Uphill in Wisconsin

[cal04]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/13/opinion/13wed1.html?hp

When it came to the actual details of governing, Senator Russ Feingold, a Democrat of Wisconsin, trounced his Republican challenger, Ron Johnson, in a debate in Wausau, Wis., on Monday night. He knew that the new health care law will not reduce Medicare spending but will slow its staggering rate of growth. He knew that a vast majority of small businesses would not pay higher taxes if rates went up on the wealthy and that global warming isn’t caused by sunspots. He knew that without the 2009 stimulus there would be at least 1.5 million fewer people with jobs.

Mr. Johnson, on the other hand, proudly proclaimed recently that he doesn’t “think this election is about details.” That’s as good an explanation as any of why — in Wisconsin as in so many states — candidates like Mr. Johnson are ahead in the polls. Insurgent Republicans don’t need details when they can play on the furious emotions of voters who have been misled into believing that positive changes like the health care law are catastrophic failures.

The public’s lack of attention to detail, and Mr. Johnson’s willingness to exploit it, could end the career of Mr. Feingold, who in three terms has distinguished himself for trying to bring fairness to campaign finance and decency to national security, among other achievements. He has routinely crossed party lines to work with Republicans and has had the courage to break with his own party more often than almost any other senator.

(snip)
Mr. Feingold’s independent mind, and his refusal to follow the big-money line on issues like trade, campaign finance and Wall Street reform, should have endeared him to Tea Party members and other independents who are angry at Washington conformists. If they had taken the time to listen.

[Ozymanithrax]

1. If Sentaor Feingold was a Republican, they would have listened...

The teaparty is the John Birch wing of the Republican party.

[wisteria]

2. This is such a shame and it is so sad to watch happening.

The statement below says it all.


"The public’s lack of attention to detail, and Mr. Johnson’s willingness to exploit it"

[Scuba]

3. Keep fighting !!!!

russfeingold.org

He's the best Senator we have and to allow a big-$$$ teabagger to buy the election with lies is not acceptable.

[midnight]

4. New Feingold Internal Polls Shows Momentum Swinging Feingold's Way: Race Tied!

A new Feingold internal poll shows the race tied at 48-48.

It is clear from several different data points that a major reason for this Feingold surge over the last week is the campaign’s emphasis on trade and the two candidates’ clear difference concerning various trade deals , including Johnson’s description of the resulting job loss as “creative destruction”. For the first time since the summer, Johnson’s unfavorable rating has increased (by nearly 10 points over the past ten days) while at the same time his favorable rating has dropped-- to a level four points lower than Russ Feingold’s in this latest track.




http://uppitywis.org/

I'm not sure what an internal poll is, but I thought this was good news....

[Iwillnevergiveup]

5. "I welcome their hate." - FDR

I wish Democrats would repeat this line over and over and over.