DIANNE FEINSTEIN-- AN ENEMY OF PROGRESSIVE VALUES, PROGRESSIVE IDEAS AND... PROGRESSIVES

At least California has one decent U.S. Senator who doesn't have to hide her face in shame

For decades I wished I had worked harder when Jello Biafra ran for mayor of San Francisco against the most conservative member of the Board of Supervisors, Dianne Feinstein. (Well, actually the most conservative member, Dan White, had just shot Mayor Moscone and was in prison. Feinstein was the most conservative member who wasn't awaiting trial and hadn't been charged with murder.) She beat Biafra and launched a shameful political career marked by family corruption-- her husband is a war profiteer-- and reactionary politics. Today she stabbed Democrats in the back, as is her habit, and voted for Bush's latest nightmare scenario judge, Leslie Southwick. God only knows how much blood money her husband will get out of this one.

Southwick's record should earn Feinstein a recall by voters in California. But there is no recall for senators. We should remember though. She is a disgrace to the Democratic Party and a disgrace to California.


WILL THE KKK GET THEIR JUDGE CONFIRMED? ASK BEN NELSON AND MARK PRYOR

Although Harry Reid was unable to persuade DiFi not to betray anti-racist Democratic values, he says he still intends to oppose Southwick. The only chance he had to actually stop the nomination was in committee, not on the floor where reactionay Democrats will be happy to vote for a fellow reactionary. Ben Nelson (NE), who votes more frequently on substantive matters with Republicans than with Democrats, could barely wait to cast a vote in favor of the vicious homophobe and racist nominee. "Nelson said he 'met with him and went over the issues' and 'his responses were adequate for me.'" Adequate for Ben Nelson means that he doesn't expect Southwick to wear his white sheet and pillowcase to court and the he probably won't sentence gay people to burn at the stake.