While leading his opponent by huge factors in individual contributions to his campaign, Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold finds his Senate seat in jeopardy. What's going on?
Update: Replays of this debate are available at WausauDailyHerald.com
While challenger Ron Johnson continues to tap his vast wealth for his campaign, independent and unaccountable funds from sources like Senate Conservatives, National Right to Life, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Rifle Association and American Action Network pour vast sums into a shadow campaign which dominates Wisconsin's airwaves.
Outside expenditures to favor a candidate overwhelmingly favor Johnson, by almost 100 times - a difference of almost ten thousand percent!
Outside expenditures to oppose a candidate favor Johnson completely. No outside group funds ads opposing Johnson. Not a penny is on record. Over 638 thousand dollars have been spent so far by outside groups opposing Feingold. There is no number to quantify this imbalance, other than infinity.
If money speaks, then why, when individual Wisconsin citizens favor funding Senator Feingold's campaign out of their own pockets by a margin of nearly 7 to 1 over Johnson, does Johnson's candidacy have any viability whatsoever? It's outside money for ads, ads, and more ads. Ads on t.v., ads on radio, ads on the internet – a bombardment of unaccountable ads that numb our minds and cause us to defy common sense.
Since Russ Feingold has had no outside help to oppose Johnson, he owes no outside interests any favor to return after the election; only Wisconsin and American citizens are in Feingold's favor. Johnson, however, would have lots of favors to return to those outsiders, outsiders who will mostly remain anonymous to us.
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Debate #2 of 3 starts at 7 p.m. central, Try these links:
WAOW
WSAW
Wausau daily Herald confirmed works
Oshkosh Northwestern works, too