[Sosfbay-discuss] Again, The Awful DIANE FEINSTEIN

[alexcathy at aol.com]

Dear Green Friends,

  Once again, California's Democratic Sen. DIANE FEINSTEIN, has shown 
herself to be to the Right of some mainstream Republicans.

  Some of you may have noted this Associated Press story about President 
Bush's nomination of Gen. Michael Hayden as CIA chief
 published today:

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 GENERAL NAMED CIA NOMINEE
 By Katherine Shrader
 Associated Press

  WASHINGTON - President Bush's nomination of Gen. Michael Hayden as CIA 
chief ignited a confirmation fight Monday over the intelligence 
veteran's ties to the controversial eavesdropping program and his 
ability to be independent from the military establishment.

  With Hayden at his side, Bush urged senators to promptly approve the 
former National Security Agency head, who one year ago was confirmed 
unanimously to be the nation's first deputy director of national 
intelligence.

  CIA Director Porter Goss announced his resignation last week after 
tussling with Hayden and his boss, National Intelligence Director John 
Negroponte, about the agency's autonomy and direction.

  Even before Hayden's nomination became official, lawmakers began 
questioning whether he was the right choice to head the spy agency.

  Senate Intelligence Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., stopped short of 
endorsing Hayden on Monday: ''While I am not opposed to his nomination, 
senators -- including myself -- will have important questions which 
they will want addressed.''

  Hayden is credited with designing the NSA's warrantless surveillance 
program. Disclosure of the program late last year sparked an intense 
debate over whether the president can order the monitoring of 
international calls and e-mails in the United States without court 
warrants.

  Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., has said that he would 
use a Hayden nomination to raise questions about the legality of the 
eavesdropping program.

  Hayden is not without supporters. He won an early endorsement from 
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., one of the most vocal critics of 
Bush's eavesdropping program.

  "We need to get the CIA house in order. The most important thing is 
that the individual be a competent, qualified intelligence 
professional. And Mike Hayden is all of those things,'' Feinstein told 
CNN.

 . . .

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  Tell me again why I should give up on the Green Party and devote 
money, time, and energy to helping the Democrats?

  Many of my progressive friends outside of California have no idea how 
really awful Feinstein is. Moreover, she was elected in the so-called 
"Year of the Woman" in 1992 and so some people think that just because 
the senator is female Democrat from San Francisco, then she must be 
okay. In fact, except for the narrow question of abortion, Feinstein is 
also pretty terrible on women's rights.

  It is 2006 and the senior Democratic U.S. Senator from California is 
*STILL* sucking up to the Bushies.

 Unbelievable!


 Alex Walker