Should Feinstein get another term?
Californians want tested senator with clout, respect in Washington
Dianne Feinstein is more than just a U.S. senator. She is a California institution. During the Trump presidency, this state will need her brand of leadership more than ever: She is more presidential than the president himself.
As fires ravaged the Wine Country, President Trump ignored the tragedy and tweeted about petty grievances instead. In contrast, Feinstein took command, expediting federal assistance and helping deliver $32,000 in aid to each impacted household.
For Feinstein, being more presidential than the president is nothing new. At the height of the AIDS epidemic, Mayor Feinstein’s AIDS budget for San Francisco was bigger than President Ronald Reagan’s AIDS budget was for the entire country.
Feinstein remains the voice of reason. She deserves another term in the U.S. Senate.
When San Francisco was reeling from the Jonestown massacre, the assassinations of its leaders and the AIDS crisis, she was the voice of reason.
When the most sweeping anti-gun laws in American history were passed, she was the voice of reason.
And today, as Russia meddles with our elections, California is fortunate that she is the top Democrat on the committee investigating the matter. In this capacity, she may very well save our republic from the divisive forces that would tear us apart.
Not everyone is satisfied with her reasonable approach. Some of Feinstein’s critics have started a whisper campaign about her age. They would be wise to remember that at 87, Picasso produced 347 engravings in one year. The senator is cut from the same cloth.
Other critics, on the left, expect ideological purity from their leaders. As a moderate, Feinstein is destined to fail some purity tests: She will never be pro-cannabis or anti-Donald Trump enough for some.
Intoxicated by their own purity, two challengers have emerged from the wings. Playing the role of Brutus is Kevin de León, the state Senate president pro tem. He is “Sacramento famous,” although his modest accomplishments have been dutifully recorded by the media there, he is largely unknown outside of that insular world.
Playing the role of Cassius is Tom Steyer. The hedge-fund billionaire is the star of a multimillion-dollar ad campaign. It’s ostensibly about fighting climate change, but it’s really about raising Steyer’s profile.
If either one of them were truly a breath of fresh air — or possessed an air of leadership — he might be worth our consideration. As it stands, their presence merely strengthens Trump’s hand by complicating Feinstein’s.
“Purity test” Democrats like Steyer and de León misread the anger toward Trump in California. It’s no secret that Californians have scant respect for Trump. But in poll after poll, voters here consistently view the respective extremes of the political parties as a vice, not a virtue.
Californians want tested leaders who will keep our country united by the bonds of decency, common sense and the rule of law. Leaders who are brilliant, hardworking, independent, unflappable, and steady. Take all that — and add clout — and you’ve got Feinstein. She has earned our support.