If you can't debate the topic, change it

President Bush criticized Senator Feingold's resolution to censure the president yesterday. Sort of.

Since President Bush knows he can't win on the facts about his illegal domestic surveillance program, he switched topics to the terrorists and accused Senator Feingold and his supporters of not wanting to keep an eye on terrorists. A comment that is beyond dishonest.

An article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has President Bush previewing the ads they intend to try to run against Democrats in the fall:

"...They ought to take their message to the people and say, 'Vote for me. I promise we're not going to have a terrorist surveillance program.' "

Feingold calls it like he sees it and fires right back:

"The president knows every Democrat supports wiretapping terrorists," said Feingold, who contends the wiretapping can and should be done with court approval. "So when the president says (we're) opposing wiretapping terrorists, he is being intentionally dishonest. It makes me feel even more strongly that he should be censured."

In the article Feingold also points out something I have been thinking about too - the ads the Republicans are going to run against him about the censure might backfire. They will repeatedly bring up an issue that is not playing well with the American people and may cause a lot of them to demand answers.

Feingold is not afraid of the ads:

"I welcome the discussion. I welcome the ads. The more they say this, the more people are reminded the president must be held accountable. The more Republicans fume about it, the more it's clear they have something to hide. I hope they do it, and I hope they do it a lot," Feingold said of the ads.

Nor should he be. More and more Americans are starting to ask questions about a program that Bush once said did get court orders, but now says doesn't need court orders.

Although Feingold should be pretty confident that HIS telephone conversations are being listened to by the White House.