February 16, 2011

Russ Feingold says: "We're starting a new organization, Progressives United, that will help us fight back."

"We'll work to ensure that our elected officials, both Republicans and Democratic, are held accountable to the people, and not to the lobbyists in Washington. We'll call out the media, when they hide from the real story. And we'll support candidates when they uphold our progressive ideals, even if the Beltway establishment doesn't."

The name — Progressives United — is a play on Citizens United, the case that found a law with Feingold's name on it unconstitutional. Of course, he's not ashamed of having crossed the constitutional boundary. Like President Obama, he's sure the Supreme Court was wrong, but the name Progressives United shows a good attitude about it. The effort to suppress speech failed, and now he's got a new strategy — more speech, speech countering the speech he disagrees with. That's exactly what the First Amendment supports. So: Great!

98 comments:

bagoh20 said...

I don't think "progressive" means what he thinks it does.

David said...

Are we sure that the formal name isn't "Progressives United for Coffee?"

Geoff Matthews said...

But progressives are so poor (he was the only non-millionaire in the senate), so it isn't fair!

Scott M said...

Russ Feingold says: "We're starting a new organization, Progressives United, that will help us fight back."

Good for him. As the wheels keep coming off his ideology's bus, expect more and more of this right up to the point where they skid in, sparks flying, on their rims.

Anonymous said...

"Russ Feingold says: "We're starting a new organization, Progressives United, that will help us fight back.""

The left always talk about 'fighting'. Their 'fight' is always with their domestic opposition. When they talk about AQ or Islamofacism the word never comes up.

I'm Full of Soup said...

I predict libruls will determine it is time once more to re-brand themselves and will replace progressive with a new word.

I am surprised Russ was not in the vanguard of that kind of change but he has never been much of an out of the box thinker.

Hey how about the "Change" Party?

Hoosier Daddy said...

Russ Feingold says: "We're starting a new organization, Progressives United, that will help us fight back

Isn't 'fighting back' contrary to the liberal demands we stop the violent rhetoric? I really wish they'd stick to one meme already.

David said...

Fighting back???

So even Feingold is exhorting violence?

Lincolntf said...

P.U.

Hoosier Daddy said...

Progressives United sounds a lot like a British soccer team.

Hoosier Daddy said...

Isn't trying to unite progressives a lot like herding cats?

Scott M said...

Progressives United sounds a lot like a British soccer team.

LOL, exactly what I thought. I'm betting the soccer team would have fewer crowd injuries, though.

Anonymous said...

It really isn't lobbyists that Feingold wants to combats. He wants to combat lobbyists he doesn't like.

Does anybody doubt that Feingold will be very sympathetic to the lobbyists for unions and public employees?

I'm Full of Soup said...

Yeah so Feingold will get a salary from his law school job and a salary from this new super dooper non-profit group.

Anonymous said...

Progressives United is ostensibly intended to combat the 2010 Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. FEC, a decision that opened the floodgates to increased spending by corporate and labor groups in last fall's elections.

From looking at PU's website you'd never guess that labor groups had anything to do with it.

Lincolntf said...

Nothing says "New and Improved" like a recently defeated career politician resurrecting a political label that was old when the iron lung was new.

kent said...

Shorter Feingold: "I'm still relevant, dammit! I -- hey! Where are you going with that news camera? COME BACK HERE -- !!!"

Fred4Pres said...

Russ Feingold and David Frum should stage a mixer for their groups. Maybe they can get Lindsay Graham laid.

Issob Morocco said...

Russ is such a dolt.

Who do the lobbyist represent?

People like you and me, the industries in which we work and principles which we support.

Russ, please stop trying to blame lobbyists' for what are the politican's failings to engage all perspectives and make a decision based on what is best for our country and our citizenry.

Such logic would equate to blaming the people who print money for someone robbing a bank.

Shanna said...

Progressives United sounds a lot like a British soccer team.

Perfect.

Anonymous said...

It's a slippery slope, Issob. You let 'em have free speech and the next thing you they're petitioning the government for redress of grievances. Where will it all end?

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

When I see the word "Progressive"- I see the word "Communist".

Jason (the commenter) said...

Yet another new liberal organization? And how is it different from all the other new liberal organizations that have sprouted up over the last few years with the exact same purpose?

The problem with the liberal organizational structure, as I see it, is that they have too many scam artists trying to make a buck. If they would all work for one or two large organizations maybe they could get something done. But instead everyone has to try to run one of their own, so they can have a cushy job paid for by donations.

What's the result? We only hear about them when they start; maybe again when NPR says they're the "next big thing". But after that, nothing.

chickelit said...

Where's garage mahal?

A river runs through Feingold!

former law student said...

Instead of a spontaneous grassroots uprising, like the Tea Party or like Egypt, one out-of-work politician will lead leftwingers to the Promised Land. Yeah, that'll work.

The head of one division I worked at had carefully groomed his successor, but stayed on as "co-president" for a year lest she fuck up. Then he retired to be a business consultant.

But unlike Mr. head, the market did not value his business expertise. Other than the cost of a few business cards his later efforts had no impact on the economy.

Jason (the commenter) said...

AprilApple: When I see the word "Progressive"- I see the word "Communist".

When I see "Progressive" I think of a liberal who's ashamed of the name "liberal" and who's so self-deluded they think the "Progressive" label hides their liberalness.

lemondog said...

I thought it was the Tea Partiers that were fighting back.

Has Russ gotten a productive job?

Scott M said...

Other than the cost of a few business cards his later efforts had no impact on the economy.

Well-crafted, sir. Keep that one close.

rhhardin said...

Replace walking with exercise in the imagery, is my advice.

The elliptical party has a nice ring.

PaulV said...

Most of those new lobbyists he whines about are his fellow democrats and their staff that the People refudiated in last election.

WV: chilish

Is it chilish today in Madison?
Fuuny Madison was named after draft Bill of Rights which Feingold
tried to violate.

SGT Ted said...

Yes, because we all know that true populist grassroots organizations are started by leftwing authoritarian lifetime partisans in the offices of our most powerful governmental institutions.

garage mahal said...

Only when multi-national corporations are allowed to contribute unlimited mountains of cash anonymously into our elections can we be truly free!

Interesting side note: Scott Walker flunked out of the college Feingold now teaches at.

holdfast said...

They say that, when going to war, one must be careful not to become too much like one's enemy. Feingold will fight lobbyists by - wait for it - becoming a lobbyist!

Drew said...

We'll work to ensure that our elected officials, both Republicans and Democratic, are held accountable to the people, and not to the lobbyists in Washington.

So he's started up a new organization to lobby Washington!

Scott M said...

When I see "Progressive"

...I see someone who hasn't studied up on Woodrow Wilson. And yes, I was very much aware of Wilson's reign long before Beck got into a hissy about him.

PaulV said...

garbage, why do you repeat Obama's lie, CU did not legalize foreign contributions. But Obama accepted many in 2008 by disabling safeguards on credit card donations from foreign donors.

chickelit said...

Interesting side note: Scott Walker flunked out of the college Feingold now teaches at.

The real world has many examples of people who flunked out of places and went on to do greater things. It also has examples of students who were promoted through the system unchallenged--until they reached their level of incompetence--or incontinence in the case of HD House.

Anonymous said...

A great way for Russ Feingold to milk more $$$ out of moronic Democrats unable to see this money-grubbing for what it is!

Yay!

Hoosier Daddy said...

Nothing says "New and Improved" like a recently defeated career politician resurrecting a political label

Has Russ grown a beard and put on about 50lbs?

kent said...

Inrteresting side note: Russ Feingold was unceremoniously booted out of elected office at the same time Scott Walker was elevated to same.

Leland said...

So Feingold is going to create a lobbying organization to fight the lobbyist. I would say "good luck with that", but in reality, the man is a mad genius. He might even pull in more money than Gore did with his "Global Warming" efforts.

Scott M said...

He might even pull in more money than Gore did with his "Global Warming" efforts.

Global...warming? What is that? Some new effort to distribute winter coats?

YoungHegelian said...

You people are so unkind!

A man needs a good job to live in DC. It's really cold in Wisconsin, and he doesn't want to end his days teaching young mackerel-snappers at Marquette Law, and Milwaukee just doesn't have the power and panache of DC, and it's cold in Wisconsin.

Did I mention it's cold?

Sharc 65 said...

So P.U. will put a stop to external influences on Congress -- "both Republicans and Democratic" -- such as, um, Progressives United. No cognitive dissonance there. Hey, its all "Great" from a free speech standpoint -- just typically hypocritical. Progressives aren't a special interest, after all, they're just looking after everyone.

WV: impropa. Right on.

Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...

Good for Russ. I can still picture him the night he was whooped by Johnson. Standing at the podium all by himself, looking kind of crazy and pathetic at the same time. If this helps him deal with his personal demons, the more power to him.

YoungHegelian said...

Oh, and a small piece of advice to Sen. Feinberg:

Get your web site working BEFORE you announce!

http://www.progressivesunited.org/

kent said...

Progressives aren't a special interest, after all, they're just looking after everyone.

"She's the sort of woman who lives for others. You can always tell the others by their hunted expression."
-- C.S. Lewis

YoungHegelian said...

Ooops,

Feinberg --> Feingold.

Should be concentrating on work, not blogs!

My bad!

Unknown said...

"Help us fight back".

It sounds so ... uncivil.

garage mahal said...

Only when multi-national corporations are allowed to contribute unlimited mountains of cash anonymously into our elections can we be truly free!

That's certainly how the Zero played it in '08.

X said...

Interesting side note: Russ Feingold flunked constitutional law at SCOTUS.

MaggotAtBroad&Wall said...

He's formed a corporation to express his opinion that he doesn't like it that other corporations express their opinion. Is this a great country or what?

kent said...

ComradeX wins the thread.

Roger J. said...

What was that wonderful short story "The Anarchist's Convention"

this sounds very much like that probably with the same ending

Althouse: wrong on Obama, and now wrong on Feingold. Zero for two sweetie pie--stick with your sinecure

Anonymous said...

He's formed a corporation to express his opinion that he doesn't like it that other corporations express their opinion. Is this a great country or what?

Bingo!

kent said...

O/T, But Not Really: Florida Gov Rejects High Speed Rail Funds; ‘Too Costly to Taxpayers’

BOOM-shakka-lakka. ;)

TMink said...

Good for them. Now if the organization will just stick to the honest truth.

Trey

Henry said...

I'm going to play off the Citizens United case myself and start a new organization named "Citizens."

What we'll do is "work to ensure that our elected officials, both Republicans and Democratic, are held accountable to the people, and not to the lobbyists in Washington. We'll call out the media, when they hide from the real story. And we'll support candidates when they uphold each of our individual ideals, even if the Beltway establishment doesn't."

There is no organization and everyone's invited. All you have to do to be a member is take responsibility for yourself and not be a sap.

lemondog said...

So P.U. will put a stop to external influences on Congress...

Will PU support the policies of BO?

madAsHell said...

So....lobbyists are the new bad guys.

I guess he can't blame the Zionist banking cabal.

Scott M said...

All you have to do to be a member is take responsibility for yourself and not be a sap.

Don't you oppress me.

J said...

"""The effort to suppress speech failed"""


so when BoA wants to buy out small banks, that's...speech! Walmart wants to buy out
Smalltown USA--speech


NON. Corporate spending is not speech. And Kennedy-speak is mostly BS. Not that F-geld will be of much help either.

garage mahal said...

O/T, But Not Really: Florida Gov Rejects High Speed Rail Funds; ‘Too Costly to Taxpayers’

Awesome! This will surely piss off some libruls!!!11!!one1 That's the most important part of any policy decision.

Anyways, isn't the Florida governor a certifiable crook?

kent said...

Awesome! This will surely piss off some libruls!!!11!!one1 That's the most important part of any policy decision.

"Most important part"...? No. "Awesome side benefit," on the other hand? Always.

Anyways, isn't the President of the United States a self-confessed cokehead?

Henry said...

High Speed Rail Funds is a gateway drug.

Henry said...

@Garage.

Lunatics are certified. Crooks are convicted.

Alex said...

Just another new left wing group dedicated to smashing freedom of speech.

Alex said...

Awesome! This will surely piss off some libruls!!!11!!one1 That's the most important part of any policy decision.

Anyways, isn't the Florida governor a certifiable crook?


Utterly deranged.

Real American said...

Once again, it's that age old battle: Progressives vs. Citizens.

kent said...

Utterly deranged.

Certifiably. ;)

I'm Full of Soup said...

"Boom shaka laka."

Part of the lyrics of maybe Sly Stone's greatest song.

J said...

garag--just remember

don't expect reasoned debate or discussion from
the regs at Tweekhouse. One of their GOPer gurus--Foxbots, Limbaugh, RoveCo-- told 'em "Citizens United, GOOOD for the Repug partay", so it's Good. Discussion over.

Chris said...

How many times are we going to hear the tired refrain "Oh! Everything would be different if we had the financial resources that conservatives have! If only we had those resources, we could GET THE MESSAGE OUT." Deep inside every American is a Progressive, waiting to be activated by exposure to the MESSAGE which is being unfairly blocked by the evil Republican mind rays.

J said...

Actually Chrissyputo the Demos usually have more shekels in the big states (as even that POS McCain realized). So CU will backfire for the GOPers in some areas (as with Boxer who had like 3-4 times the money Evita Fiorina had). But like a simple cost-benefits analysis is above Tweekhouse regs. Just follow orders from RoveCo

garage mahal said...

On March 19, 1997, investigators from the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Health and Human Services served search warrants at Columbia/HCA facilities in El Paso and on dozens of doctors with suspected ties to the company.[18]

Following the raids, the Columbia/HCA board of directors forced Scott to resign as Chairman and CEO.[19] He was paid $9.88 million in a settlement. He also left owning 10 million shares of stock worth over $350 million.[20][21][22]

In 1999, Columbia/HCA changed its name back to HCA, Inc.

In settlements reached in 2000 and 2002, Columbia/HCA plead guilty to 14 felonies and agreed to a $600+ million fine in the largest fraud settlement in US history. Columbia/HCA admitted systematically overcharging the government by claiming marketing costs as reimbursable, by striking illegal deals with home care agencies, and by filing false data about use of hospital space. They also admitted fraudulently billing Medicare and other health programs by inflating the seriousness of diagnoses and to giving doctors partnerships in company hospitals as a kickback for the doctors referring patients to HCA. They filed false cost reports, fraudulently billing Medicare for home health care workers, and paid kickbacks in the sale of home health agencies and to doctors to refer patients. In addition, they gave doctors "loans" never intending to be repaid, free rent, free office furniture, and free drugs from hospital pharmacies.[3][4][5][6][7]

In late 2002, HCA agreed to pay the U.S. government $631 million, plus interest, and pay $17.5 million to state Medicaid agencies, in addition to $250 million paid up to that point to resolve outstanding Medicare expense claims.[23] In all, civil law suits cost HCA more than $2 billion to settle, by far the largest fraud settlement in US history.[24]


Link


But, BUT this can all be explained! He's one of US!

Carry on drones.

kent said...

Carry on drones.

Shorter Garage: "Yes. Obama IS, in fact, a cokehead."

Oclarki said...

J -

Why do you always delete my comments at your blog? Are you that insecure?

Oclarki said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ricpic said...

The horrible progressives OWN the country and now they want to fight back. Fight back against what? A too little too late effort to save us from their total control of EVERYTHING?!

I wouldn't be at all surprised if Russ Feingold, that quintessential insider, thinks as himself as Mr. Smith goes to Washington leading the little people in a noble crusade to take back power from the inside the buttercup crowd.

It must be wonderful to go through life having your cake and eating it.

J said...

Heh heh. Touched a nerve?

Nothin' like riled-up white trash A-house regs. Sort of like Noog in Houston or something--hicks in need of sedation.

J said...

Hey Oclarki-- Your offer was accepted, byatch--left up for hours. You weasled out. 405 and Roscoe, anyday trash.

Henry said...

But, BUT this can all be explained! He's one of US!

Well you can certainly see why they guy went into government.

J said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Chennaul said...

Chicklit

Where's garage mahal?

A river runs through Feingold!


Isn't he still doing the backstroke?

I think it was Maguro that caught him lifting stuff straight outta Altnet so maybe he's still perusing that.

Chennaul said...

Oops!

garage-he has arrived.

chickelit said...

le garage est arrivé!!

kent said...

caught him lifting stuff straight outta Altnet

You certain that wasn't Alternet, the ultra-racist liberal website...?

garage mahal said...


I think it was Maguro that caught him lifting stuff straight outta Altnet so maybe he's still perusing that.


Wasn't it you said they like parapalegic porn? Can't remember. Just askin!

Aaron said...

so they changed "citizens united" to "progressives united." by expressio unius, they have declared that progressives are not citizens.

Chennaul said...

Chicklit

Nous aurons garage toujours.

But he'll always be one door short.

*********

kent

It's some ultra hippy thing . Where even the Liberals argue with the commies there.

**********

Garage this links for you-just because you've been stinking up the place comme fromage.

Black and Yellow

garage mahal said...

Glad you enjoy Madawaskan. Stick around, there's a lot more love coming your way.

traditionalguy said...

Russ starts a PAC. He has to do something until the next chance to run in an election. And PACs can pay much of his expenses going around to sell himself.

Automatic_Wing said...

Yeah, what was that essay that garage plagiarized? It was batshit crazy and had lots of big words in it, that's all I remember. Damn.

Although that still wasn't as funny as the time he accidentally credited Al Gore with George W. Bush's environmentally friendly ranch house. That has be garage's #1 comment here.

garage mahal said...

Yeah, what was that essay that garage plagiarized? It was batshit crazy and had lots of big words in it, that's all I remember. Damn.

Was this that batshit crazy idea that we're not on the gold standard anymore, that we don't "print money" when we need to spend on something, or that we "borrow from China"?

"Quick, call China, we're going to war!"

Automatic_Wing said...

@garage - No, that wasn't it.

It was actually this thread where you did some cutting and pasting with one of Chris Hedges' screeds and some guy from "Truthdig" appeared later in the comments to warn you against stealing their content.

Good times, remembering that little episode made me chuckle.

Scott M said...

LOL, I remember that. Almost as good, but not quite, as Garage Mahal trying to pass off Bush's eco-friendly home as ManBearPig's eco-nightmare home(s).

garage mahal said...

LOL. I do remember the Bush/Gore house thing. It was actually an honest mistake though. I certainly wouldn't have linked to it.

kjbe said...

My bad...I linked it to Manchester United

Big Mike said...

We'll work to ensure that our elected officials, both Republicans and Democratic, are held accountable ...

He'll hold Democrats accountable? Like that'll happen.