According to an article on Huffingtonpost this morning by Max Follmer, a coalition of progressive California Democratic groups are planning to introduce a censure resolution regarding Senator Dianne Feinstein to the Executive Committee of the California Democratic Party this weekend
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
Updated: The Courage Campaign sent out an email to its members this morning asking for people to "censure the senator" and support the Democratic Clubs and organizations behind the movement.
http://www.couragecampaign.org/...
As the Courage Campaign talks about, I was there at the Oakland DFA Meetup when the the original resolution was first read aloud to grassroots activists by Mal Burnstein.
To read the full story, see the resolution and read the Courage email below.
The text of the resolution follows:
Whereas Senator Dianne Feinstein voted to support the nomination of Judge Michael Mukasey as United States Attorney General, thereby elevating to the highest position in law enforcement a man who refused to renounce the right of the President to resort to torture and who refused to recognize waterboarding as a form of torture, and by this action Senator Feinstein failed to oppose President Bush and failed to stand for the ideals of the Democratic Party, which abhors torture and stands firmly against its use by the United States at all times and places; and
Whereas Senator Feinstein voted to confirm Judge Leslie Southwick for a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit despite his clear record of racism and gender discrimination, thus failing to stand firmly with the Democratic Party, which supports gender equality and opposes racism in any of its manifestations; and
Whereas these examples are far from the only instances where Senator Feinstein, after seeking and securing the support and endorsement of the California Democratic Party, has failed to support the policies and principles of our party;
Therefore be it resolved that the California Democratic Party expresses its disappointment at, and censure of, Senator Feinstein for ignoring Democratic principles and falling so far below the standard of what we expect of our elected officials.
Here is the Courage Campaign email to Californians:
Dianne Feinstein has failed us.
Failed progressives. Failed Democrats. Failed Californians. Failed Americans.
As the world watches, you want someone to take a stand. To hold Senator Feinstein accountable. Now.
That's what Courage Campaign members overwhelmingly told us after Senator Feinstein's pivotal Judiciary Committee vote to approve Judge Michael Mukasey as U.S. Attorney General -- a man who refuses to acknowledge that "waterboarding" is torture and will look the other way if President Bush ignores the rule of law. The Senator's vote condoning torture closely followed her vote to approve Judge Leslie Southwick to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit -- a man with a clear record of condoning racism and gender discriminaton.
Whether it's condoning torture, racism or homophobia, Senator Feinstein's actions are unacceptable.
You demanded action. We're taking action: The Courage Campaign is calling on the California Democratic Party to officially censure Senator Feinstein.
Will you join and help build the movement to censure the Senator? With the CDP Executive Board meeting in just a few days, time is running out. A growing group of progressive grassroots organizations needs your support for a censure resolution no later than Friday at noon:
http://www.couragecampaign.org/...
Last Wednesday, we expressed our frustration with Senator Feinstein and asked you to send us your ideas on how to hold her accountable. We told you we would take action on at least one of the many brilliant ideas brainstormed by the Courage Campaign community to hold our senior Senator accountable.
The idea to censure Senator Feinstein came from you, not us. It came from the bottom-up, not the top-down. Flooded by calls for accountability, the Courage Campaign decided to take direct action on a grassroots resolution supported by progressive California Democratic Party delegates and Executive Board members.
Right now, hundreds of grassroots and netroots activists are organizing support to censure the Senator, burning up their phone lines and email lists with calls to action. People just like you who have had enough. Enough caving. Enough capitulation. Enough Republican-lite triangulation.
You can read a version of the full censure resolution of Senator Feinstein by clicking here. If you support censuring the Senator, please sign on and be counted before the California Democratic Party Executive Board meeting that starts this Friday.
Join the movement now to censure the Senator:
http://www.couragecampaign.org/...
How did this movement to censure the Senator spring to life? This is what democracy looks like:
As with any popular political action, the idea popped into the minds of numerous activists simultaneously last week. As many of you were writing the Courage Campaign encouraging a censure of Senator Feinstein, grassroots activists within the California Democratic Party began pursuing the same action.
On Wednesday night, California Democratic Party Progressive Caucus co-chair Mal Burnstein stood up at an Oakland "Democracy for America" Meetup and read his original censure resolution aloud to dozens of attendees, including several members of the East Bay for Democracy Democratic Club. Inspired by Mal's call to action, East Bay for Democracy officers unanimously endorsed Mal's censure resolution a few days later. The endorsed resolution then went viral over the holiday weekend, as activists across California emailed it to friends, Democratic Clubs, progressive organizations and grassroots groups.
By Monday, several grassroots organizations joined the movement to censure the Senator, including the Executive Board of the Progressive Caucus -- the second largest caucus sanctioned by the California Democratic Party. Progressive Democrats of America added their endorsement a few hours later. Late last night, the Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club, San Diego Democracy for America and Progressive Democrats of Los Angeles all endorsed the resolution. With only a few days before the Executive Board meeting, other Democratic Clubs and organizations are working towards endorsement as well.
Please add your support now to encourage more clubs and organizations to endorse the censure of Senator Feinstein. Sign on, be counted, and send a loud and clear message that the condoning of torture, racism and homophobia is unaccepetable.
Join the movement now to censure the Senator:
http://www.couragecampaign.org/...
Senator Feinstein has repeatedly undermined core American values at historic moments, enabling President Bush to maintain his radical right-wing agenda. Even though the Senator represents one of the most progressive states in America, she votes time after time to support the President, despite the fact that 70% of California voters and 91% of California Democrats disapprove of his policies.
As we said on Wednesday, "if Senator Feinstein cares about nothing else, she cares about her legacy."
That's why it's so important that you call on the California Democratic Party right now to hold her accountable -- and tell your friends, family and neighbors to join the movement to censure the Senator as soon as possible.
Thank you for taking action today.
Rick Jacobs
Courage Campaign
P.S. Dianne Feinstein is about to fail us on civil liberties as well, having expressed her support in favor of granting huge telecom companies retroactive immunity from prosecution for wiretapping Americans.
If you think condoning torture, racism, homophobia -- and spying on Americans -- is unacceptable, please take just a few seconds to sign your name in support of the movement to censure the Senator:
http://www.couragecampaign.org/...
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I have been circulating this summary of Feinstein's recent actions to friends and getting a lot of feedback:
WHO DOES SENATOR DIANNE FEINSTEIN REPRESENT?
In the past year, Senator Feinstein has (partial list)
+Voted in favor of Bush's FISA bill (and lobbied others to support it)
+Passed the bill containing immunity for telecoms out of the Rules Committee
+Condemned MoveOn for "betrayal" ad
+Voted for Leslie Southwick to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals
+Passed Hans Von Spakovsky, the "father of voter suppression" out of the Rules Committee
+Voted in favor of funding the Iraq war without conditions
+Authored a horrible voter "integrity" bill giving power over elections to the EAC made up of Bush appointees and confirming the power of corporations to own the secret counting of the votes.</strong<strong>>
+Served as chairperson of the Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee
which oversaw funding for her husband Richard C. Blum's many military (no-bid) contracts in the U.S., in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo (source: Peter Byrne, " Dianne Feinstein: A question of Ethics").
Here are two articles --
Article about Feinstein by Glenn Greenwald
http://www.commondreams.org/...
Please read this one about Feinstein's ties to defense contractors--
http://www.bohemian.com/...
Is Senator Feinstein representing any constituency within the Democratic Party?
HOW DO WE RESPOND?