Dems Sparked by Feingold & Warner at NH Dem Convention

Warner and Feingold. AP photo.

I watched Senator Russ Feingold and ex-Virginia Governor Mark Warner give their stump speeches at the New Hampshire Democratic convention yesterday on CSPAN. You can too -- scroll down a ways on the CSPAN page. Walter Shapiro at Salon thought the speeches might be the "big political story of the weekend."

Feingold electrified the crowd (and me) with his fiery speech and no-weasling pronouncements on what Democrats should stand for and why Bush should be censured to preserve our constitution's checks and balances. He got six standing ovations and was interrupted by applause at least 20 times during the speech. The loyal opposition indeed:

"Why are so many Democrats too timid to say what everyone in America knows? It's time to redeploy the troops. It's time to bring the troops out of Iraq. I say bring them home by the end of the year."

Addressing the opportunity that may present itself should Dems win back either or both Houses of Congress, Feingold said,

I just remind everybody. Democrats were in the majority in the United States Senate when we voted for the Iraq war and we passed the USA Patriot Act. It's not enough to be just in the majority. You have to stand for something."

We're reminded. And we'll be remembering and pressuring for Dems to exhibit backbone every step of the way. Feingold stands for such things as cleaning up politics and campaign finance, and expects the Executive Branch to comply with the rule of law as defined by the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. Unfortunately, these positions are considered "radical" by some in the Democratic Party who seem more interested in pleasing their big-dollar donors and hiding behind blandness than they are in confronting our constitutional and ethical crises and finding solutions.

New Hampshire's had this say:

Feingold left no one guessing about what he doesn't believe in: No Child Left Behind, the North American Free Trade Agreement, the war in Iraq. As for what he does believe in: health care for all Americans, alternative energy and publicly financed political campaigns. And, of course, rabble-rousing (which Feingold makes sure you know separates him from many other Democratic leaders).

Some members of the Democratic Party say, "Let's not rock the boat," he said. "But I think that's exactly how we lost in 2002 and 2004. We won't win by default. We won't win by just running out the clock."

As for the pragmatic Warner, I finally saw some evidence in this speech to support the positive response he has garnered from many in the netroots. I had watched several of his previous speeches on TV, but came away unimpressed and confused about what people were seeing in him, despite the 80% approval rating he received during his term as Governor. This time, however, I could see the appeal of his positive, forward-looking, problem-solving, consensus-building approach. He came off as someone who just might be able to bring a majority of Americans together to forge creative solutions to the many serious problems we face. A tidbit:

"We need an administration that doesn't have an on and off switch when it comes to following the law," Warner declaimed. And more money should go to research into renewable energy: "Of course, that would require an administration that believes in science."

I still have my qualms about Warner's views on trade, outsourcing and health care, but at least I could see his appeal and admire the creativity and openness he brings to the table. To my mind, either one of these guys would be a much more exciting, attractive and honestly passionate presidential candidate than Hillary Clinton and her purely expedient and poll-driven positions. Maybe one or both of them can head her off at the pass. Neither one panders -- they attempt to persuade, challenge people to think and energetically say what they believe. An impressive duo. Even if my heart, of course, is with Feingold.