Pelosi. Resolutions against Feinstein, Proclamations against Pelosi. (Here's how )
It seems a bit lame for Democrats to get upset with her for a bad vote. They could have stopped the nomination if they had shown some guts. Apparently the party bosses did'nt think it was a big deal and just let it slide by with a little complaining. So she's a twit. Show some leadership before you complain about not being followed.
I'm a California voter who votes and Senator Feinstein has completely lost my vote with her recent partnering with the Bush administration. I hope we can find a good alternative candidate for her seat, but she's lost my vote, no matter what.
Here's hoping California voters Gray Davis her Lieber-arse.
ysbaddaden @ 19:
YES!
Eddybaby @ 74-
THAT'S the way ya do it. If ya don't get satisfaction from them, let them know that ya won't vote fer them again. Then work like hell to unseat them in the primaries!
groucho @ 60-
When she is rerunning I’m going to blow up the photo and march in front of her SF office.
If yer a football player from a Super Bowl winning team and ya don't agree with the President's policies, ya don't have to show up to be part of a political photo-op.
However, if yer a sittin' senator or representative and there's been a major disaster in yer state/district, ya join the President when he comes callin'. Even when yer pretty sure that you'll ge little relief or response- ya can bitch about that in yer own presser later that week.
And by blowin' up that photo, yer playin' right into the hands of the GOP. Do ya think they're so dense that they don't know how the President's photo-op will sour Californians to Feinstein? The GOP may be stupid when it comes to governance(or just playin' possum, but that's a discussion fer another thread), but not when it comes to politics.
And why is it that I haven't seen a comment on this thread from progressive Californians who fought against Feinstein in 2000 or '06? I gotta tell ya, if she'd run in here Michigan there'd have been plenty of us goin' over her record with fine-toothed combs and illuminatin' other progressives on the downside of her candidacy. Are Californians blind or merely ignorant? Or are ya just sufferin' from a case of buyer's remorse?
ysbaddaden @ 19:
She'd have to be impeached by the Senate and that's not going to happen. The way the laws in California stands now we can't recall her either. Censure is all we got. So please, if you're a California voter link to Courage Campaign and get at least 10 of your friends to do the same. We elected these people to represent us, not the special interest!!!
andhakari @ 78:
What the hell are you talking about?
miss_kitty @ 80:
I'm not 100% on this, m_k, but I don't think there's a recall process fer Federal office holders.
I'm not a fan of recalls, either. With our budget problems in Michigan(lots of tax increases and just plain new taxes), loser Republicans are tryin' to recall a lot of state senators and reps- some Republicans who crossed the aisle, but mostly Dems. Next thing ya know we'll be havin', across the country, new general elections every fuckin' week. Unless a congressperson is found guilty of a felony in a court of law, we shouldn't use recalls like they wer pieces of tissue paper.
Mr Pelicano @ 53:
I hear what you're saying, and also understand that you are not defending her. But, from my perspective, it doesn't make a shit who your constituents are, there are first things firt issue. Feinstein seems to have turned to the dark side. She is failing in her duty to protect the Constitution and doesn't seem to give a damn. In failing her Constitutional duties, as a far too many others, she is failing not only her constitutents, but every citizen in the country. That she is likely deriving direct profits from her support of the Bush regime's war mongering, likely makes her criminally cuplable. Finally, of all those corporations in her state,not one of them has the right to vote. Corporations are not constituents. She can see to it that military bases are funded appropriately without being derilict in her Constitutional duties or without betraying the trust that was placed in her. She has chosen to be derilict and she has chosen too betray the trust. Like all the other elected officials who have made such choices, she is utterly blameworthy and deserving of the strongest condemnation and censure. She is unfit for her office.
Tom Sawyer @ 84:
Some well meanin', proper Democrat- or Bernie Sanders, fer that matter- could've filibustered the vote. Not one did.
So ya could just as easily blame Ted Kennedy or Russ Feingold.
Andy K @ 85:
Censure would at least be a huge embarrassment to her. She'd have a lot of explaining to do.
Thanks for posting this. I'm so mad at her actions of late that she will NOT get my vote again under any circumstance. And now she wants to give the Telecoms immunity? I think not.
I signed the censure request.
83 Tom Sawyer
She'd be impeached by the House, then tried by the Senate.
Andy K @ 87: