Feingold: censure the President

Sen. Russ Feingold appearing on ABC’s "This Week With George Stephnopoulos" called for a censure of the President:

In an exclusive interview on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos," Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold called on the Senate to publicly admonish President Bush for approving domestic wiretaps on American citizens without first seeking a legally required court order.

"This conduct is right in the strike zone of the concept of high crimes and misdemeanors," said Feingold, D-Wis., a three-term senator and potential presidential contender.

McCain stunt backfires

Sen. John McCain attended the Southern Republican Leadership Conference in Memphis this weekend. There were over 1800 people representing 26 states. While meeting with his supporters, McCain urged them to vote for President Bush in the "straw poll" sponsored by "Hotline," the national online political gossip and news website.

The save-face-I'm-not-gonna-win tactic didn’t work and a Drudge headline read, "MCCAIN IN REPUBLICAN STRAW POLL EMBARRASSMENT."

Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN) received 526 first-place votes, or 36.9 percent, in the Southern Republican Leadership Conference's -82 percent of his votes came from Tennessee. Gov. Mitt Romney finished second with 14.4 percent and Sen. George Allen tied with President Bush at 10 percent. McCain finished 5th at 5 percent. Governor Mike Huckabee (R-AR) finished 6th at 4 percent. Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KA) finished 7th at 1.5 percent.

2008 schedule

Democrats continue to push ahead with changing the presidential nominating calendar with no likelihood that the Republicans will follow. The Democrat Party's rules committee met to forge a new plan.

Under the plan, Iowa would hold its traditional spot as first in the nation. New Hampshire would still hold as the first primary. However, up to two states would be allowed to hold caucuses after Iowa but before New Hampshire. One or two other states would be allowed to hold primaries after New Hampshire, but before Feb. 5. After that date it is wide open. Committee officials said they would seek applications from states interested in these slots.

Contenders for the earlier slots are Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, Missouri, Nevada and South Carolina.

Iowa update

Governor Mitt Romney (R-MA) was in Iowa for the Republican County Conventions and attended county conventions in Waterloo, West Des Moines, Adel and Davenport.

"There are a number of Republican leaders who are keeping the option open, and I am one of them," Romney said. "You keep that option open by being active, and that means visiting early caucus and primary states."