Feingold again proposing censure of president

WASHINGTON — Within days, Sen. Russ Feingold plans to offer a proposal to officially condemn President Bush for leading the United States into the Iraq war.

Feingold, D-Middleton, made the announcement Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press."

"I think we need to do something serious in terms of accountability," Feingold said.

Feingold said one censure will focus on Bush's flawed weapons of mass destruction premise for going to war against Iraq and the administration's failure to adequately plan for aftermath of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

Feingold also plans a second censure resolution that would focus on the administration's "attack on the Constitution" through its controversial wiretap program of U.S. residents in the United States and a policy that allowed torture of U.S.-held enemy combatants, the Wisconsin lawmaker said.

"Isn't this a futile effort that will simply be described as politics?" asked host Tim Russert, who noted that last year Feingold's censure resolution against Bush for the wiretapping program got support from only three Democrats.

"Let's see what actually happens," Feingold responded.

He credited the resolution and other actions with forcing the administration to modify the program.

By ELLYN FERGUSON
Press-Gazette Washington bureau eferguson@greenbaypressgazette.com

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*FOR MORE INFORMATION
Censure – to officially blame or rebuke

To read about Feingold’s censure proposalattempt in 2006:
http://www.abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/Politics/story?id=1715495&page=1

*DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Do you agree with Sentaor Russ Feingold that President Bush should be censured? For both issues or just one of them?

Do you think that Feingold will see more support this time around?

REMEMBER TO BE RESPECTFUL
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