Bradley's Buzz

A Politician Worthy Of Support?

While growing up in Wisconsin, I didn't pay much attention to the government, in fact other than who our President was, I don't think I knew any other names in the political world. But I do recall as I hit my teens that Russ Feingold was always on the news. He seemed to be a pretty great guy with views I agreed with. Lately, he's been in the news a lot and rumor has it he may be headed to the White House, and if so this man has my fullest support and yesterday proved one more reason he's the man! He walked right out of a committee meeting for a ban of same-sex marriage. Here's the full story (okay sections of the full story)

Today, a Senate panel advanced a measure that would amend the U.S. Constitution to ban same-sex marriage as the committee chairman shouted "Good riddance!" to a Democrat who walked out of the tense session. "If you want to leave, good riddance," Senate Judiciary chairman Arlen Specter told Wisconsin Democratic senator Russell Feingold, who refused to participate because, he said, the meeting was not sufficiently open to the public.

"I've enjoyed your lecture too. See you later, Mr. Chairman," Feingold told the Pennsylvania Republican before storming out. The testy exchange highlighted tensions over the proposal, which would amend the U.S. Constitution to prevent states from recognizing same-sex marriages.

Feingold later said, "Today's markup of the constitutional amendment concerning marriage, in a small room off the Senate floor with only a handful of people other than Senators and their staffs present, was an affront to the Constitution. I objected to its consideration in such an inappropriate setting and refused to help make a quorum."

He went on to say, "The Constitution of the United States is an historic guarantee of individual freedom. It has served as a beacon of hope, an example to people around the world who yearn to be free and to live their lives without government interference in their most basic human decisions. I took an oath when I joined this body to support and defend the Constitution. I will continue to fight this mean-spirited, divisive, poorly drafted, and misguided amendment when it comes to the Senate floor."

posted by swivek @ 1:50 PM