President Obama put his stamp of approval on former Sen. Russ Feingold’s bid to return to the Senate, by writng an email fundraising solicitation for the Wisconsin Democrat.
“Wisconsin has a long tradition of progressivism, from Fighting Bob La Follette to the legendary Sen. Gaylord Nelson, the father of Earth Day,” Obama wrote, invoking two liberal lions from Wisconsin. “Wisconsinites are independent-minded and forward-thinking, and they’re not afraid to go against the grain.”
Obama praised Feingold, who’s in a tight grudge match with Sen. Ron Johnson, the Republican who won the seat after criticizing Feingold’s lone dissenting vote against the USA Patriot Act and opposition to the Iraq War.
“Russ isn’t afraid to stand up for what he knows is right, even when it isn’t popular,” Obama wrote in the email that hit inboxes Monday morning. “Russ is an honest, independent-minded public servant who’s not driven by what’s politically expedient: He’s driven by what he knows is right for the people of Wisconsin.”
“That’s why he’s been to each of Wisconsin’s 72 counties more than once: to listen to the people he’s fighting so hard to represent at the U.S. Senate,” Obama continued. “And that’s how we progress as a nation: by listening to the hardworking people of this country — not corporate special interest groups.”
The request distributed by the Feingold campaign seeks $5 donations toward the goal of raising $250,000 by Thursday.
