Is Feinstein the Democrats' Next Lieberman?

[DeepModem Mom]

WP: Capitol Briefing, by Paul Kane
Is Feinstein the Democrats' Next Lieberman?


Sen. Feinstein's support for the Mukasey nomination is a big victory for the White House. (Getty Images)

For the second time in recent months, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Calif.) on Friday confirmed that she will break ranks with a majority of her Democratic colleagues on the Judiciary Committee, in this case to confirm President Bush's nominee for attorney general. Feinstein, along with Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), announced that she will support Michael B. Mukasey's nomination, virtually assuring his confirmation despite the nominee's controversial refusal to declare an interrogation technique called waterboarding to be an illegal form of torture.

The decision to back Bush's nominee sparked immediate outrage among the liberal anti-war "Netroots" community, many of whom had been pushing aggressively for the undecided Democrats on Judiciary to oppose Mukasey. Within minutes of the Schumer-Feinstein announcements, timed to be released at the same moment, the liberal blog Talking Points Memo blasted the news on its home page, while Democrats.com urged readers to refuse to give money to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which is chaired by Schumer.

Schumer's wavering on the issue was much debated and discussed over the past week, as his indecision was featured in profiles in The Washington Post, New York Times and insider publications like Roll Call and The Hill. Feinstein's role was just as pivotal and received nowhere near as much attention, but some think that will change.

Norman Ornstein, a congressional scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, predicted short-term headaches for Schumer but long-term issues with the anti-war liberals for Feinstein, because it's her second major break from Democrats in the past three months. "The next Joe Lieberman for them is going to be Feinstein," Ornstein told Capitol Briefing, referring to Connecticut's Joe Lieberman, who has been effectively chased from the party for his strong support for the Iraq war....

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/capitol-briefing/2007/11/feinstein_again_breaks_ranks_w.html

[Greeby]

1. Would help if she hadn't already been relected for another six years

:eyes:

[MADem]

2. No. Not at all. That's a goofy construct.

Lieberman lost the Democratic primary, and still horned in. That isn't DiFi's CV, at all.

She's established herself as a conservative Democrat, a 'bridge' Senator in a state that manages to elect GOP governors quite regularly.

Comparing her with Lieberman, though, is childish. They aren't the same. Lieberman lost, and refused to give up "his" seat.

DiFi hasn't done anything of the sort, at least not yet.

The comparison is a bit lame. No, it's more than a bit lame--it's unsupportable.

And it's a bit "Jewy" (to use a Jon Stewart-ism) too--the "Stein" factor for DiFi, who IS a Jew, so's Chucky...and the clearly Jewish provenance of Holy Joe?

Maybe that isn't the intent, but that's what I smell bubbling up from the cauldron of this article...and that's not too cool.

The fact that Feinstein and Schumer choose to support the "M" nom has nothing to do with Holy Joe. Trying to tie them together (what, all Jewish Senators act a certain way?? What???) is just... well, a lousy suggestion. I'm not enamoured of her logic or her decision, but I sense a bit of "lumping" going on here, and it's ...er...unattractive:

Feinstein said her support was based largely on the proposition that Bush would not nominate another attorney general, leaving in place a long-term acting attorney general not confirmed by the Senate: "Judge Mukasey is the best we will get and voting him down would only perpetuate acting and recess appointments, allowing the administration to avoid the transparency that confirmation hearings provide and diminish effective oversight by Congress."

In early August Feinstein played the role of "Lone Democratic Ranger" when she supported U.S. Judge Leslie Southwick's confirmation to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, based in New Orleans. She rejected allegations that he was racially insensitive in previous judicial rulings involving a racial slur, giving Southwick a 10-9 vote out of Judiciary.

"I don't believe he's a racist...I believe he's a good person," she told the committee.

For that vote, she was hailed by conservative activists who called it an "act of decency," while liberal activists said Southwick amounted to a "slap in the face" to minority voters.

On Tuesday morning, when she casts her vote in the Judiciary Committee in favor of Mukasey, Feinstein will at least have Schumer by her side to take some of the heat from outraged activists on the left.

[XemaSab]

3. I got the same whiff...

:(

(After googling sitting Jewish senators, I didn't know Arlen Specter and Norm Coleman were Jewish... learn something every day. :) )

[lligrd]

4. California Can Recall Senators

I can't think of a better person do use it on.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Solly Mack]

6. "Sen. Feinstein's support for... Mukasey ... is a big victory for the White House."

and I wonder what "big" reward DiFi will get for it

Same with Schumer

[babylonsister]

7. No doubt. She's poison now imo. nt

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

8. What do they mean by "next"?

[IndianaGreen]

9. And to think that a great human being like Harvey Milk took a bullet

and here we got DiFi.

[cboy4]

10. I know I had to hold my nose and vote for her last Nov.

so the Republic wouldn't win.

She is a changed person since the first time I helped get her elected; although there are a number of Senators who are much worse...not the least of which is that imbecile Ben Nelson (D) of Nebraska. What a fricken DINO nightmare he is.

[Bitwit1234]

11. So just like in the Iraq vote

70 senators voted but you hold Clinton responsible for the war. Now Schumer also voted for Murkasy, BUT that don't matter, you blame Feinstein exclusively. Now isn't that sexist.

[Kahuna]

12. Duh. She's long been Lieberman in a skirt.

:puke:

[mmonk]

13. MIC stooge. Follow the money.

[opihimoimoi]

14. She has become a Pro Torture POS, far worse than ole Joe...

What she did was put our Name in harms way...but more import is our Troops are now gonna be subject to possible Torture....

BushCo have done this Nation more than a disservice...essentially, they have used the Constitution as Toilet Paper...and now..Schummer and DI joins them...Drats