I have FIRE in my belly today. Turns out going to one of Russ Feingold's listening sessions will do that to you...
I arrived at today's listening session, held at the junior high school in Portage, about 40 minutes before go-time. I sat down and wrote out my thoughts as concisely as possible. And I waited.
At 11:25, Senator Feingold strode into the gymnasium. At 11:30, he started taking questions.
The session had drawn an obligatory number of moonbats, including one of those "stop-animal-agriculture" wackos. Umm, did anyone tell you you're in the Dairy State, lady? Get friggin' real... Does anyone besides me note any irony in the fact that some of the same people who seem so staunchly in favor of animal rights want to stop cows from breathing--or at least from burping and farting? That kind of disconnect in neural transmission is far too wide to wrap your arms around.
Most of the folks who showed up, though, were decidedly sane and concerned about big government getting bigger.
Some of the highlights:
A very knowledgeable doctor pointed out the devastation that any further government intervention in health care would wreak on Wisconsin hospitals. He noted that solvent hospitals are currently only able to stay that way because of patients covered by private medical coverage. Medicare, he rightly noted, only reimburses a percentage of actual cost.
Another gentleman prudently pointed out that he had no faith in the government's ability to run anything, considering the recent announcements about the mismanagement of TARP and stimulus funds, the insolvency of Social Security and the Post Office, as well as fraud-ridden, failing programs such as Medicare and Medicaid.
Several people spoke at length or in passing of their alarm at government's increasing overreach of authority and what it is costing us in rights and finances.
One very young gentleman challenged the Senator: "How many people out here would you say are in favor of government health care?" Feingold acknowledged that it was probably a 60/40 or 70/30 split against. "Well, what are you going to do, then?" the young man pressed. "If you were us, and you knew that this plan would drain your pockets, what would you do? What are YOU going to DO?" Russ didn't like him too much and became a bit belligerent.
But then, he didn't seem to like anyone too much who wasn't there to pat him on the back. Most of us weren't.
Up until today, the bliss of ignorance was mine. I mean, I'd never thought that Russ Feingold was someone who represented my positions or best interests. Not at all. But I had mistakenly given him credit for being the "principled maverick" that so many believe him to be. I had gone along with the "Russ-marches-to-his-own-drum" school of thought, bought into the myth that he actually thinks of himself as one of the peeps--albeit a left-of-center one. I somehow imagined that if given the opportunity, I could have an open honest conversation with the man--that he might actually at least give a rip what I thought, even if he didn't agree with me.
Hello harsh reality. The performance I saw from Russ Feingold today--and it was a performance worthy of the prima donna that he is--included more arrogance, disdain, and condescension than I've seen in a long while. And I've been in the presence of some incredibly big-headed windbags in my day. Where Russ is concerned, the phrase "Napoleon Complex" comes to mind. He's a little man with a little spirit and an even littler sense of respect for the people he serves. Time and time again today I heard him use tones of voice and phrasing that demonstrated in what low regard he holds the opinion of any constituent who deigns to disagree with him. He was frequently dismissive of those who had come to share their thoughts with him. At times, as noted earlier, he was outright combative. Respect is something he only understands when others give it to him. And as of today, I must say, his title is the only thing that now merits any such respect from me.
I know we're big into redefining terms these days, but the last time I checked, "listening session" meant that politicians deferentially--get this--LISTENED and respectfully responded to their constituents. These sessions are supposed to be an opportunity to actually take constituent perspective and concerns into full account. Russ does well with that definition when someone agrees with him or gives him kudos for something. But on more than one occasion, despite the fact that the majority of people in the gymnasium stood in opposition to his positions, he made it clear that his own view was superior and that he would vote an issue according to what he thought best for us.
Why Russ, you're looking lovely in that nanny uniform. But, oh dear, perhaps someone forgot to tell you that you'd be in a room full of adults today.
After the first hour, he actually started looking around while people were speaking. Apparently we had thoroughly bored him with our unenlightened blather.
Senator (and I use that title lightly) Feingold also made sure to tell us at one point how generous he was for staying over the published time. Oh really, Russ...? You're going to tell us how benevolent you are to give us a golden hour and a half of your time once a year? Guess what, you snide little horse's patoot? My time is valuable, too. And I'm not getting paid to be here. Nor is anyone else who showed up today. WE'RE PAYING YOU. You're not doing us a favor. You WORK for us. Nobody cares what you have going later this afternoon. You're on OUR clock. And this will come as an even bigger revelation to you: We don't care how long it takes. SHUT UP AND DO YOUR JOB, WHIPPERSNAPPER.
When it was finally my turn to speak, I took the microphone and calmly stated the following:
"I am here today, Senator Feingold, because I am watching American rights and freedoms being stripped away.
"It's very popular these days to talk about the Constitution as a 'bill of negative rights'--to moan about its limitations and what it doesn't do for us.
"Sir, our Founding Fathers knew what they were doing when they wrote that document, the Constitution, and I'm not sure what makes politicians such as yourself think that you can improve upon it or ignore it altogether.
"The Constitution elucidates and guarantees our rights and freedoms as a people--natural rights, God-given rights.
"The fact that it does not guarantee to meet our needs is, again, for good reason.
"If you and your colleagues in Washington will not listen to the wisdom of George Washington, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and many, many others who sacrificed to give us the freedoms they did, perhaps you will heed the words of Gerald Ford, who in 1974 said: 'A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government strong enough to take from you everything you have.
"It is not government's job to take care of us, Senator Feingold.
"Safeguard the freedoms laid out in the Constitution, Sir. Leave the rest to us.
"Hands off health care.
"Hands off business and the free-market.
"Hands off regulating our lives and 'taking care' of us.
"We can manage better on our own.
"You are not helping us, Senator Feingold.
"You are hurting us."
With that I sat down
Senator Feingold acknowledged my comments by saying he took great exception to me saying that he did not defend the Constitution. He announced that he was one of the few in Washington who did care about it.
"What about Cap and Trade and health care?" I shot back loudly, microphone now gone.
"I don't happen to think that just because it's not covered in the Constitution doesn't mean the government can't do something good," Russ fired back.
"NO, Senator Feingold," I said forcefully but civilly so that everyone in the gymnasium could hear me. "NO! Not what YOU THINK. NOT what you think. What the CONSTITUTION SAYS."
"I know what the Constitution says," he condescendingly replied, then called on the next person to speak.
But it was me who got in the last and very well-projected word (thank you, Lord, for all that theatre training years ago): "I'm not at all sure that you do, Sir!"
I got applause for my remarks, which I deeply appreciate for the wholehearted agreement that it was. And I talked to a lot of like-minded passionate people after the session was over, which was extremely gratifying. One elderly gentleman sitting behind me tapped me on the shoulder, stuck out his hand to shake mine, and said, "Young lady, I think I could fall in love with you." That touched my heart and put a huge grin on my face.
But I have to say that the overriding feeling with which I walked out was absolute disgust.
Like I said, all illusions that Russ Feingold is a decent guy with whom you could have a reasonable conversation? Now utterly destroyed. His rhythm is indeed syncopated, but he's an elitist, tone-deaf progressive like all the rest. He has no real respect for the people he serves or for the Constitution to which he's sworn an oath...unless, of course, it happens to suit his overriding personal agendas. This man is no one we want leading us.
And if you want to know what I said to Tammy Baldwin last weekend in Lake Mills, enjoy. My comments start at the 6:30 mark.
Wish I would have been standing up straighter when I said it, doggone it. Chalk it up to nerves. But all-in-all it felt good to call her out. And I would do it again. You better believe I was standing up straight when I said my piece to Russ today.
Oh...and another little tidbit Russ made sure to clarify for us all today? He doesn't agree with term limits. He thinks that would make things worse. He thinks voting is the term limit.
Okeedokee, Russ. Prepare to be term-limited. I, for one am COMMITTED at a level you couldn't possibly imagine to making sure that you are out of a job next year.
Wisconsinites! We have work to do!
Russ Feingold and Tammy Baldwin are both up for re-election in 2010. They have a lot of money behind them. They always do. But they are not unbeatable. ESPECIALLY NOW!
We need to work together. We need to work hard. And we must be unswervingly determined.
It is time to clean house in this state. It is time to elect representatives who share our convictions about small government and faithfulness to the Constitution. Not the "living document" of the Progressives, but rather the original document written and agonized over by our Founding Fathers.
