A True Senator

When the founders put together the American government, they made the senators up for reelection every six years, as opposed to four years for the president and two years for representatives. Why? Because the Senate was intended to be an august body, where wise and experienced men could rationally debate the issues, free from the shifting whims of the body politic. And yet, most senators today are concerned solely with their own reelection--witness the Democrats numerous votes on the Bush administration's war on terror legislation. No senator wants to be branded as "weak on terror," so we have many Democrats marching lockstep with the administration. Fortunately, there is Russ Feingold, Democrat from Wisconsin. Feingold was the lone senator to oppose the Patriot Act. And now, Feingold (along with Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd) has pledged to filibuster the telecom immunity bill working its way through the Senate. Regardless of what you think of Feingold's politics, it is refreshing to see at at least one senator standing on principle and forgoing the politically expedient decision.