Leah_From_Illinois: Do you support the Israeli military action against Hezbolla in Lebanon? How do you feel the current administration is handling the situation diplomatically? Is there anything you would do differently?
Russ_Feingold: I have suggested to the Administration that it immediately appoint a special envoy here as well – someone who has broad respect within the international community, like George Mitchell or Colin Powell or James Baker – whose sole job is to deal with this situation. Condoleeza Rice has so many tasks to deal with, from North Korea to Iran, to Iraq, to
Somalia, to the Middle East, there simply isn’t enough time for one person to give the situation in Lebanon adequate attention.
Finally, people have to understand that the instability in this region is in part a direct byproduct of our Iraq policy. The negative actors in the region know it.
debbie_from_WI: How do you envision your health care initiative working in, say, Wisconsin? Would this reform then encompass Medicare and Medicaid patients?
Joette_from_Wisconsin: More than any other time in history, we are starting to see serious effects from global warming. Much of this is coming from CO2 gases, 25% of which come from the United States (U.S. and Austrailia are largest countries in world not to agree to sign Kyoto treaty). What types of actions do you propose to get the United States on board with the rest of the world to reduce these harmful gases?
Russ_Feingold: The first thing is to make Al Gore’s movie and book required for every Member of Congress. Some of the pages only have 1 line and large pictures. This benefited me. Once you read it or see the movie, a person cannot help but be motivated to act on this critical matter.
Randy_from_Oregon: First, Senator Feingold, thanks for your hard work and this forum. How do we, as progressive Americans who love our country, fight the fact that the media, really scared neocons, and Republicans desperate to keep their jobs paint us as “anti-war extremists” or “pre-9/11 liberals”? I ask this as a proud American who supported going into Afghanistan but can’t stomach how we got into Iraq and what we have done there. Thanks!
Russ_Feingold: I couldn’t agree with you more and want you to know if you straightforwardly say what you just said and point out what a mistake the Iraq war was in the larger fight against those terrorists who attacked us on 9/11, you will prevail. The phony arguments for going into the Iraq war are now being matched by the phony arguments to stay in Iraq and the public realizes the Administration is trying to deceive them again.
debbie_from_WI: How do you envision your health care initiative working in, say, Wisconsin? Would this reform then encompass Medicare and Medicaid patients?
Russ_Feingold: It would be entirely up to the state and could very well include Medicare and Medicaid, as long as they move toward universal health care with benefits comparable to those offered to federal employees.
Its still going on but here is some of what is being discussed.
Dave_from_California: How do you defend yourself against attacks made by the Bush administration that getting out of Iraq or not supporting the Patriot Act is giving support to the terrorists?
Russ_Feingold: It is painfully obvious this Administration has bungled the fight against terrorism by becoming obsessed with Iraq and threatening the freedoms of law abiding Americans. Let’s get back to the task at hand.