Fuente: © Republican National Committee (RNC)
http://www.rnc.org/

RNC: Meet Grandstanding Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI)

/noticias.info/ Will Democrats Stand With Feingold's Soft On Terror Crusade?

Sen. Feingold Says President Bush's Efforts To Protect America From Terrorist Attack Broke The Law, Calls For Censure:

Sen. Feingold: "[T]he president broke the law of the United States of America. ... [T]his is a lot more serious, a lot more like an impeachable offense than anything President Clinton ever did." (CNN's "American Morning," 3/13/06)

* Sen. Feingold: "[I]t's entirely appropriate to censure the president for breaking the law." (CNN's "American Morning," 3/13/06)

Sen. Feingold: "[T]he argument that somehow the military authorization for Afghanistan allowed this. This has basically been laughed out of the room in the congress ..." (ABC's "This Week," 3/12/06)

Chairman Of Armed Services Committee Calls Sen. Feingold's Censure Attempt "The Worst Type Of Political Grandstanding":

Sen. John Warner (R-VA): "[Sen. Feingold's] admitted he's running for president. And this was political grandstanding ... the worst type of political grandstanding." (CNN's "Late Edition," 3/12/06)

* Warner: "[I] was among those ... that said we should legislate on this issue, bring clarity to it, so, the president is not perceived as breaking the law. I don't think he has. But that was political grandstanding. And it tends to weaken our president." (CNN's "Late Edition," 3/12/06)

A Majority Of Americans Support President Bush's Terrorist Surveillance Program:

An ABC News/Washington Post Poll, Found A Majority Of Americans Consider Wiretapping Telephone Calls And Emails Without Court Approval An Acceptable Way For The Federal Government To Investigate Terrorism. (ABC News/Washington Post Poll, 1,000 Adults Nationwide, Conducted March 2-5, 2006, Margin Of Error +/- 3%)

* The Same Poll Found That 62% Of Americans Believe The FBI Should Retain Additional Authority In Areas Like Surveillance, Wiretaps And Obtaining Records In Terrorism Investigations. (ABC News/Washington Post Poll, 1,000 Adults Nationwide, Conducted March 2-5, 2006, Margin Of Error +/- 3%)

A CBS News Poll Found That A Majority Of Americans Approve Of The Use Of Wiretaps Without Court Warrants. (CBS News Poll, 1,018 Adults Nationwide, Conducted February 22-26, 2006, Margin Of Error +/- 3%)

Sen. Feingold's Long History Of Attempting To Kill The PATRIOT Act:

March 1, 2006: Sen. Feingold Voted Against An Amendment To Make The PATRIOT Act Immediately Effective. (S.2271, CQ Vote #24: Adopted 81-18: R 55-0; D 26-17; I 0-1, 3/1/06, Feingold Voted Nay)

March 1, 2006: Sen. Feingold Voted To Kill The PATRIOT Act. (H.R. 3199, CQ Vote #28: Motion Agreed To 84-15: R 55-0; D 29-14; I 0-1, 3/1/06, Feingold Voted Nay)

February 28, 2006: Sen. Feingold Voted Again To Kill The PATRIOT Act. (S. 2271, CQ Vote #23: Motion Agreed To 69-30: R 55-0; D 14-29; I 0-1, 2/28/06, Feingold Voted Nay)

December 16, 2005: Sen. Feingold Voted To Kill The PATRIOT Act Reauthorization. (H.R. 3199, CQ Vote #358: Motion Rejected 52-47: R 50-5; D 2-41; I 0-1, 12/16/05, Feingold Voted Nay)

October 25, 2001: Sen. Feingold Was The Only Senator To Vote Against The PATRIOT Act In 2001. (H.R. 3162, CQ Vote #313: Passed 98-1: R 49-0; D 48-1; I 1-0, 10/25/01, Feingold Voted Nay)

* Sen. Feingold: "This is one of the ridiculous things they do in Washington ... They want to intimidate people. ... A number of my colleagues said they thought I was right on the merits but felt they had to vote for it anyway." (Robert E. Pierre, "Wisconsin Senator Emerges As A Maverick," The Washington Post, 10/27/01)
* Sen. Feingold: "This is not a bill that is carefully tailored to the terrorism problem." (Robert E. Pierre, "Wisconsin Senator Emerges As A Maverick," The Washington Post, 10/27/01)

Sen. Feingold Opposes The PATRIOT Act Despite Evidence That It Has Protected America:

"[I]ntelligence And Law Enforcement Communities, And Our Partners, Both Here And Abroad, Have Identified And Disrupted Over 150 Terrorist Threats And Cells." (Department Of Justice Website, www.lifeandliberty.gov, Accessed 12/16/05)

"Five Terrorist Cells In Buffalo, Detroit, Seattle, Portland (Oregon), And Northern Virginia Have Been Broken Up." (Department Of Justice Website, www.lifeandliberty.gov, Accessed 12/16/05)

"401 Individuals Have Been Criminally Charged In The United States In Terrorism-Related Investigations." (Department Of Justice Website, www.lifeandliberty.gov, Accessed 12/16/05)

"Already, 212 Individuals Have Been Convicted Or Have Pleaded Guilty In The United States, Including Shoe-Bomber Richard Reid And 'American Taliban' John Walker Lindh." (Department Of Justice Website, www.lifeandliberty.gov, Accessed 12/16/05)

"Over 515 Individuals Linked To The September 11th Investigation Have Been Removed From The United States." (Department Of Justice Website, www.lifeandliberty.gov, Accessed 12/16/05)

Despite These Facts, Sen. Feingold Has Repeatedly Introduced "The Library, Bookseller And Personal Records Privacy Act." (Sen. Russ Feingold, "Sen. Feingold Introduces Bill To Protect Civil Liberties," Press Release, 2/8/05)

* Sen. Feingold: "These bills are appropriate fixes to a number of the PATRIOT Act's most problematic provisions ..." (Sen. Russ Feingold, "Sen. Feingold Introduces Bill To Protect Civil Liberties," Press Release, 2/8/05)

* "At Least Seven Of The 19 9/11 Hijackers Used Government Libraries In The Run-Up To Their Mass Killings In New York, Pennsylvania, And Washington, D.C." (Deroy Murdock, "On Borrowed Time," National Review Online, 5/3/05)

Sen. Feingold Originally Thought Saddam Hussein Had Weapons Of Mass Destruction - Supported President Bush:

Sen. Feingold: "With regard to Iraq, I agree, Iraq presents a genuine threat, especially in the form of weapons of mass destruction, chemical, biological, and potentially nuclear weapons. I agree that Saddam Hussein is exceptionally dangerous and brutal, if not uniquely so, as the president argues." (Sen. Russell Feingold [D-WI], Congressional Record, 10/9/02, p. S10147)

Sen. Feingold: "[Saddam Hussein] is a despot, and the weapons he possesses are capable of unimaginable destruction." (Adam S. Marlin, "Delegation Calls For Caution," States News Service, 2/17/98)

Sen. Feingold: "I don't think there's any question about that. This guy's horrible, and he's brutal to his own people as well as to anybody else he can get his hands on." (Tom Heinen, "What To Do About Saddam," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 8/8/00)

Now Sen. Feingold Criticizes The Bush Administration For A Belief He Previously Held:

"Feingold Said He Is 'Very Troubled' That Bush Continued To Justify The War On The Basis Of Iraq's ... Possession Of Weapons Of Mass Destruction." (David Callender, "Feingold: Bush Has 'Bunker Mentality'", Capital Times, 4/15/04)

* "Russell D. Feingold, D-Wis., Was One Of Several Democrats Who Asked Why No Weapons Of Mass Destruction Had Yet Been Uncovered. 'There Can Be No Doubt That The Preeminent Reason This Congress Voted To Invade Iraq Was To Make Sure That Saddam Hussein's Weapons Of Mass Destruction Were Disarmed,' Feingold Said, Mentioning Press Reports That The Search Efforts Were 'Winding Down.'" (Jonathan Riehl, "Democrats Press, Republicans Praise Administration on Information Sharing," Congressional Quarterly Daily Monitor, 5/22/03)

* Sen. Feingold: "The Bottom Line Was The Regular Invocation Of The Line 'We Don't Want The Smoking Gun To Be A Mushroom Cloud.' Mr. President, The Bottom Line Was Weapons Of Mass Destruction." (NPR's "All Things Considered," 7/31/03)

Sen. Feingold Even Called For His Own Timetable To Remove Troops From Iraq:

"The United States Should Set A Target Date Of Dec. 31, 2006, To Complete The Military Mission In Iraq And Have All U.S. Forces Removed From The Nation, U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold Said Wednesday." (James A. Carlson, "Senator Calling For Iraq Pullout By End Of 2006," The Associated Press, 8/17/05)

Sen. Feingold Said His Proposal Was Not "A Hard Deadline" And Had "Flexibility." Sen. Feingold: "I'm not proposing a hard deadline ... I'm proposing a target date, with flexibility.'" (James A. Carlson, "Senator Calling For Iraq Pullout By End Of 2006," The Associated Press, 8/17/05)

Sen. Feingold Called The Terrorist Argument "Very Effective." Sen. Feingold: "Most importantly, [troop withdrawal] provides an answer to the terrorists' very effective argument when they say, 'Come to Iraq and fight the American occupation.'" (James A. Carlson, "Senator Calling For Iraq Pullout By End Of 2006," The Associated Press, 8/17/05)

Sen. Feingold Has Repeatedly Voted Against Funding Our Efforts In Iraq And Afghanistan:

Sen. Feingold Supported An Amendment That Would Reduce Iraqi Reconstruction Funds By $322 Million. (S. 1689, CQ Vote #376: Motion Agreed To 49-37: R 46-0; D 2-37; I 1-0, 10/2/03, Feingold Voted Nay)

Sen. Feingold Supported An Amendment That Would Transfer More Than $5 Billion From Iraqi Reconstruction To Domestic Programs Such As Improving US Federal Highways. (S. 1689, CQ Vote #379: Motion Agreed To 59-35: R 51-0; D 8-34; I 0-1, 10/14/03, Feingold Voted Nay)

Sen. Feingold Supported An Amendment That Would Withhold Over $10 Billion In Iraqi Reconstruction Funding. (S. 1689, CQ Vote #385: Motion Agreed To 57-42: R 51-0; D 6-41; I 0-1, 10/16/03, Feingold Voted Nay)

Sen. Feingold Supported An Amendment That Would Reduce The Amount Of Aid For Iraqi Reconstruction By Almost $900 Million. (S. 1689, CQ Vote #394: Motion Agreed To 56-43: R 51-0; D 5-42; I 0-1, 10/17/03, Feingold Voted Nay)

Sen. Feingold Supported An Amendment That Would Reduce Reconstruction Funding For Iraq And Afghanistan By Over $1.5 Billion. (S. 1689, CQ Vote #396: Motion Agreed To 51-47: R 49-1; D 2-45; I 0-1, 10/17/03, Feingold Voted Nay)

Sen. Feingold Supported An Amendment That Would Decrease Iraqi Reconstruction Funds By $600 Million. (S. 1689, CQ Vote #399: Motion Agreed To 55-43: R 45-4; D 10-38; I 0-1, 10/17/03, Feingold Voted Nay)

Sen. Feingold Was The Only Democrat To Vote Against Funds To Rebuild Afghanistan And Fight Terrorism In Israel. (H.R. 4775, CQ Vote #188: Adopted 92-7: R 42-6; D 49-1; I 1-0, 7/24/02, Feingold Voted Nay)

Sen. Feingold Has Long Record Of Voting Against Strengthening Our Nation's Military:

Sen. Feingold Has Voted To Cut, Transfer Or Otherwise Decrease Overall Defense Budget At Least 20 Times. (S. 1122, CQ Vote #156: Motion Rejected 16-81: R 8-45; D 8-36, 6/8/99, Feingold Voted Yea; H. Con. Res. 68, CQ Vote #86: Adopted 54-44: R 54-0; D 0-44, 4/15/99, Feingold Voted Nay; S. Con. Res. 18, CQ Vote #46: Adopted 69-30: R 31-12; D 38-18, 3/23/93, Feingold Voted Nay; S. Con. Res. 18, CQ Vote #50: Motion Agreed To 58-41: R 6-37; D 52-4, 3/23/93, Feingold Voted Yea; S. 1298, CQ Vote #253: Motion Agreed To 61-32: R 35-5; D 26-27, 9/9/93, Feingold Voted Nay; S. Con. Res. 63, CQ Vote #66: Rejected 42-58: R 42-2; D 0-56, 3/23/94, Feingold Voted Nay; S. Con. Res. 13, CQ Vote #180: Rejected 40-60: R 37-17; D 3-43, 5/23/95, Feingold Voted Nay; S. 1087, CQ Vote #389: Motion Agreed To 56-42: R 50-3; D 6-39, 8/10/95, Feingold Voted Nay; S. Con. Res. 57, CQ Vote #113: Rejected 42-57: R 6-47; D 36-10, 5/15/96, Feingold Voted Yea; S. 1745, CQ Vote #172: Rejected 34-65: R 4-49; D 30-16, 6/26/96, Feingold Voted Yea; S. 1745, CQ Vote #173: Rejected 45-55: R 6-47; D 39-8, 6/26/96, Feingold Voted Yea; S. Con. Res. 13, CQ Vote #181: Rejected 28-71: R 2-51; D 26-20, 5/24/95, Feingold Voted Yea; S. Con. Res. 13, CQ Vote #204: Rejected 31-68: R 1-53; D 30-15, 5/25/95, Feingold Voted Yea; S. Con. Res. 13, CQ Vote #205: Rejected 26-73: R 2-52; D 24-21, 5/25/95, Feingold Voted Yea; H.R. 1944, CQ Vote #319: Motion Agreed To 57-40: R 47-5; D 10-35, 7/21/95, Feingold Voted Nay; H.R. 1944, CQ Vote #320: Motion Agreed To 65-32: R 49-3; D 16-29, 7/21/95, Feingold Voted Nay; S. 1745, CQ Vote #175: Motion Agreed To 60-40: R 50-3; D 10-37, 6/26/96, Feingold Voted Nay; S. 1061, CQ Vote #229: Motion Rejected 27-72: R 2-53; D 25-19, 9/10/97, Feingold Voted Yea; S. 2057, CQ Vote #173: Rejected 18-74: R 1-50; D 17-24, 6/25/98, Feingold Voted Yea; S. 1077, CQ Vote #224: Motion Agreed To 77-22: R 48-0; D 29-21; I 0-1, 7/10/01, Feingold Voted Nay)

Sen. Feingold Has Voted Against Missile Defense At Least Three Times. (S. 2400, CQ Vote #139: Rejected 45-53: R 0-50; D 44-3; I 1-0, 6/23/04, Feingold Voted Yea; S. 2400, CQ Vote #133: Rejected 44-56: R 0-51; D 43-5; I 1-0, 6/22/04, Feingold Voted Yea; S. 2400, CQ Vote #125: Adopted 55-44: R 51-0; D 4-43; I 0-1, 6/17/04, Feingold Voted Nay)

* Sen. Feingold Voted Against Missile Defense, But Now Criticizes The President On North Korea's Missile Development. "Feingold said the administration's policy toward Iraq comes at a cost when security threats elsewhere are escalating. North Korea is 'far closer to becoming a nuclear-weapons-producing state' than Iraq, he said, calling Bush's policy there 'ambiguous and ineffective at best.'" (Lib Sander, "Feingold: Attack Won't Create Safety," Capital Times, 3/7/03)

* "Feingold Thinks Pursuing The 'Star Wars' Plans That Have Been Proposed For Missile Defense Would Be Ineffective And Waste Billions Of Dollars." (Alan J. Borsuk, "Clear-Cut Differences In Feingold, Neumann Race," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 10/29/98)

Sen. Feingold Voted To Kill An Amendment That Would Have Authorized The Use Of Force Against Threats Posed By Terrorist Organizations, Including Hamas And Hizbullah. (S.J. Res 45, CQ Vote #231: Motion Agreed To 88-10: R 48-0; D 39-10; I 1-0, 10/9/02, Feingold Voted Yea)

Sen. Feingold Has A Long Record Of Voting Against Funding Intelligence:

In 2003, Sen. Feingold Voted To Withhold $50 Million In Intelligence Funding. (H.R. 2658, CQ Vote #287: Motion Agreed To 62-34: R 51-0; D 11-33; I 0-1, 7/17/03, Feingold Voted Nay)

In 1995, Feingold Voted To Slash FBI Funding By $80 Million - 3.5% Of FBI's Budget. "Kohl, D-Wis., amendment to add $80 million for social crime prevention programs and offset the cost by cutting FBI funding by an equal amount." (H.R. 2076, CQ Vote #480: Adopted 49-41: R 9-40; D 40-1, 9/29/95, Feingold Voted Yea)

In 1994, Feingold Voted To Gut $6 Billion From Intelligence And Freeze Intelligence Spending. (S. Amdt. 1452, Introduced 2/9/94; H.R. 3759, CQ Vote #39: Rejected 20-75: R 3-37; D 17-38, 2/10/94, Feingold Voted Yea)

* 75 Senators, Including Sen. Ted Kennedy, Voted Against This Amendment. (Amdt. To H.R. 3759, CQ Vote #39: Rejected 20-75: R 3-37; D 17-38, 2/10/94, Feingold Voted Yea; Kennedy Voted Nay)

Feingold Voted At Least Three Times To Reveal Top Secret Intelligence Budget. (S. 1301, CQ Vote # 366: Rejected 49-51: R 40-4; D 9-47, 11/10/93, Feingold Voted Nay; S. 1301, CQ Vote # 367: Adopted 52-48: R 3-41; D 49-7, 11/10/93, Feingold Voted Yea; S. 858, CQ Vote #108: Rejected 43-56: R 1-54; D 42-2, 6/19/97, Feingold Voted Yea) notas_de_prensa_archivo