Russ Feingold

He's going to up in Northern Wisco, Marengo to be precise. I'm going over to see him. Here are some things he said last Sunday on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos":

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, you heard Secretary Chertoff there. He says that the war in Iraq is making his job easier, making it easier for him to protect the homeland. What's your response?

SENATOR RUSS FEINGOLD: Well, that just can't be true. I - I heard him say that somehow Iraq distracts the terrorists. You know, it's just the other way around. It's distracted us. It has sapped us of our resource. I think Osama bin Laden and all his lieutenants and sympathizers are absolutely thrilled that we continue to stay in Iraq for an indefinite period of time as they conduct these operations and get others to conduct operations all the way from Indonesia to Turkey to Madrid to London. We are playing into their hands by having an indefinite commitment in Iraq. It has made us weaker. It's time to recognize that and focus on the kind of thing that was uncovered this week and I want to congratulate the â€" the British and those who helped them on that success. That's what we should have been focusing on all along.
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GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Senator Lieberman thinks that your approach will strengthen the terrorists and it's a victory for terrorists. What's your response?

SENATOR RUSS FEINGOLD: Well, I like Joe Lieberman but I support Ned Lamont because Joe is showing with that regrettable statement that he doesn't get it. He doesn't get it. The fact is that we were attacked on 9/11 by al Qaeda and its affiliates and its sympathizers, not by Saddam Hussein and unfortunately Senator Lieberman has supported the Bush administration's disastrous strategic approach of getting us stuck in Iraq instead of focusing on those who've attacked us. I mean, look at the places that have been attacked, India, Morocco, Turkey, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Somalia, Spain, Great Britain, what does this have to do with Iraq? And Senator Lieberman is stuck on that point. Ned Lamont and I believe that we should refocus on those who attacked us on 9/11 and not simply try to cover our tracks because this was such a very poor decision in terms of the overall battle against the terrorists who attacked us.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Do you think Senator Lieberman should get out of the race?

SENATOR RUSS FEINGOLD: Well, you know, I think that's his own decision. It would be better for the Democratic Party. I think it'd be better for the people of Connecticut. It would be better for the country if he did it, not because he hasn't been a good senator, not because he isn't a good man, but this is a critical time and we have to change course. We have to focus on those that attacked us on 9/11 and get away from this very mistaken policy in Iraq so it would be helpful if he would do it but obviously Joe will have to make that decision for himself.