A New Beginning: Run Russ Run!

An amazing group of Feingold supporters from all across the country have launched an innovative new website that takes online organizing for Feingold to the next level. The team that put the site together
includes Joel Clemmer (Minnesota), Greg Dennis (Massachusetts), Dustin Slaughter (California), Patrick Stansberry (Iowa), Jerry Troiano (New Jersey), T.J. Willis (Wisconsin), and yours truly, David Mariner (D.C.).

Join Run Russ Run Now!

What makes this new site so great? Well for starters, you can create your own Feingold blog within the site. Adding blog posts to the site is easy. As you post blog entries, you'll earn points. Other things you do on the site (like inviting other members to join) will also go toward your point goal. Down the road we hopefully will have some great contests and prizes to recognize the die-hard Feingold supporters with the highest point total.

Join Run Russ Run Now!

Another great aspect of the site is that you can identify your interests and network more easily with other supporters. When you sign in you're immediately connected to other Feingold supporters in your state. You can indicate on your profile what additional communities you are interested in. Currently we have links for Young Democrats on Run Russ Run, LGBT Community on Run Russ Run, African American Community, and.Latino Community, and Labor Community. If there are other communities you want added, post your suggestions in the Run Russ Run Forum.

Join Run Russ Run Now!

There's a lot of other cool stuff on the site (like the Feingold Video Jukebox!), and down the road, there will be new features added as well. But for now, the number one goal is to kick off the new site by getting 10,000 folks to register in the next 30 days. It's an incredibly ambitious goal, but one we can accomplish together.

Join Run Russ Run Now!

Russ Feingold Stands with Fair Wisconsin

reposted from the Fair Wisconsin website

Senator Russ Feingold issued a strong statement against the civil unions and marriage ban. He has been talking about the issue at his listening sessions around the state.

“The proposed ban on civil unions and marriage is a mean-spirited attempt to divide Wisconsin and I indicated that it should be defeated,” Feingold said. “It discriminates against thousands of people in our communities--our co-workers, our neighbors, our friends, and our family members. It would single out members of a particular group and forever deny them rights and protections granted to all other Wisconsin citizens. It would also outlaw civil unions and jeopardize many legal protections for all unmarried couples, whether of the same or the opposite sex. We shouldn’t enshrine this prejudice in our state’s Constitution.”

In the statement, Senator Feingold also says he believes gay couples should have the right to marry and "have access to the same rights, privileges and benefits that straight couples currently enjoy.”

As Wisconsinites wrestle with what the civil unions and marriage ban means for families in their communities, we thank Senator Feingold for taking a stand.

Progressive Patriots State Vote

Help Russ and the Progressive Patriots decide which states to target for get out the vote efforts. You can vote for as many states as you'd like, and whichever five states receive the most votes will each receive a $3,000 contribution toward their efforts. Click Here to Vote Now

A Speech That Could Change the Direction of Our Country

Senator Russell Feingold will outline critical steps needed to defend our Democracy, including making all elections secure against vote suppression and tampering, ending the influence of big money on politics, preserving checks and balances in government and defending the constitutional rights of American citizens.

The speech, sponsored by MoveOn.org Political Action, is the third and final in a series of events aimed at promoting a positive national agenda and at mobilizing the organization's volunteers and voters in the upcoming congressional elections. The previous speakers were Congressman Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Senator Barack Obama of Illinois. Brown focused on the need to ensure that all Americans have guaranteed access to high quality, affordable health care and to help us achieve energy independence, Obama outlined a plan to shift away from fossil fuel and towards clean renewable energy sources.

This summer, over 100,000 MoveOn members came together in house parties and online to choose the top three positive goals for the country that MoveOn will fight for in the months to come -- health care for all, clean energy and a democracy restored.

"MoveOn members care passionately about restoring democracy," said Ben Brandzel, advocacy director for MoveOn.org Political Action. "Senator Feingold's leadership will motivate members to work hard so we can win big in November and achieve these critical goals," he added.

"We now have an election system badly in need of repair, and a President who thinks he is above the law. As a consequence, we've seen the checks and balances built into our constitution weakened and many of our citizens' rights eroded. This fall we have an opportunity to say enough is enough and begin restoring our democracy," said Feingold.

At the Obama and Feingold events and online, members are encouraged to sign up for Call for Change, a volunteer phone bank designed to increase Democratic turnout for the mid-term elections. The program allows MoveOn's tens of thousands of volunteers to instantly mobilize and make GOTV calls to Democratic voters in the most competitive races.

The speech, expected to be broadcast nationally, will take place Monday, Sept. 25, at Noon EST at Independence Mall in Philadelphia PA.

HRC Gala Features Sen. Russ Feingold

Russ Feingold was among the featured guests at the HRC's annual Black Tie Gala in San Francisco. Russ introduced another featured guest, Phil Angelides, a candidate for Governor in California. There is a great article about the event in The Bay Times. Here's a taste:

Feingold said the Senate had a ceremony on June 15 commemorating 2,500 deaths of American troops, and there have been 65 more since then. “Iraq continues to be a mistake; it continues to hurt our national security; and we should withdraw our troops from Iraq within the next year,” he said. “Every one of us should not ask for but demand that every American be guaranteed health care.” He said, “We should also stand up to this national exploitation of attacks on the gay and lesbian community. We should stand up against discrimination every time it rears its head.” He said he has been a legislator for almost 25 years. “When I started I had all black hair,” he said. One of the first things they did was to pass the first consenting adults law in the US. He took to task the administration in 1992, saying it showed weakness when it came time to stand up against the Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell law. “That law was a mistake and continues to be a mistake, and I’m proud that I voted against it,” he said. “In 1996, when the rightwing in this country and the Contract with America people smelled the opportunity to exploit this issue, they introduced the Defense of Marriage Act.” He said he was proud to be one of the 14 senators who voted against it. “It was always the wrong thing to do and never should have been passed.” He said, “I don’t feel I’ve been hurt politically one bit for standing up against it.” He said he had the pleasure of being the lead senator on the judiciary committee to oppose writing same-sex marriage discrimination into the Constitution. “I am so proud that they didn’t even get the number of votes this year that they thought they were going to get on that amendment. So we are winning this battle. I think we can put a stake in the heart of this thing.” He added, “I am optimistic about the future of issues affecting the GLBT community.”

Feingold Health Care Plan

From Kaiser Daily: Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) on Monday announced plans to introduce legislation that will provide funding for states to develop universal health care pilot programs, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. Feingold's proposed $32 billion legislation would provide funding for a few selected states to design their own universal health care pilot plans (Schmid, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 7/24). A federal task force would select which state proposals to fund and would oversee their implementation. Two or three states could participate in the plan, or states could apply in groups, Feingold said. The bill calls for five-year plans, with an option for another five years. States would have to contribute 25% in matching funds to the program, while the federal government would contribute about 75% of the cost.

Feingold proposes funding the federal portion of the program by increasing the rebate that drug manufacturers pay to Medicaid, which would yield an estimated $8.3 billion over 10 years; increasing airline passenger security fees from $2.50 to $5 for nonstop travelers, which would bring in additional $15.5 billion over 10 years; and extending fees for customs and borders expected to expire in 2014 by two years, for an additional $6.25 billion.

The ultimate goal of the plan is to produce a national guarantee of universal health care in the future, Feingold said. He plans to introduce the legislation by early next week, although he acknowledges it likely will not pass this year (Frommer, AP/ St. Paul Pioneer Press, 7/25). "The consensus is emerging that there ought to be flexibility from state to state," Feingold said, adding, "Maybe [the pilot programs] will all work, maybe none will work. But that doesn't mean everyone has to do it identically" (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 7/24)

5,000 MySpace Members Strong

I know. You thought MySpace was where teenagers post glam-shot pics of themselves, talk about their favorite bands and share obscure funny video clips. Well, umm, it kinda is. But there's a lot more as well. Thanks to the efforts of one Progressive Patriot, the most popular site for America's youth also has a built-in campaign headquarters for Russ Feingold should he decide to run for President. The Russ Feingold MySpace Page is now over 5,000 members strong; as clear a sign as any that America's youth (and a few of us older folks on MySpace) are hungry for a Democrat who clearly and unwaveringly stands up for our values.

If you are a MySpace member be sure to check out the page and connect with other Feingold supporters. If MySpace isn't your thing (I'm more of a Friendster guy myself), you can still add the graphic below to your website. It's another great way to spread the word about Russ Feingold online.

Just add this HTML code to your page...

<A HREF=http://myspace.com/russfeingold><img src=http://www.outfordemocracy.org/images/feingold/blogroll5.gif width=124 height=42 border=0></a>

Feingold: Fighting the Global AIDS Pandemic

From Kaiser Daily: Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) and Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.), co-chairs of the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Task Force on HIV/AIDS, on Thursday at a CSIS forum discussed proposals to sustain progress made by the five-year, $15 billion President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which will enter its fourth year this fall, CQ HealthBeat reports. A second five-year phase of PEPFAR would begin in FY 2009, according to CQ HealthBeat. The task force seeks to "build bipartisan consensus" on moving forward with HIV/AIDS programs, especially in HIV prevention, according to CQ HealthBeat.

Frist at the forum outlined three "opportunities" for proceeding with U.S. global HIV/AIDS programs beyond PEPFAR, including a five- to 10-year program to ensure low-cost access to clean water; the passage of a bill (S 850) he introduced that would develop a "global health corps" of health care professionals volunteering in developing countries; and the need to reach common ground on points of contention between HIV/AIDS advocates and evangelicals who are fighting the pandemic.

Feingold stressed the need to improve HIV prevention programs, adding that programs that do not confront the issues of "sex and drugs" will not succeed. He said it also is imperative that the U.S. set financial contribution targets for HIV/AIDS programs and realize that it will cost more money to fight the pandemic than in previous years.

According to CQ HealthBeat, some politicians and advocates have worried that "the world will lose heart" in the fighting the pandemic, but Feingold and Frist's status as potential 2008 presidential candidates "might help draw continuing attention to the issue" (Reichard, CQ HealthBeat, 7/14). CSIS released three policy briefings at the forum, one on sustaining HIV/AIDS funding, one on the health care worker deficit worldwide and one on expanding HIV/AIDS prevention programs (CSIS forum release, 7/13).

A kaisernetwork.org webcast of the event is available online.

filed under HIV/AIDS and Russ Feingold

Feingold Gains Ground in State Polls

Recent polls show that Russ Feingold's name recognition continues to grow in key states like Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Washington, Florida and Georgia. Here's an excerpt from a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Article:

Wisconsin's Russ Feingold was named by 11% of those surveyed, behind only Clinton (31%), Al Gore (19%) and John Edwards (12%), three far more prominent political figures.

"He seems to have a dedicated following," said David Johnson, whose polling in a half-dozen states has charted a small but steady uptick in Feingold's numbers since last fall.

Our Duty to the People of the Gulf Coast

The following op-ed was written by Sen. Russ Feingold

After Banda Aceh in Indonesia was devastated by a horrific tsunami in 2004, the people there faced the challenge of rebuilding and restarting their lives. That is the same challenge that people on the Gulf Coast are facing today. I visited Banda Aceh earlier this year on a trip to Indonesia, and earlier this week I visited some of the neighborhoods ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. I was struck by what the people in Banda Aceh and New Orleans had in common, both because of what they went through, and because of the incredible resilience they have shown in the wake of those tragedies. But I was just as struck by how those places differed - especially how, in many ways, New Orleans seemed worse off than Banda Aceh did a year after the disaster.

When I visited Banda Aceh in February 2006 - a little over a year after the original tsunami hit - though many of the reconstruction programs had yet to be completed, there was visible progress being made, thanks in large part to the generosity of the American taxpayer. I saw homes, roads, buildings, and bridges being built with funds that the American government generously gave to the victims of the tsunami.

What I saw in New Orleans, New Orleans East, the 9th Ward, St. Bernard Parish, and Lakeview, was that in many ways, despite people's tremendous efforts, there has been less progress in those areas than there was in Banda Aceh a year after the tsunami. It is something I will never forget. Imagine driving through your hometown only to find, to this day, deserted streets, destroyed homes, and virtually no sign of reconstruction. While the shells of some homes still stand, they are completely unlivable inside, due to weeks of toxic liquid filth soaking into the structures of every room. Next to some of these homes are concrete slabs where a house used to be, while others have trailers parked in the front yard where a family is living because the house's roof has completely collapsed. There was a house that had the back of it completely ripped off, the front was totally dilapidated and someone had put a sign on the house saying that the insurance company had only paid a little over $10,000 to fix the structure. You could see an orange line around the outside of some houses which showed where the water was standing for some time outside the house. Who knows how high the water got inside the house. This went on for blocks and blocks and blocks of several different areas I toured.

While much work has already been done, and people in the region are working very hard, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the enormity of the challenges that remain. That made me all the more impressed with the commitment shown by the clean-up crews, constructions workers, emergency personnel, and by all those who have moved back.

The people of the Gulf Coast, who lost so much to Katrina and Rita, have been putting their hearts into rebuilding. People there aren't faced with just rebuilding homes and businesses and roads. They are also faced with rebuilding lives and communities and a society...and doing so in a way that incorporates the region's most vulnerable populations and establishes the foundation for a society to thrive.

I strongly support the aid we have given to those in Banda Aceh and others who were the victims of the tsunami in 2004, and no one disputes that we have responsibility to help them rebuild. But we also have a special duty to the people of the Gulf Coast who still need us. Almost a year after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, after more than 1,500 people were killed and countless lives were disrupted, our fellow Americans do still need us, and we still need to stand by them as they rebuild their lives.

Russ Feingold: Your New Friendster Pal

Do you have an account on Friendster to connect with your friends? If you do, you also have an easy way to help spread the word about Russ Feingold. It's simple, just add Russ Feingold to your friendster list:

friendster.com/russfeingold

Check it out and be sure to add Russ Feingold to your list today. Oh, and if you have a website and want to help spread the word, feel free to add this new banner.

Russ Feingold Webring

Tonight I set up a webring for Russ Feingold.

For those who may not know, a is a free way to connect sites with similar interests - in this case, Russ Feingold. It's a very old-school way of online organizing, but I still find it effective.

Joining a this ring is great way to increase traffic to your site. And not just random hits -- hits from people who are also supporters of Russ Feingold. So join! Any website can join the Russ Feingold Ring. There are seven sites so far, but I'd love to see many more.

The homepage for the Russ Feingold Webring is
http://feingoldforce.blogspot.com

Or if you don't mind using the long URL - you can see a list of the sites in the ring and join the ring at:
http://www.ringsurf.com/netring?ring=feingold;action=list

Hope you'll join the ring. Oh, and if you want to help me promote the new ring, feel free to add this banner to your website or banner-rotation.

Keith Boykin on Russ Feingold

I've not been very optimistic about Russ Feingold's chances for the Democratic presidential nomination. With heavy hitters like Senator Hillary Clinton and others standing in his way, it seemed unlikely that the Wisconsin Democrat had a chance to win the party's top spot, much less the presidency itself. But after watching Sen. Feingold Sunday on "Meet the Press," I'm willing to backtrack a little bit. I still don't know if Feingold has a chance to win, but I'm more convinced than ever that he should run.

Feingold came across Sunday as an intelligent, articulate, forceful voice for the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. In an era when most Democrats are busy taking polls and trying to sound like Republicans, Feingold is the rare straight shooter who comes out and says what he really believes.

1. It's time to withdraw the troops from Iraq.
   
2. The Congress is out of touch with the American public on Iraq.
   
3. President Bush should be censured.
   
4. We need real campaign finance reform.
   

Below are some excerpts of the positions Feingold took in his interview on Sunday. Every Democrat in Congress should read these quotes and use them as talking points in responding to the Republican spin and smear machine.

In fact, if you're looking for a real Democrat to stand up to the Republican Party nonsense, then you owe it to yourself to check out this interview. Read the full transcript here or watch the interview here.

On His Proposal For An American Withdrawl from Iraq

"Well, first, on the timeline, it appears to me that the American people understand it’s time for a timeline to withdraw the troops from Iraq. The Iraqi people and the Iraqi government understand it. It seems like it’s only here in Washington that people don’t understand it’s time to end this mistake, to end our military involvement there. And the votes in Washington don’t show it, but the people in this country and the people of Iraq want us to stop it."

On General George Casey's Plan for Troop Withdrawal

"Not only does it make sense, but it short—sort of shows that all this talk about a timetable being unreasonable or ridiculous is just wrong. Even General Casey is talking about how realistic it is to bring the troops home, and our timetable that we proposed last week had to do with bringing the troops home within one year. I mean, how is this different? And of course, the claim is, if you tell the terrorists that you’re going to leave, that somehow they’re going to be able to wait us out. Well, apparently General Casey and the administration is allowing us to tell them this."

In Response To Vice President Cheney's Cut-And-Run Charges

"The worst thing we could possibly do is what Vice President Cheney and President Bush did, which was take us into an unnecessary war that had nothing to do with 9/11 on false pretenses. They have done the worst thing that’s ever been done in this regard. The question is, do we just keep making the same mistake over and over again? Do we just stay in Iraq so that Cheney and Bush can say that, that they were right? That appears to be why we’re there. That appears to be the only logical reason to stay in a situation that is draining our military, that is hurting our recruiting, that is allowing Osama bin Laden to have us exactly where he wants us."

On The Charge That Things Will Get Worse If We Leave Iraq

"But, Tim, that’s what’s going on right now. This parade of horribles about things that might happen? What’s happening right now in Iraq is chaos. I’ve been there twice—two years in a row with Senator McCain and on one occasion with Senator Clinton. What’s happening right now is chaotic. What’s happening right now is that terrorists are using Iraq as a training ground. So this idea that if we leave, things will get worse, is not clear. What we know is that what’s happening now is really awful and is depleting America’s strength."

How Iraq Affects the War on Terror

"We’re on the defensive in many of the places in the world. We’re on the defensive in Afghanistan right now in some ways. And President Karzai said that he’s very concerned. He said it just yesterday, apparently. He’s very concerned that our strategy in the fight against terrorism isn’t working. He’s concerned that we’re not dealing with the financing of terrorists. We’re not dealing with the—with the recruitment of terrorists. So even in Afghanistan, which was, of course, an intervention that I supported, we don’t have our eye on the ball, and we need to win that battle. You notice I’ve never called for leaving Afghanistan. I’ve never called for a timetable to leave Afghanistan. That is a situation that we have got to prevail in, and we have lost ground in Afghanistan because our resources have been diverted to Iraq."

On Whether Democrats Need to Oppose the War To Win the Nomination

"I think people should say what they truly believe. If they truly believe it was a good idea and that their vote was right, they should say so. If they think they made a mistake, they should say so. People are looking for a candidate, whether it’s a Democrat or a Republican, who they perceive as being honest and straightforward."

On The Defeat of His Proposal to Withdraw Troops From Iraq

MR. RUSSERT: So the majority of the Democratic Senate is out of touch with the American people?

SEN. FEINGOLD: Yes, it is at this point. Those who vote against bringing the troops home don’t get it. They’re not out there enough. They’re not listening to the people. Frankly, they’re not even looking at the polls. I saw two or three polls, Tim, in the last week that showed that a majority of the American people favor a timetable. So it is to our—you know, we lost in 2000, we lost in 2002, we lost in 2004. Why don’t we try something different, like listening to the American people?

Feingold on Meet the Press

Set your Tivo. Russ Feingold will be the featured guest on Meet the Press this Sunday, June 25th. Feingold will be discussing the War in Iraq, and why he (and most Americans) want a plan in place for bringing our troops home. And of course, you can expect Tim Russert to question Feingold about his potential candidacy for President in 2008. I could be wrong, but I wouldn't expect any major announcements just yet.

I'm a Progressive Patriot

Russ Feingold's Progressive Patriots Fund had a strong presence at DC Pride. Volunteers and staff members from the Progressive Patriots Fund worked together handing out blue "I'm a Progressive Patriot" stickers, like the one my friend Jeff is wearing in this picture. We also collected signatures to support Russ Feingold's resolution to censure President Bush. You can sign the same petition by following the link below.

Stand with Feingold at PRIDE

I know that many of you have been looking for ways to support Senator Feingold's work and there are some great volunteer opportunities during Pride Month. Senator Feingold's PAC, The Progressive Patriots Fund is looking for energetic volunteers to help staff pride booths in several cities this summer.

Volunteers will help spread the word to our community about Senator Feingold's amazing work on LGBT issues as well as his critical work to halt illegal wiretapping by the Bush Administration and stand up for the civil liberties of all Americans. Senator Feingold is one of 4 Senators who supports full marriage equality and is the only person mentioned as a 2008 Presidential candidate to support full equality.

The Progressive Patriots Fund has booths at the following prides:

Milwaukee- June 9-11
DC June 10-11
New York- June 25th
Manchester, NH- June 24-25
Atlanta- June 23-25
Madison- July 8-9

If you live in or nearby any of these locations and would like to help Senator Feingold and the Progressive Patriots Fund, please drop me a line at david@outfordemocracy.org and I will make sure you get plugged in. If your city is not listed and you are strongly interested in organizing a presence at your local Pride event, please let me know that as well!

Russ Feingold Speaks Out Against FMA

Senator Russ Feingold gave a great speech opposing the Federal Marriage Amendment today. You can read the entire speech on www.PageOneQ.com.

Over at Daily Kos, Feingold has posted a blog entry about the FMA. Here is an excerpt:

"A colleague of mine asked me if I was taking a lot of heat for announcing my support for the right of gays and lesbians to marry. And, frankly, the question doesn't surprise me because I suppose many of my colleagues might be wary of taking a strong stand on an issue meant to divide Americans. The Washington Post today called this "a tricky issue for Democrats" but it doesn't have to be. All Americans should stand up and say no to the federal marriage amendment, no to discrimination targeted at some of our finest citizens, and no to this narrow-minded attempt to score political points in an election year."

Feingold at New Hampshire Democratic Convention

Raw Story reports that Senator Russ Feingold will have an opportunity to address the New Hampshire Democratic Convention this Saturday. Feingold will be giving a speech at the opening brunch and taking questions from the audience.

Russ Feingold impressed me at the recent National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Leadership Awards, and I have no doubt he will impressive our fellow Democrats in New Hampshire this weekend.

If you want to follow the work of Russ Feingold and the Progressive Patriot Fund, I encourage you to Join the Feingold Equality Yahoo Group

Feingold Statement on the FMA

Statement of U.S. Senator Russ Feingold

Objecting to the Judiciary Committee's Handling of the Constitutional Amendment on Marriage - May 18th

"Today's markup of the constitutional amendment concerning marriage, in a small room off the Senate floor with only a handful of people other than Senators and their staffs present, was an affront to the Constitution. I objected to its consideration in such an inappropriate setting and refused to help make a quorum. I am deeply disappointed that the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee went forward with the markup over my objection. Unfortunately, the Majority Leader has set a politically motivated schedule for floor consideration of this measure that the Chairman felt compelled to follow, even though he says he opposes the amendment.

Constitutional amendments deserve the most careful and deliberate consideration of any matter that comes before the Senate. In addition to hearings and a subcommittee markup, such a measure should be considered by the Judiciary Committee in the light of day, open to the press and the public, with cameras present so that the whole country can see what is done. Open and deliberate debate on such an important matter cannot take place in a setting such as the one chosen by the Chairman of the Committee today.

The Constitution of the United States is an historic guarantee of individual freedom. It has served as a beacon of hope, an example to people around the world who yearn to be free and to live their lives without government interference in their most basic human decisions. I took an oath when I joined this body to support and defend the Constitution. I will continue to fight this mean-spirited, divisive, poorly drafted, and misguided amendment when it comes to the Senate floor."

Eyes on the Prize

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Leadership Awards is the one big DC event I like to attend every year. In addition to supporting a worthy cause, the Leadership Awards are always interesting, and this year was no exception.

Donald Hitchcock, Paul Yandura, and Brian Bond, showed that they can be good sports, even under difficult circumstances. They donned matching shirts under their jackets. Brian had the word "Hired" on his shirt. Donald's shirt read Fired, and Paul's shirt read Fired Up!.

Two progressive Democrats were honored at the event: Representative John Conyers and Senator Russ Feingold. Also honored at the event were Brokeback Mountain author Annie Proulx and local service organization Food and Friends.

The highlight of the event for me was having the opportunity to talk with Senator Feingold. Senator Feingold could not have impressed me more. Off course I was already a fan. Feingold after all voted against the war, voted against the Patriot Act, and introduced a resolution to censure the President. On the issues most important to our country at this moment in history, he has demonstrated courage and conviction in each and every Senate vote.

What impressed me most about Saturday night, however, was his rousing speech. He conveyed that courage and conviction to the audience in a powerful way. It is so refreshing to hear from a Democrat who doesn't have to apolgize for their past votes, who doesn't waiver, and who demonstrates extraordinary passion and commitment to the civil rights and civil liberties of all Americans.

Russ Feingold ended his speech quoting the lyrics to the folk song "Eyes on the Prize" which was is featured on Bruce Springsteen's latest album:

The only thing I did was wrong
was stayin' in the
wilderness too long
Keep your eyes on the prize
Hold on
The only thing we did was right
Was the day we started to fight
Keep your eyes on the prize
Hold on.

Join Feingold Equality, a group of LGBT supporters of Russ Feingold: click here to join.

Feingold Marks Anniversary of the Church Committee Report

Feingold's entire statement on the anniversary of the Church Committee Report is also posted on Common Dreams:

“April 26th, 2006 marks the 30th anniversary of the release of the Church Committee report, a watershed moment that spurred Congress to assume its critical role in overseeing the U.S. intelligence community. The report, which uncovered serious abuses in U.S. intelligence both overseas and here in America, recommended the creation of a permanent Senate Intelligence Committee, through which the Senate could conduct rigorous oversight of U.S. intelligence activities, while safeguarding Americans’ rights and freedoms.

The Church Committee’s report also led to legislation requiring the executive branch to inform the congressional intelligence committees of all intelligence activities. Yet, for over four years, the Bush Administration has ignored this law, hiding its illegal warrantless surveillance program from the full committees, and continuing to deny the committees critical information. At a time when Congress has failed to assert its constitutional and statutory role in conducting intelligence oversight, we should recall the groundbreaking efforts of the Church Committee, and the responsibilities that came with the establishment of the congressional intelligence committees. The American people have entrusted us to protect them from our enemies while ensuring that our government upholds the law and the Constitution. We must renew our commitment to that charge. As Senator Church said 30 years ago today, ‘Our experience as a nation has taught us that we must place our trust in laws, and not solely in men. The founding fathers foresaw excess as the inevitable consequence of granting any part of government unchecked power.’”

Feingold Equality

Russ Feingold's decision to come out in support of full marriage equality for same sex couples has gotten a lot of attention in the LGBT press including Wayne Besen's Op-ED. An article I wrote on the topic for Temenos was also reprint in more than a dozen LGBT newspapers and websites including Gay Wired, Queer Future, 247gay.com, and Gay Monkey

If Russ caught your attention this week, you may want to join a new Yahoo Group for LGBT supporters of Russs Feingold. Wendy Howell and I have set up Feingold Equality. so that we can start to share information about what's happening with Russ Feingold. Check it out at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/feingold-equality

Feingold Sets the Bar

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community leaders praised Russell Feingold, following the announcement of his full support of marriage equality for same sex couples. Feingold becomes the fourth U.S. senator to support marriage equality, along with Lincoln Chafee (R-R.I.), Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

"Senator Feingold's public support for marriage fairness is the type of leadership this country so desperately needs and deserves," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese.

2008: Wendy Howell on Russ Feingold

Wendy served as the GLBT Outreach Organizer for the Dean Campaign in New Hampshire. I've heard some great things about Russ Feingold, who is definitely reaching out to our community. He recently made an appearance at the VIP reception for the Stonewall Democrats Capitol Champions Event.

I'm proud to have helped re-elect Russ in 1998, when I worked for the Wisconsin Dems. And I've got to say that was the most incredible election I've ever seen. Every talking head in the country thought Russ was sacrificing himself on the altar of campaign finance reform that year, as he pledged to run his campaign in accordance with his campaign finance reform legislation (then stronger than what was finally passed), and his opponent clearly had no such qualms (despite a public pledge to do so as well).

In the end, it was one of the closest races in the country - but Russ pulled out a win by running one of the most incredible GOTV operations anyone in the state had ever seen. The result? They RAN OUT OF BALLOTS in Democratic stronghold Dane County and had to go print more in the middle of the day (Tammy Balwin's inspiring Congressional race also played a big role there, and the combination of the effects of the two campaigns blew everybody's minds) and in Milwaukee there were long lines to vote (20 minutes plus) consistantly throughout the day.

I've never seen anybody, before or since, who was so inspirational to the rank-and-file Democratic base, especially in an off year. And his results in his 04 re-elect, garnering about 150,000 more votes than Kerry in this important swing state, just show that he's still got the goods and could only have gotten even better since. On the LGBT side, he was one of the only Senators to vote against the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996 - back when that stance was even more wildly unpopular than it is today.

I'm happy to count myself as a supporter of Russ's should he decide to run in 2008. And to those who have concerns about the viability of a single Jewish progressive as a national candidate, I ask this: would you expect a single Jewish progressive to have gotten 55% of the vote in a middle-of-the-road Midwestern swing state when John "I-Run-To-The-Middle" Kerry could only get to barely over 50%? There's something special here - 'nuff said.

The Question for 2008

The Politicker has another interesting article online. You can read the whole piece by clicking here. Here's the question ......

"The question for 2008, to the extent that this matters, is whether a longshot from the left will come out strong in favor of same-sex marriage, and raise a pile of early money from deep-pocketed gay donors (who were important to Howard Dean's early surge back when civil unions were big). Russ Feingold seems the only one with a shot at doing this: So far, he's fought the Defense of Marriage Act and the Federal Marriage Amendment, and taken the stance that marriage is an issue to be decided at the state level. He seems to duck the issue of whether he actually supports same-sex marriage, though he seems to hint at supporting..."