Better Than Fine Gold

My ongoing discussion with Ernie has been on hold for awhile since Ernie has been busy with other concerns, just minor stuff like his job. I have a few ideas for things to write about, including the results of what searching I did for conversion stories for other religions, but obviously I have not actually written any of those things. And in fact, I am not writing any of those things tonight either.

Instead, I want to touch on something related to recent events in the political arena, specifically the resolution introduced by Senator Feingold to censure President Bush. There has been some debate over whether this was a good move, politically, and I am not going to address any of that, though I have my opinion. What I would like to do instead is address the idea that Feingold was motivated to do this primarily by considerations related to a possible presidential run in 2008.

Naturally I do not have special insight into Senator Feingold's motivation, but what I can describe is what I have observed about Feingold in the years he has been a senator, I think since 1992. (He is one of my senators, living in Wisconsin as I do.) I have not always agreed with Feingold, though my own views have changed since then. But he has earned my respect. Feingold was the only Democratic senator who voted in favor of impeachment hearings for Clinton because he thought it important to actually hear the evidence presented. He was the only senator to vote against the Patriot Act, despite a political climate in which such a vote might have been viewed as, well, unpatriotic. Yet I think we have seen substantial evidence that he was right to be very concerned about some of its provisions.

Beyond those sorts of things, one of the things that I most appreciate about Feingold is how he campaigns. His ads talk about what he has done and what he wants to do. I cannot recall him even mentioning his opponent, and I appreciate that immensely. As far as I can tell, he acts with integrity and he takes his job as a public servant seriously.

That's my plug for Feingold.