Perkins calls Feingold a traitor

Falling back on the cheapest, easiest rhetorical trick available to loyal citizens of Wingnut Nation, Family Research Council leader Tony Perkins uses the T-word to attack Sen. Russell Feingold. On Monday, Feingold introduced a resolution to censure President Bush for violating provisions of FISA by wiretapping American citizens without judicial approval.

Reverting to type, Perkins issued the following statement:

Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) is perilously close to the border. I mean the border between loyal opposition and treasonous conduct. He has allowed his political ambition to drive him into ever more strident attacks on President Bush. Now, he has introduced a censure resolution in the U.S. Senate condemning the President for what he claims are violations of law in the National Security Agency surveillance program. In World War II, such an action by a Republican senator would have been viewed as treason plain and simple. FDR's administration opened every letter sent to or by 12 million members of our armed forces. Millions of personal letters were microfilmed, censored, and only the redacted copies were sent on. They were called V-Mail. If anyone then had said "FDR spied while GI's died" he would have been put in a straightjacket. That "V" stood for victory. Apparently, Sen. Feingold doesn't care about victory in America's war on terror. Feingold is so far out that even his fellow liberals have abandoned him. They ran like scalded donkeys, oops, I mean scalded dogs when Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN) boldly called their bluff. Frist said, "OK, let's vote on the Feingold resolution." Feingold should be careful. The only President ever censured by the Senate was that great Democrat Andrew Jackson. Jackson's supporters were so outraged that they came roaring back, won the Senate, and then expunged the record.

Beyond the plain pathetic spectacle of a conservative once again screaming "TRAITOR" at a Democrat, a few things are notable about Perkins' screed.

In defending Bush's illegal actions, Perkins cites the example of World War II soldiers who had their mail read by government censors. As with so many other defenses of Bush, this one is ludicrous on its face. Soldiers quite simply do not enjoy the same rights, privileges and expecations of privacy enjoyed by private citizens. They never have. Also, the provisions of FISA would not have applied to WWII GIs. Why? Because, as Bush himself so helpfully reminded us, FISA was enacted in 1978. It wouldn't have helped soldiers in World War II any more than it would have helped Maw and Paw back home. It didn't exist yet.

Next, Perkins seizes on the faintheartedness of Feingold's fellow "Democrats" in attacking the censure resolution as unworthy of serious consideration. Mercy me, why, even LIBERALS want nothing to do with this! This Feingold fellow is beyond the pale!

Can't really fault Perkins for this one. His line of reasoning has no basis in reality, but you can't blame him for trying to grab any hand-hold he can get. Feingold's "Democratic" colleagues in the senate are pathetic and afraid. What makes no sense is that they are afraid of an opposition party president with approval numbers in the thirties. If they won't stand up to Bush at 36 percent, they won't stand up to him at all. And remember, Bush actually broke the law. Senate "Democrats" are unwilling to call a criminal a criminal. No wonder wingnuts like Tony Perkins are feeling frisky.