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06 Sep 2011 11:13

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Politics: It’s official: Tammy Baldwin’s running for a Wisconsin Senate seat

  • She would be the first openly-gay senator. OK, so the progressives didn’t get Russ Feingold like they wanted, but Rep. Tammy Baldwin is certainly no spring chicken. “Some people think America’s best days are behind us,” Baldwin says in her announcement clip, “but I’m not one of them.” Do you guys think she has a serious shot at Herb Kohl’s soon-to-be-vacant seat? source

19 Aug 2011 19:26

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Politics: Russ Feingold’s out: Wisconsin political institution sits out 2012 races

  • While I may seek elective office again someday, I have decided not to run for public office during 2012.
  • Former Sen. Russ Feingold • Breaking the hearts of many a progressive with a single quote. The Wisconsin institution, who’s currently teaching at Marquette Law School and working on a book about 9/11, says he’s enjoying the stuff he’s currently working on and wants a little bit of a break from the political game. This is not a particularly great sign for Democrats going into 2012, as Feingold was seen as likely to do well in another Senate race. Feingold lost his Senate seat, which he held for three terms, last year. Let the speculation begin: Perhaps he’s holding out for a race with Scott Walker? source

26 May 2011 02:08

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Politics: Scott Walker is becoming very unpopular

  • Watch out, Walker: If a recall election were held today, you’d get booted faster than you can say “Gray Davis.” source

25 Apr 2011 22:28

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Politics: Feingold would have a shot at toppling Walker, new poll says

  • Heads up, Scott: A new poll shows progressive hero Russ Feingold neck-and-neck with Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker in a hypothetical recall election. This is less than a year after Feingold lost re-election to the Senate by five points to a political novice. Yeah, yeah, we know: this doesn’t mean much, as Feingold hasn’t expressed any interest in running and Walker is nine months away from even being eligible for a recall. But we can dream, right? source

02 Nov 2010 23:42

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Politics: Russ Feingold: Poor fella. Down goes an incumbent.

  • Russ. Sigh. This is a race that was clear from the polling, but still a depressing loss. He was one of the country’s better Senators, and was more willing to go with his gut than the lot of them, most famously when he voted against the PATRIOT Act – he was the only one to do so. But Wisconsin has spoken, and Ron Johnson, a once-unknown who was against the health care bill, will take his place. That feeling is one of a dagger hitting the hearts of liberals everywhere. source

15 Jul 2010 12:11

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U.S.: Key votes in the Senate’s passage of finance reform

  • 60-38 the initial vote to allow the real vote
  • didThe three more moderate East-coast members of the GOP – Scott Brown, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins.
  • didn’tRuss Feingold, that scallion of Wisconsin, felt the bill didn’t go far enough. Oh, and Robert Byrd just died. source
  • » So, what’s next? Well, in a couple of hours, the bill will go through the real vote, at which point it will head to Obama. Then, ta-da! It becomes law.

07 Oct 2009 09:10

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U.S.: Russ Feingold says the White House should explain “czar” system

  • The White House seems to want to fight the attacks against it for having too many ‘czars’ on a political level rather than a substantive level. I don’t think that’s the right approach.
  • Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold • At a hearing yesterday regarding the Obama administration’s use of czars to handle specific issues facing the presidency. Their use has been a touchy subject for some, especially if your name is Glenn Beck. “If there are good answers to the questions that have been raised,” Feingold says regarding the White House’s blog post on the subject, “why not give them instead of attacking the motives or good faith of those who have raised questions?” Also raised were constitutional and oversight issues – should the Senate be taking a look at these czars? • source
 

26 Jan 2009 10:30

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U.S.: Russ Feingold: Senate appointments suck. Let’s kill them!

  • A new amendment Feingold, a beat-of-his-own-drummer Democratic Wisconsin senator noted for voting against the Patriot Act, has suggested that the recent New York and Illinois senate appointments have proven the idea to be antiquated. So, he plans to introduce an amendment later this week that ends senate appointments and replaces them with special elections.
  • “The will of the people” There is historic context to this, Feingold notes. “In 1913, the Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution gave the citizens of this country the power to finally elect their senators,” Feingold said in a press release. “They should have the same power in the case of unexpected mid-term vacancies, so that the Senate is as responsive as possible to the will of the people.” source