Censure Hearing on Friday. What Will Herb Do?

The Senate Judiciary Committee members are going to have an interesting session Friday. Those identified as moderates in both parties will determine the outcome.  While we know where Chairman Specter is coming from, the position of our Senator Herb Kohl is up in the air. This is a chance for the senior senator to lead and change the course of human events.

Senator Sets Hearing on Censure of Bush

By THE NEW YORK TIMES

Published: March 25, 2006

WASHINGTON, March 24 — The Senate Judiciary Committee has set a hearing for next Friday on the call by Senator Russell D. Feingold, Democrat of Wisconsin, to censure President Bush for his approval of a program to allow electronic eavesdropping without warrants.

Senator Arlen Specter, the Pennsylvania Republican who is chairman of the panel, said he had decided to schedule the session after Mr. Feingold, in a television interview, pressed for hearings on the censure proposal...

...Mr. Specter said his intent was not to use the session as a political forum but to explore issues surrounding the proposed censure. He said he believed the proposal was baseless.

Now we know what Specter said when the issue first arouse: Arlen Specter Gaps Truth: Can Go Either Way on Bush-NSA, While NY Times Sputters

In the understatement of the century (yes, its only five years old) Specter told the Associated Press:

           There is no doubt that this is inappropriate.

Inappropriate? Inappropriate is belching at the dinner table or barfing on some foreign dignitary.  Inappropriate is the behavior of most teenagers at least three times a day

I am not worried about Specter.  He signaled last December that he would collapse on this one. He is a lost cause and will only do the right thing if they find the smoking gun in Bush's hand.

I am worried about Senator Herb Kohl.  He knows these issues, he knows that Bush usurped the law, and he will have to break the 'gentleman's agreement' on this one. He cannot remain part of the inner circle of the Senate and serve freedom at the same time this week.

Comments

[Noonan]

Kohl showed up for the hearing, don't let anyone tell you otherwise!

He walked in, grabbed some papers, and left.

His office has made it very clear in conversations I've had that he will not support censure (even though he supported Clinton's) unless it's been more fully investigated. Even when faced with the president's own words, the signing statement to the Patriot Act and many other examples of his violations of law (which the White House do not contest), Kohl will not stand with Feingold, the American people, and the rule of law.

Keep calling his office to let him know he needs to do more than just 'show up'.