Why I won't support Russ

Russell Feingold is a very attractive candidate to many progressives. He takes good and gutsy stands on many issues.

But I won't support him any longer. And when I wrote to let him know why - his support for Israel's unholy war against the civilians of Lebanon - he wrote back:



Thank you for contacting me regarding the situation in the Middle
East. I appreciate hearing from you, and I share your concerns
about the recent violence and ongoing tensions in the region.

I have long supported Israel's right to defend itself against
Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations. The kidnapping of
Israeli soldiers and missile attacks against Israeli citizens are
unacceptable and cannot be tolerated. I stand firmly with the
people of Israel and their government as they defend themselves
against these outrageous attacks.

The President should appoint a high-level special envoy to the
region to work toward a permanent solution to this conflict. Such
a solution must address the very real security concerns of Israel, as
well as the need for Lebanon to be a productive partner in
establishing a long-term peace in the region. Syria, Iran and
countries throughout the region also must condemn the actions of
Hezbollah and take strong actions to return stability to the region.

I have great sympathy for the innocent civilians who are suffering
because of this conflict. I have supported efforts in the U.S. Senate
to help the victims of this conflict, and I will continue to work to
help address the humanitarian impact of this conflict.

As a member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, I will
continue to follow this situation closely. Please feel free to contact
me again with any additional thoughts you may wish to share
about this important matter. Thank you again for contacting me.


Sincerely,

Russell D. Feingold
United States Senator

I don't consider leveling half a country and forcing nearly 1 million people into refugee status and killing nearly 1,000 civilians, over one-third of them children, to be "defending."

It was a trial war, planned and supported by the Dick Cheney gang as reported by Seymour Hersh in a recent New Yorker article.

This was not defense. But it's a good line.

The fact that Russell Feingold is willing to use a good line to defend a war crime confirms for me that he is no better than the rest of them.