Feingold Anti-Endorses Edwards

The Huffington Post recently published an interview with Senator Russ Feingold, one of the Democratic Party's most respected progressive leaders. He said he thought either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama would be great presidents. But he's highly dubious of the sincerity of John Edwards. Feingold said:

I don't understand how somebody could vote, five or six critical votes, one way in the Senate and then make your campaign the opposite positions. That doesn't give me confidence that if the person became president that they would continue the kind of policies that they are using in the Democratic primary. I'm more likely to believe what they did in the Senate.

You have to consider what the audience is, and obviously these are very popular positions to take when you are in a primary where you are trying to get the progressive vote. But wait a minute — there were opportunities to vote against the bankruptcy bill, there was an opportunity to vote against the China [trade] deal. Those are the moments where you sort of find out where somebody is. So I think, people are being taken in a little bit that now he is taking these positions.

When asked which candidate he might endorse, Feingold replied:

There are all kinds of issues weighing on my mind. I'm trying to figure out who is most ready to be president in a very difficult world. I'm looking for somebody who can carry real change and a real feeling of unity in the country. I see some of these qualities in Senator Clinton and some in Senator Obama. And I simply don't feel that I am compelled to make a decision.