Hollywood legend Robert Redford has lent his name to Russ Feingold’s effort to recapture the seat he lost to Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., six years ago.
“If you’re like me, you’ve been observing this political season with disbelief and deep concern for America,” the actor and director wrote in a fundraising appeal circulated Monday. “I watch opportunistic politicians pit citizen versus citizen, reinforcing a destructive mindset that says one can only win by making others lose.”
“Our government is fundamentally stuck and seems incapable of addressing the challenges of our times. Our supreme court only has ei‌ght justices and we can’t even have a conversation about Merrick Garland, much less a confirmation,” he wrote about President Obama’s stalled nominee to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia.
“It’s easy to want to ignore it all. But if we do that, we risk turning our backs on the people who actually have our backs. Russ Feingold is one of those people; and we need to have his back in return,” he said before asking recipients to donate $3 to the former three-term Democratic senator’s campaign.
Redford, also known for his environmental activism, mentioned Feingold’s green record and his refusal to accept corporate or super PAC donations as two big reasons Wisconsinites should return Feingold to the Senate.
“If you share my admiration for Russ Feingold’s progressive activism and want to see more leaders like him in Washington, I’m asking you to share in my support for his campaign by making a donation tod‌ay,” he wrote.
