The Russ Fuss

As for the media, the Feingold maneuver hasn't gotten all that much coverage (although The Post did run a front-page profile yesterday, right under the design for the Nationals' new baseball stadium).

GOP Sen. Wayne Allard of Colorado isn't laughing; he charges that Feingold "has time and time again taken on the side of the terrorists that we're dealing with in this conflict."

On the left, some commentators, such as Bill Press , are applauding:

"I have a new hero: Senator Russ Feingold.

"He's the only Democrat in the Senate with [courage]. And he proved it by introducing a resolution to censure President Bush over his illegal NSA wiretapping.

"Now, here's what I don't get. You expect those knee-jerk Republicans to line behind Bush and attack Feingold. But what happened to the Democrats?

"Once he called for censuring President Bush, Democrats ran away from Feingold faster than cockroaches running away from Tom Delay. Why? What are they afraid of? This is not complicated. Did Bush break the law? Yes! Does he deserve censure? Yes! So do it!

"Instead, Democrats gave all kinds of bogus reasons for abandoning Feingold."

But others on the left are parting company, including the Nation's David Corn :

"There is nothing wrong with arguing that a president who overstated the case for war to whip up popular support, all for a misadventure that has led to the deaths of thousands, deserves the ultimate penalty. But neither is there anything wrong with recognizing political realities in assessing political strategies. Republicans don't impeach Republicans and Democrats don't impeach Democrats. So why waste time demanding that the Republicans politically assassinate the leader of their party?...

"Calling for impeachment . . . cannot escape the obvious slap-down: impeachment is a dream; it is so far-fetched a prospect that it raises questions about the sensibility and political judgment of anyone who suggests it be adopted as a real-life goal."

Georgia10 at Kos says the Dems are laboring under a misconception: