Anthony Weiner is done, he’s toast, it’s over. Many don’t want to acknowledge this because Weiner is seen as the last great liberal voice in Congress. Well, it looks like an even stronger liberal voice - Russ Feingold - is getting ready to run again for the Senate, and we need him back there now more than ever.
Russ has been busy since he lost his U.S. Senate seat last year. He has founded Progressives United as a way to fight back against the disastrous Citizens United decision:
Progressives United aims to build a massive grassroots effort dedicated to mitigating the effects of, and eventually overturning, the Citizens United decision. It is an organization that works to provide means for individuals to stand up to the big money special interests ruling Washington. We will work to ensure that elected officials are held accountable to their constituents and are not beholden to corporate interests. Additionally we will work to elect leaders at all levels of government who will stand up for progressive ideals.
http://www.progressivesunited.org/...
He raised over $130,000 in less than a week for Democratic recall candidates in Wisconsin:
Feingold's political action committee Progressives United sent an email to its supporters on June 2 asking them to donate $36 to help defeat the GOP state senators who backed Gov. Scott Walker's (R) legislation that stripped public employees of their collective bargaining rights...According to the PAC, the donations for the recall candidates came from more than 2,400 individual donors around the country. "With the kind of support we are seeing for the Democratic recall candidates, the runaway Walker agenda can end in July," said a Feingold aide.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
He recently marched with thousands of protesters against Scott Walker’s attacks against unions and teachers:
Feingold has attended a number of the protests at the Wisconsin Capitol since February, when Walker launched his initial attack on collective bargaining rights for state, county and municipal employees and teachers. He has, as well, been an outspoken critic of the governor’s agenda—using media interviews and his activist group, Progressives United, to push back against Walker and his allies. But Monday’s march was the first in which he was front-and-center.
http://www.thenation.com/...
The man lost an election but he hasn’t lost his fire. While Anthony Weiner was entertaining - it was always fun watching him eviscerate Republican and Fox News demagogues with his sharp wit and acid tongue - Russ Feingold is just as smart, just as progressive, and actually knows how to get things done.
Everything seems to point to Russ running in 2012 for the U. S. Senate seat of retiring Wisconsin Senator, Herb Kohl:
A recent survey by the left-leaning Public Policy Polling showed Feingold was the choice of 70% of Democrats, besting seven other possible candidates. Rep. Tammy Baldwin was his closest competitor for the party's nomination, with 12%.
http://content.usatoday.com/...
At last weekend’s state Democratic Party convention, a paid of straw polls asked who delegates would like to see run for the US Senate seat that will come open next year and for the governorship in a potential recall election against Walker. Feingold won both polls by landslides.
“When people express that kind of confidence in you, you have to take it seriously,” Feingold said of the straw poll results. “It means a lt means a lot to me. These are people I have worked with on campaigns for years, on issue fights. So when they indicate that they’d like to see me run for senator, or for governor, I respect that.”
http://www.thenation.com/...
The biggest shock for me from the 2010 elections was the loss of Russ Feingold in the Senate. But the mood in Wisconsin has done a 180 thank’s to the gross overreaching and radical agenda of Scott Walker and the Koch brothers. We may have a chance to get him back. Personally, I’m going focus my energy on helping Russ.