Feingold’s censure motion

Quite a few people seem to be all atwitter about Russ Feingold’s motion to censure President Bush for the apparent FISA violations under his Administration.  I see that ReddHedd at firedoglake is trying to muster grassroots support for the measure.

I’ve already said my piece on this subject here and here.  I’m quite willing to wait and let justice, of which this is a part, take its course.  Then, certainly, the Congress can get back to the pressing business of the country since that should settle the matter.  Oh, it won’t, you say?  Never mind.

Joe Gandelman of The Moderate Voice, of course, has a rundown of media and blogospheric reaction.  Joe’s analysis of the issue is particularly good and I’m substantially in agreement with it:

• Censure is basically condemnation — not impeachment. Even so it’ll be rough sailing on getting this one through.
• Feingold has greatly increased his standing among many Democratic activists because he’s not mincing words on this issue. He will likely be the favorite of one wing of the Democratic party.
• His measure is unlikely to get far at all, in terms of a vote. No Republicans will support it. Democrats who need to attract Republican votes in their states will never vote for it. Democrats in tough re-election drives are even less likely to vote for it — unless those who support it conduct an overpowering telephone campaign. And even then it may be too risky for many professional politicians.
• Bush is indeed way down in the polls and is losing support among independents and down to bare-bones in terms of Democratic support. But the controversies surrounding George Bush have not yet reached critical mass as they did in the case of Richard Nixon.
• You can tell that this proposal has little likelihood of going far by seeing how it’s played on major news organizations (not blogs) news sites. There are NO screaming headlines. Prospect: It’ll generate a lot of news stories, inspire many blog posts but unless Harry Reid and some Democratic hard-hitters like Hillary Clinton go along with it, it probably won’t go too far. If Reid gets solidly behind it, that might help. But, at this points, its chances of passage are zilch.
• This is more of a send-him-a-message gesture — something that’ll be noted by the media and drive home a Democratic point on warrantless wiretaps.
• George Bush does have public statements on-the-record about warrantless wiretaps that are at variance with what was actually going on.

As I’ve written before I believe that there are more risks than rewards for Democrats in this course but so be it.