Censure Feinstein? Because She’s Not as Liberal as Governor Angelides or President Kerry?

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Bill Cavala
A veteran of over 30 years in Sacramento

I know, I know. If the left doesn’t push elected officials they will move right to win. Well, it worked in Berkeley didn’t it?

But Feinstein has never claimed to be liberal. She spoke in favor of capital punishment at the Party Convention and was booed, remember? Yet she still won the support of Democratic Primary voters against a more conventional liberal candidate.

And lost to Pete Wilson – a defeat that cost us redistricting in 1992 and our Legislative Majority in 1994. She didn’t lose because she was too conservative.

Feinstein’s instincts have led her to seek the support of Republican colleagues to solve problems during the dark days when the G.O.P. controlled both Houses of Congress, the Presidency and the Federal Courts. She pursues a policy of giving to get, forgoing stands on “principle” for small victories in practice

Now she is castigated for support of Bush’s lame duck Attorney General appointment. She’s supporting him as the “best we can get”. Undoubtedly true. Does anyone seriously believe that George W would supply a better candidate after being doused by the Democrats?

A bad Justice Department, a terrible Justice Department, an overtly partisan Justice Department dedicated to using the law to prosecute Democrats and stifle the turnout of the poor – that’s the Justice Department we get for failing to earn the support of voters in the last Presidential Election. We can’t fix it during the duration of the Bush Presidency.

We can’t fix it at the end of the Bush Presidency if we lose again.

So let’s not blame Senator Feinstein for accepting that fact and “giving” to “get” at least something that makes service in the Senate worthwhile.

Let’s not censure an official who managed to defeat right-wing airheads several times in a state that just gave our Republican Governor a landslide. And let’s not forget how important Feinstein’s victory was in producing the national takeover of the US Senate by the Democrats.