Sen. Feingold's statement praising the nomination of Judd Gregg, which was just announced in a White House press conference, but deploring the way it was done:

"But the apparent behind-the-scenes deal-making that went on to determine who will fill Senator Gregg's vacancy is alarmingly undemocratic. Once again, Americans will be represented in the Senate for nearly two years by someone they had no hand in electing. As the number of Senators appointed to their seats continues to rise, it's increasingly clear that we need to fix this constitutional anachronism. It is time to pass a constitutional amendment to end appointments by governors and the political gamesmanship they encourage."

Feingold has introduced a constitutional amendment to take away the power of governors to fill Senate vacancies and vest that power in the voters via a special election.