Update: A lot of people in the comments seem to think that Feingold went 'off message', and are arguing about whether that's reasonable or not. My problem with Feingold is that he's not just off-message, he's totally wrong and evidencing a serious error in judgment. McCain is a crazily mean lying scumbag. If you think he's an honest maverick who is young at heart, is fully dedicated to reform, and has the judgment to be a good President, you're a sucker.
Via Greg Sargent, I think I've just read the single worst most inept set of statements by any elected Democratic official, ever, courtesy of Russ Feingold. If I didn't know better, I'd say that Russ Feingold is acting as a surrogate for the McCain campaign. There are so many horrible sickening quotes praising McCain for his maverick independent and honest persona that I've grouped them under themes.
McCain's an independent and a maverick.
Example one:
"I think the guy calls 'em as he sees 'em, and as president would call 'em as he sees 'em, and would make people mad all over the place because it wouldn't fit anybody's playbook," said Feingold, who teamed up with McCain to rewrite federal campaign laws.
Example two:
Feingold calls McCain "very original" and a "maverick by nature." McCain's own TV ads call him the "original maverick."
"He is not a guy who wants to be chummy-chummy with political leaders of the party. He doesn't like that sort of constraint. He's an independent," said Feingold. "So he somehow managed to become the nominee of the Republican Party. But we all know it's not because he was somebody that was kissing up to the Republican establishment, to say the least."
"But the notion that somehow (McCain) is going to get in there and be some kind of ideological Newt Gingrich right-winger is a joke. There's no way that he would do that," Feingold said.
McCain has the judgment and prudence to be President.
Example one:
"Yes, he shows temper. But he burns fast, and he doesn't let it cloud his judgment. He would not be a loose cannon in the Oval Office," said Feingold. "It's not like he's going to pick up the red phone in a rage."
Example two:
"I'd rather have Obama for many, many reasons," Feingold said, citing his deep differences with McCain over foreign policy, health care and civil liberties, and his belief that Obama could be an inspirational president.
"They both have the intellectual ability and the maturity to form judgments about important policy issues. I'd feel comfortable with both of them in there as president," Feingold said. "They are not people who are just preening for the cameras. They're both celebrities. (But) they're the rare breed: celebrities who are actually interested in getting things done."
McCain is a fearless reformer.
Example one:
"He's a very good legislator from my point of view, because when he gets onto something, he doesn't just want to introduce a bill, he likes to move it. And he's fearless," Feingold said of McCain, who once called the Wisconsin Democrat a "philosophical soul mate" on reform issues. (The two partnered on several other bills in addition to campaign finance.)
Example two:
"People couldn't believe how long we stayed on McCain-Feingold. . . . We'd come to those press conferences (year after year) and you guys would laugh at us, I mean, literally," said Feingold, grinning.
Example three:
"He's a great guy to fight an uphill battle with legislatively. He keeps his word. . . . I probably shouldn't be saying this stuff, but to be honest about it, it was one of the better professional experiences I've ever had in my life," Feingold said.
McCain is young.
"It's unfair, because McCain's a blast. He's fun to be around. He's certainly young in spirit. He's actually very young in energy," said Feingold.
There are literally no competent progressive elites. If you asked average Democrats who they believe are good leaders, they might mention Al Gore, Russ Feingold, or Barbara Boxer. These are the best we have.
We're supposed to be a political movement, but how can this movement continue to exist without any elected leadership that gets our mix of partisanship and populism, and couples it with a bullshit detector against insiders like McCain? Where's our Jesse Helms or Paul Laxalt or Ronald Reagan? These were uncompromising political figures constantly preached the virtues of their ideas and built up farm teams of staffers and politicians. We have no one.
The good news is that, since Democratic leaders are so awful, improving the situation shouldn't be that hard. It's not like we have to get rid of the Chamber of Commerce to win, all we have to do is getting better Democrats in there and fix the existing progressive infrastructure that mostly sucks.
