Feingold: ''It's safe to go in the water''

"Steve: In your announcement this week you spoke about the "taboo" of suggesting withdrawal. Has the administration been effective in framing the Iraq issue as a matter of patriotism, and in turn, make overt opposition muted and tentative?

Senator Feingold: Unfortunately, until very recently, they have been extremely effective. I mean, we could have won that election in 2002. We were way ahead on domestic issues, but the Democratic Party and Democratic leaders decided to take a pass on the Iraq war. They decided to defer to the President, and I have to tell you many Democratic leaders knew better. This was a bad idea, but they allowed the Bush administration to brilliantly intimidate them into not standing up and saying this doesn't fit in with the fight against Al Qaeda and the terrorists that attacked this country on 9/11. Of course, I didn't buy into this and I voted no, but I was even in the minority among Democrats in the Senate. And now were making the same mistake, now that it's clear that the administration took us into Iraq under false premises. We have a situation where they are doing a terrible job managing this war. They are doing a terrible job of having a plan to win the war and win the peace. Yet, Democrats are allowing the President to set the terms of the debate. If somebody says "what about a plan to bring the troops home", the President labels it cut and run. Democrats have become silent, so I do think perhaps that we have allowed this to become a taboo. My purpose this week is to break that taboo, let other Democrats know it's safe to go in the water. It's safe to talk about how we can succeed and bring our troops home. Why shouldn't we Democrats be talking about that?

Steve: Now, have you had much feedback from your colleagues?

Senator Feingold: I had a little feedback from Senator Reid just before he became ill, indirectly from his staff. But, no I haven't had any direct conversations because we are in recess. But, I predict that there will be a whole new mood in Washington about the Iraq war. You know, I started earlier in the summer where I came to my caucus and I said to everybody, and Harry Reid acknowledged that Iraq was a big deal at the time, I said this thing is really changing, the public view of it. I started trying to get other Senators interested in some kind of approach that has a real plan and vision of how we can leave. It was like pulling teeth. But, I predict after the August recess, that they are going to have a very different attitude. Even Trent Lott, in the interview he did after mine on Meet the Press this morning, was very gentle in terms of disagreeing with what I had said. He clearly indicated that he needed to tell the people of his state something better about where this thing is heading. So, I believe this thing is reaching a critical mass and if Democrats don't get ahead of this issue it will just be another sign to the public that were not ready to govern. We need to be strong on national security, but we also need to be bright on national security. So, Democrats should be talking about fighting the terrorist networks around the world and not becoming only focused on Iraq. Iraq is not the only place, obviously, where this terrorist threat exists and we need a broader perspective."-from Stevo's post today on Booman Tribune based on his interview with Feingold.