More thoughtful senators, including the number-two Democrat in the chamber, Illinoisan Dick Durbin, co-sponsored Feingold's amendment.
Reid got that one wrong. Feingold got it right.
"It is time to finish the job started by the great progressive Bob La Follette of Wisconsin to require the direct election of senators," the former senator from Wisconsin said in 2009...
"No one can represent the American people in the House of Representatives without the approval of the voters. The same should be true for the Senate. I hope the full Senate Judiciary Committee will soon get the chance to consider this important constitutional amendment to entrust the people, not state governors, with the power to select U.S. senators."
The worst deficit facing America is the democracy deficit.
It can be addressed, at least in part, by making the Senate a representative chamber.
Feingold can't complete the process he began. But his former colleagues, led by Dick Durbin, should do so.
Another way to restore democracy is to end the electoral college. Check out Katrina vanden Heuvel's take here.
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