I reworked my column on Senator Stevens’ “bridge to nowhere” in a way that features Senator Feingold (registration required). My hope is the column, published in today’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, will plant a seed that could sprout into a movement. The theory is that if we can get just one Senator to offer up an amendment giving up money from earmarks headed toward his state so the money could be redirected to the Gulf Coast, popular support would get other Senators to do the same thing.
It is important to note that Feingold was one of only four Democrats to vote for the Coburn amendment. Which brings me to the point of this post; conservatives like me are not afraid to support Democrats. Putting forth opinions on important issues is not a Republican versus Democrat game; it is about citizens taking control of their government. It seems to me there are thousands of us on the right who feel the way I do and very few on the left who subscribe to this important philosophy. I think it is one of the most important distinctions between the ideologues on the right and the left.
So, where does that leave me with Senator Feingold? Obviously I am not a fan and I completely disagree with his stance on the War on Terror, but I’m happy to give him a pat on the back for his votes on Roberts and the Coburn amendment. If he introduces an amendment to cancel Wisconsin earmarks from the transportation bill, I will drop everything I’m doing and put all of my efforts into doing whatever I can to help the legislation get passed. It’s quite easy for me to make that commitment since the odds are probably more than 1,000 to 1 that I will have to honor it.
