For a crazy idea, it sure has a lot of support

March 16, 2006

When Republicans began criticizing Sen. Russ Feingold’s censure resolution, one of their principal talking points was the notion that a formal rebuke for Bush over wireless searches was, well, nuts. Common descriptions included words like “extreme” and “over the top.” There’s a certain spectrum of sensible political ideas — and this wasn’t in it.

Of course, this argument was more compelling before polling data debunked it.

The American Research Group, a non-partisan firm in New Hampshire, asked respondents, “Do you favor or oppose the United States Senate passing a resolution censuring President George W. Bush for authorizing wiretaps of Americans within the United States without obtaining court orders?” 46% of all adults support a censure resolution, while 44% do not. (Among voters, the support for censure was slightly stronger, 48% to 43%.) For a crazy idea, censure sure has a lot of support.

What’s more, a surprising 29% of Republicans support the resolution, in addition to 42% of independents.

ARG also gauged support for Bush’s impeachment. Support is weaker, but not by as much as congressional Republicans would like. Among voters, 50% oppose impeachment, while 43% support it. That’s with no meaningful public discussion of the idea in the media or in Congress.

Considering the general reaction to Feingold, censure (and impeachment) is so far beyond the pale of political discourse that the mere suggestion is lunacy. No serious person, Republicans have said all week, should even utter the word except to mock it.

And yet, the public is way past Congress and more receptive to the idea(s) than hardly anyone could have expected. Keep in mind, the ARG data were not all bad for Bush — in the poll, the president’s approval rating was 38%, which is unusually high right now — but on censure and impeachment, national support was surprisingly strong.

Will this affect the debate on the Hill? Will Dems start warming up to the resolution once they see the numbers? Do nearly one-in-three Republicans really support censure, or is this just considered a less-severe option than impeachment? Will news networks start conducting some additional polling on this?

Stay tuned.

Yahooo!
Now the timid democratic prarie dogs of congress will peek their shakey little heads out of their holes and ask, “Is.. is .. it safe to come out????

Reminds me of groundhog day.

  • Censure! Censure! Censure!

    Then impeach Cheney!

    Nice to know that America is coming around to the idea of standing up for its own rights, even if it is in a ‘LOOONNNNNGGGG’ war.

  • Do nearly one-in-three Republicans really support censure, or is this just considered a less-severe option than impeachment?

    Do they support censure or the vote on censure – as an opportunity to paint the Democrats in the Senate as weak and cowardly? (Or allow the Democrats to themselves demonstrate that they are weak and cowardly, as seems to be the case with this issue.)

    Maybe if the Democrats flogged this issue it might gain some traction and they might more support for censure and even impeachment. With the poll numbers on censure where they are I think it’s very likely that the Democrats are screwing this one up by running from it, that they could change the polls on impeachment in their favor if they actually tried.

  • For all the talk of Bush’s “bubble,” it’s hard to deny congressional Democrats live in a similar vacuum. Bush’s numbers are in the tank, congressional Republicans are panicking, and the voting public is fed up. Yet the Democrats continue to show the same nervousness and timidity they’ve had since 1995. They act like the Republicans aren’t on the ropes but like its Sept. 12, 2001.

    Who do Democrats listen to on matters like this? Fire them all and have them forcibly removed from the building. Start with the people who fed us the five reasons not to back Feingold’s censure resolution yesterday. Then Democrats can start acting like they want to win elections and run the country again. This resolution is a good place to start. It has everyone’s attention and the momentum is on our side.

  • Do they support censure or the vote on censure

    I really don’t think a random (and Republican at that) pollee is going to be thinking about sophisticated nuances and strategery. They hear it – correctly – as “does the Rule of Law(TM) apply to the preznit?”. It’s heartening to know that there are some Republicans who actually believe it. I’m sure they believe in the Easter Bunny as well.

  • The tide is beginning to shift as people are getting angry. I remember the Nixon years. Nixon won the 2nd term by a huge majority, but once people got angry enough, he had to resign or be impeached.

    Bush & Co. is bombing the hell out of Iraq trying to get some approval on the 3rd anniversary of the invasion. I wonder what they will do on the “Mission Accomplished” 3rd anniversary? People are beginning to recognize the incompetence, greed and dishonesty of these horrible people. In their desperation, they are now focusing on Iran in hopes of getting the public back in their corner. It won’t work, they are no longer trusted.

    Even the corporate media is now saying the “i” word.

  • Feingold stood his ground this morning, before this latest polling result was announced, on his censure resolution. Here is the relevant passage from his news conference.

    FEINGOLD: It seems to me appropriate, when the spin machines are out there and people are using various language, to come out and reiterate my reasons for doing this.

    I think that the press decided immediately that somehow this was a bad thing for Democrats and a good thing for conservatives. The facts don’t bear it out. You don’t have the polls to prove it. The way my colleagues are responding to me suggests to me they’re thinking about this, that they feel that there has to be some accountability.

    So the instant decision about what the story is, actually, I think is going to backfire on those who made up the story. I don’t get the feeling that I had on Monday about this — yes, people were concerned — I’m not getting that.

    And if the right wing really believes in this country that — Rush Limbaugh and others — that they can somehow turn the president’s reputation around by saying, “You’re darn right he violated the law, and it’s a good thing,” I think they’re just as confused as they are about their Iraq politics. People aren’t buying it anymore.

    So not only do I not regret it, I felt an absolute obligation to do it

  • Think of it this way. As noted above, the American
    people are running way ahead of the Democratic
    leadership in grasping how truly disastrous this
    administration is. Imagine what might be happening
    if the Democrats acted like an opposition party,
    and actually led the people. Right now, we can’t
    even drag them out into the arena. They’re hunkered
    down, cowering and mewling in their beltway bunkers.

    Is it too late to get these cowardly fools off their
    asses and shame them into doing what they ought
    to be doing?

    Probably. Or more accurately, impossible.

  • Elected Democrats should be hounded whenever they come home. “Coward”, “Chicken”, “Weenie”, “Butt hole” — anything we can think of to shout that them. They have to get their street smarts back, and they’re not going to get in the DC gyms or tennis courts or massage parlors.

    We are so WAAAAAAYYYY ahead of our “leadership” on Feingold and Conyers.

  • What’s more, a surprising 29% of Republicans support the resolution, in addition to 42% of independents.

    The independent response to the following question is more surprising to me:

    Do you favor or oppose the United States House of Representatives voting to impeach President George W. Bush?

    Independents 47% favor, 40% oppose, 13% undecided.

  • I’m among the 29% (Republicans that support censure). I’m also among the 43% (support impeachment). I have NEVER voted for a Bush. And I despise the timidity of the Democratic party in the face of this current theo-fascist idiot. I dream of a statesman who will govern, who will appoint qualified cabinet leaders, who is fiscally responsible, who will use the AG to aggressively pursue corporate corruption, who will demand solutions to our national health crisis, yada, yada, yada.

  • I’m amazed that the pollsters are starting to ask people about impeachment.

    It wasn’t too long ago that our threads here at the Carpetbagger Report were bemoaning the refusal of media outlets and pollsters to even bring up the subject.

    Even if the Dems never embrace Feingold’s position, Russ is already having an impact with the buzzmeisters.

  • And you gotta suspect that, out of the 50% of respondents who DON’T want impeachment, at least some of those people are just scared s***less over a President Cheney.

  • Chopin,
    Are you sure you’re a Republican? I was with you all the way to yada, yada, yada, and I’ve never been a Republican.

  • This poll will panic Bush to action. .
    I’m thinking of him as a cancer on the presidency.
    We are always safer when the malignacy is dormant.
    If he has screwed up this bad with hands off, wait till “fly by my gut” George takes a grip on the controls.

  • The unthinkable, at least here on The Carpet -Bagger Report, characterization of Senator Feingold’s Draft Censure Resolution has been uttered and noted by the LEFT Media Cartel (You know who they are.). Senator Mark Dayton, a Democrat of the State of Minnesota, has accused Senator Feingold of “GRANDSTANDING”. Of course, that behavior of Senator Feingold was obvious to all of us. Had he been honestly convinced of the criminal intent and illegal operations of President Bush’s Electronic Intelligence Interception Program at the National Security Agency, he would have included the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the Senate Committees, briefed at the direction of Mr. Bush concerning all aspects of the NSA Program presently agitating the hard LEFT. If these informed Senators did nothing to forestall this collection of raw intelligence aimed at protecting Americans, including women, children, gays, and Minorities, form being exploded by a fanatic, heathen, insane, wicked person then they are fellow conspirators, according to the laws of the land, IF A CRIME WAS COMMITTED, as Senator Feingold pretends to believe. The fact that Senator Feingold did not include the names of those Senators in his Draft Resolution demonstrates conclusively that Mr. Feingold is “GRANDSTANDING” and doing a poor job of it. He is only making himself look stupid, demonstrating that he is unfit to be President, as he so ardently desires. Indeed, his qualifications to sit as a Member in the Senate of these United States are not immediately apparent. But, I suppose, the Democrat LEFT Element consider him “good enough for Government Work.” Their standards obviously do not include the potential for statesmanship.

  • The question asked by the pollsters was worded so that the results would be skewed. It did not specify that the phone conversations being monitored are between U.S. and OVERSEAS parties. Big difference. As far as I know, there is no warrentless monitoring of phone conversations between U.S. parties.

  • Fallenwoman, given that Bush broke specific laws in regard to warrantless tapping of communications where one party is overseas, and his rationale is that he must do all within his power to prevent terrorism, what on earth would stop him from warrantless spying on a purely domestic conversation?

    Your point is mildly interesting, but I don’t think there’s much real distinction left… if Dubya thinks you might be a terrorist (you know, like a peace protestor in PA,) he thinks he can go after you without a warrant.

  • Bush not only broke the FISA law, he acknowledged that he broke it, said he had a right as “war president” (never granted) to break it. It doesn’t matter what the fine points are when he said he’s above any mere law. This is certainly the equivalent of the stained blue dress, and Feingold’s not even asking for impeachment, just censure. That’s equilvalent to saying “You did a bad when violated FISA” — no more than that.

  • President Bush is exercising the RESPONSIBILITY Constitutionally vested in the Commander-In-Chief of the ARMED FORCES of these UNITED STATES in WAR-TIME to acquire Intelligence of the Enemy. No Other Branch of the Federal Government can revoke or modify that RESPONSIBILITY! Democrat Presidents have done it, so it is SETTLED LAW! Only the odd Wanker or LEFT Stooge maintains otherwise. Presidents Franklin Roosevelt, Harry S Truman, John F. Kennedy, Jimmie Carter, and William J. Clinton all asserted their responsibility for the gathering of Intelligence of the Enemy’s intentions, capabilities, and dedication. Most recently Department of Justice Official and Clinton’s obsequious creature, Jamie Gorelick, asserted before a Congressional Committee that then President Clinton was seized with precisely the same responsibility that presently burdens our GOD-Granted President BUSH.

    Instead of this aimless carping, our thoughts should be directed toward helping OUR President gain the necessary Victory by devising better methods of defeating the ENEMY. The virulent hatred of OUR President ill suits a free citizen of these United States.

  • The American people have been made fools of by the clever schemes of Karl Rove, the Dr. Frankenstein of American politics, the man who took this half-brained creature, this pseudo-moron, mental pygmy, dormant brain dumbya, George Bush, and transformed him into president of the U.S. Dumbya, please stop these spin-and-deceive speaking tours. Over 70% of Americans believe the country is on the wrong track. Can you do anything to change direction? Good Americans out there, whose voices are only just being heard above the whir of the Republican money-counting machine, search your heart and help do something to change world conditions!

  • America has turned against Bush. It’s time for everyone to get on this and make sure you write your Senators and newspapers. Tell all your friends. Not supporting censure or impeachment means you’re out-of-fashion.

  • Probably because when Congress asked him about the Dubai deal, he didn’t say, “Trust me, it’ll all be become clear as legit once you’ve familiarized yourselves with the situation.”

    Instead, he said, ‘Just approve it and I’ll veto you.”

    Odd dude, that Bush. No wonder Americans are fed up with him.

  • The Confused vying with the Deluded in a futile contest to damn President Bush’s eyes is no substitute for well conceived comments on government policies and operational methods. The Carpet Bagger Report (an unfortunate name down here in DIXIE) provides us with a splendid Forum, and too much of its possibilities are wasted. THINK FOR YOURSELVES!

  • I feel really hopeful about this.

    I guess it’s not so easy to hijack a democracy in this day and age, eh, assholes?

    My blog seems to be down, but for any of you looking for ideas of what to write, here’s a letter to my local newspaper that I recently put up on the blog:

    Senator Russ Feingold’s and Representative John Conyers’ suggestions for reigning in the president need to be given careful consideration over the coming weeks. Feingold wants Congress to officially censure President Bush for breaking the law that protects people from wiretaps that are conducted by the cops with very little or no reason to suspect the person of committing a crime. Conyers wants investigations started into whether or not the President has committed any impeachable offenses while in office.

    That the President chose to step around the law when authorizing wiretaps
    gives us a strong reason to think the spying was conducted for illegitimate purposes unconnected to investigating crime. This country was created as a democracy with checks and balances, and the Senate has a duty to make sure that the president does not act like a dictator. In addition, three top administration officials are now facing felony criminal charges: Claude Allen, Scooter Libby, and David Safavian. A recently convicted criminal, Jack Abramoff, has been linked to Bush. The aura of sleaze and scandal that surrounds this president is constant, and the concerns need to be addressed in a serious manner.

  • I see pattern:

    Create a poll or two, skew the questions to give a predetermined result, then report these polls as news. A great idea to suck the oxygen out of a debate.

    Definition of insanity: DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AND EXPECTING DIFFERENT RESULTS

    I remember the polls prior to the adults taking charge of the House of Representatives in 1994, all doom and gloom for the Republicans because Newt nationalized the elections with the Contract With America, which the press cited poll after poll as against what the public wanted. More recently I remember the polls just before President Bush won a MAJORITY of the vote in the 2004 election, forecasting Kerry as the winner. I remember the polls forecasting Democratic gains in 2002, again WRONG. Cowards govern by polls, men govern by setting an agenda and sticking to it.

  • I just want to know how many of you _do not_ think that the Islamic fundamonkeys are going to try to kill a wholesale lot of people again within the borders of the USA.

  • This saturday my family and I will be demonstrating aginst the third year anniversary of the Iraq war. The size of the national turn out and the media coverage of same will be informative as to how quickly the nation is turning away from the republicans.
    It’s a way send Bush and Congress the message about how we feel.

    Anyone interested in finding events in their area check out Unitedforpeace.org

  • After the “DEMONSTRATIONS” and, GOD forbid, our GOD-Granted President Bush is hounded from Office by the insensate mob, how will the Democrats govern? They can, if they “win”, raise taxes, but their levies will depress their revenues. The only way the Democrats will be able to finance their customary vote-buying sprees with tax-payers’ money (a la Rob Reiner in California) is to hypothecate tax collections into the far future, but who will buy the bonds? The World already holds more USA bonds than desirable from the World’s point of view. How do the Democrats propose to keep the petroleum flowing through Hormuz Strait, when the Arab Despots insist on maintaining their power at all costs and the Arab WOULD-BE Despots conspire to seize that power from them? Both sides conspire and mount operations to enlist the Super-Power in their service. The enormity of 9/11/2001 was the result of the WOULD-BE Despots demonstrating the costs of America’s supporting the incumbent Despots, reversing the policy initiated on board the Cruiser USS QUINCY by President Franklin Roosevelt and “King” ibn Saud on 2 February, 1945. Mr. Roosevelt was en route home from Yalta, where he had been exercising his noblesse oblige on Stalin, as the Post-War World was divided up and Stalin induced to consider adhering to the projected United Nations. Mr. Roosevelt promised American support for the Saudi Throne in return for “King” ibn Saud’s allowing the Company, now called ARAMCO, a petroleum drilling consession in the “Kingdom”. That long-ago agreement is how the USA entered the business of supporting Arab despots. President Bush’s Strategy is to support neither side, neither the Would-Be Despots nor the reigning Despots. He is betting on the only workable option, the Arab Masses. It’s so simple his choice~~ All other choices are equally awful, futile, and bloody. America cannot remain civilized amidst a perpetual rain of 9/11 Enormities.

  • True – the leadership is terrified of democracy, but at the same time, I think they see it as inevitable. Plus, in the next century, when their oil riches have been spent, are they going to revert to being nomadic bedouins, trading camels and women as breeding stock?

  • I beseech thee, troll, how is it that you employ such an interesting and arresting writing style? For the sake of all of us out there, pray thee, we must find a way to duplicate this, because it is deeply affecting, what with how it highlights the various concerns in such a delightful and sober manner. I shall try a spot of this myself…

    President BUSH is the supreme leader of our FAIR NATION one that those of you scrambled-egg-headed ELECTION LOSERS would simply like to see HUMILIATED because his steady LEADERSHIP has provoked jealousy among those who do not drive SUVS but those are being targeted by CELLULAR communications by Ab-dullah-lah-la-la and his friend Mah-moud from the deserts where they want all Americans to simply DIE DIE DIE a horrible DEATH by DYING and therefore to say otherwise MEANS YOU ARE A TRAITOR and therefore should not be considered one smart enough to BREATHE. The steady downward trend in his poll numbers is irrelevant because once those OPINIONS change towards criticism of the LEADER it means that they are now part of the frenzied, HYSTERICAL masses who have been overtaken by the MEDIA which seeks only to undermine the sound JUDGMENT of everyone I AGREE WITH and NOBODY ELSE. And remember if SEPTEMBER 11 was scary to you it will be tame compared to the horror LOUD NOISES that will reign down if you don’t SHUT UP AND GO AWAY because I will come with my 45-YEAR-OLD FAT ASS to get you through the COMPUTER SCREEN OR SOME SUCH THING and if not AB-DULLAH-TRA-LA-LA will and then you’ll WISH you allowed ME TO KILL YOU instead of him because I LIKE STEAK and am fun and PLEASE GO OUT WITH ME BECAUSE I NEED A DATE.

    Wow. That’s pretty good. I’ve achieved moral clarity and total consciousness. So I’ve got that going for me. Which is nice.

  • If I may reiterate… What I see here is…

    I admire the brave Iraqi Freedom Fighters as they wage their just war against the infidels who just want to do business with them. I can’t wait until they blow up something else, as long as it isn’t Broadway or the Hollywood sign. Anyone who disagrees with me is a redneck racist homophobe. Do you think I could get a grant if I write this using my own feces on an original copy of the constitution? And I hates the Bush… Hate, hate, hatesss the Bushessss. Al Gore, algore, algorrre… He’s the one, yes he is, bad Bush stole my preci… er.. election, and he hatess the Bushesssss…

    Oh yeah… I’m 45, Waumpus is about 80ish, and I don’t have any idea how old this “bogie” fellow is. Thus far you guys have mildly irritated two vets. I will admit that His Waumposity does tend to go on a bit, but hey, he’s got a license to do so… Poetic, don’tcha know…

    Now, answer this: When your brave Iraqi Freedom Fighters kill a buncha infidels in a coast city, where do you plan to be? Or do you plan to martyr yourself for the cause?

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