March 13, 2006

Democrats Afraid of Feingold Embarassment

Sen. Bill Frist decided to call Sen. Russ Feingold's bluff and bring to a vote his motion to censure President Bush. Feingold's party cried foul:

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, moments ago, made a unanimous consent motion that the Senate vote on the resolution tonight. Maryland Democrat Paul Sarbanes rose to object to the motion. Frist then motioned to vote on the resolution again tomorrow. Sarbanes objected, saying no vote should take place on the resolution until Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid had cleared the timing.

In other words, Democrats know this is a political stunt, without a chance of passage, but want to time it politically for maximum impact.

Senate Democrats want it all: increased pressure on President Bush over Iraq and inflaming emotions of the Bush-hating Left to reap campaign funds for the fall's elections. Yet when it comes down to it, they don't want a vote that would make it apparent they don't want to fight a tough war against Islamism. They saw the embarassment after the House voted against Rep. John Murtha's call to retreat from Iraq and don't want it repeated just to advance the political career of an out-there Senator from Wisconsin.

Just because one claims Sen. Feingold's resolution is "moderate and reasonable" doesn't make it so. Reasonableness hasn't come much from a man who ran roughshod over citizens' free speech rights, AKA McCain-Feingold. The one who should be censured if Feingold for squelching political speech.

"Dems Object to Censure Resolution Vote: Hold Off for Political Purposes" [via Charlie Sykes]

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