Securing The Base
Russ Feingold and John Kerry did their best to secure the base of far left voters by introducing a true cut and run resolution in the Senate yesterday. They asked that the withdrawl from Iraq start now, and be substantially over by July of 2007.
Neither can complain that Bill Frist rigged the timing, or the wording of the resolution, as he did last week. It was exactly what they asked for. And it was defeated by a vote of 86-13, with 31 Democrats jumping off the cut and run bandwagon.
Russ and John, though unhappy we won't admit defeat and run, are thrilled by their new street cred with the ultra left. Kerry went so far as to say he was "thilled" by the vote, since it got more votes than he anticipated. By putting the resolution forward, both seem to think it's their ticket to the 2008 nomination for President.
A similar resolution, for a phased withdrawl from Iraq beginning at the end of this year was proposed by Carl Levin, and also defeated, on a 60-39 vote. The major difference was his had no end date on it, and got a single GOP Senator (Lincoln Chaffee) to vote for it.
Kerry and Feingold knew they had no chance of winning, or coming close on their vote. The whole idea of it was simply to reassure votes on the far end of their party they are the standard bearers for them. With both likely to run in 2008, it'll play great in the primary elections, maybe.
I say maybe because they are really 18 months away from the serious campaigning for 2008. As John Kerry learned the hard way in 2004, tea leaves are sometimes hard to read. His "I voted for before I voted against" saga should be on his mind now. Lots can happen in two years, and if it turns out that between now and then the insurgency settles out, and Iraq does handle it's own security, yesterday's resolution becomes the anchor around both potential candidates necks.
One only needs to look back to 1991, when Bush 41 had the highest approval rating of any president in history, and then a minor economic downturn cost him an election 18 months later. Keeping that piece of history in mind means that the crux of a Kerry or Feingold run is that insurgents MUST continue to kill civilians, and American's in Iraq. If they don't, both are dead in the water for a 2008 run.
Technorati Tags: Russ Feingold, John Kerry, Carl Levin, Iraq, Cut and Run, Senate
Neither can complain that Bill Frist rigged the timing, or the wording of the resolution, as he did last week. It was exactly what they asked for. And it was defeated by a vote of 86-13, with 31 Democrats jumping off the cut and run bandwagon.
Russ and John, though unhappy we won't admit defeat and run, are thrilled by their new street cred with the ultra left. Kerry went so far as to say he was "thilled" by the vote, since it got more votes than he anticipated. By putting the resolution forward, both seem to think it's their ticket to the 2008 nomination for President.
A similar resolution, for a phased withdrawl from Iraq beginning at the end of this year was proposed by Carl Levin, and also defeated, on a 60-39 vote. The major difference was his had no end date on it, and got a single GOP Senator (Lincoln Chaffee) to vote for it.
Kerry and Feingold knew they had no chance of winning, or coming close on their vote. The whole idea of it was simply to reassure votes on the far end of their party they are the standard bearers for them. With both likely to run in 2008, it'll play great in the primary elections, maybe.
I say maybe because they are really 18 months away from the serious campaigning for 2008. As John Kerry learned the hard way in 2004, tea leaves are sometimes hard to read. His "I voted for before I voted against" saga should be on his mind now. Lots can happen in two years, and if it turns out that between now and then the insurgency settles out, and Iraq does handle it's own security, yesterday's resolution becomes the anchor around both potential candidates necks.
One only needs to look back to 1991, when Bush 41 had the highest approval rating of any president in history, and then a minor economic downturn cost him an election 18 months later. Keeping that piece of history in mind means that the crux of a Kerry or Feingold run is that insurgents MUST continue to kill civilians, and American's in Iraq. If they don't, both are dead in the water for a 2008 run.
Technorati Tags: Russ Feingold, John Kerry, Carl Levin, Iraq, Cut and Run, Senate
posted by Crazy Politico at 5:13 AM
8Comments:
Announcer: Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the hottest band in the land: John "Street Cred" Kerry and The Heintz Tomatoes!
[wild applause]
"dead in the water"
What a wonderful thought.
These two suffer from delusions. There is no way they could become electable. John Kerry still hasn't released his military records that he promised to do. Feingold is so out on the fringes she has no idea what real Americans are thinking.
Has anyone noticed that 3/4 of the members of congress form coastal states are loons?
Ablur, it's Feingold, as in Russ, from Wisconsin, which is only coastal if you count Lake Michigan :) As for Kerry, you are right, he still hasn't released his records like he promised in 2004. But that's okay, as soon as he announces he's a candidate for 2008 someone will start running a commerical to remind everyone of that fact.
Mark-LMAO
LP- It is a nice thought, isn't it.
Sorry, I was thinking Feinstein as in Diane. She drives me nuts. Along with Boxer, Murray, Kennedy and Kerry. Boy I could really go on and on here.
Seems we only can elect completely incompetent people. I believe the old axiom that states "People will rise to their highest level of incompetents and stay there."
And what happens when the base of something is much smaller than the top and you try to set it upright?
ablur, fringedweller Feingold is in fact supported by a recent CNN poll showing that a majority of Americans support a timetable for getting out of Iraq.
Abi, while you are right polls do show that, the job of Congress and the President isn't to blindly follow polls, but do what they think is in the best interest of the country.
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