I have been keeping an eye on the Senate polls — in particular, those in California and Wisconsin where two of the most liberal members of Sentate are up for re-election. It is looking more and more like Barbara Boxer is going to hold on (though it is incredibly close).
In Wisconsin, however, Russ Feingold, the conscience of the Senate, is down in the polls. So I asked my friend Rob Stolzer, an artist who teaches at the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, for his thoughts on the race. Here is what he had to say:
I haven’t followed things all that closely yet, as there weren’t any real races for Dems in the primaries, outside of Lieutenant Governor. I know that Ron Johnson (not the old Giants running back, unfortunately) is leading Feingold in the polls right now, but it’s still pretty early. Many folks believe he got a big initial bounce from winning the GOP primary.
Here’s the thing about Wisconsin: it’s largely a conservative state, but has large pockets of liberalism. Former governor Tommy Thompson described Madison as an island of liberals surrounded by conservatives. Madison, Milwaukee, Appleton, and many of the university cities are far more left-leaning than the rest of the state. It’s always been enough to pull Feingold through, but it’s usually very close. Folks on the right will say that Feingold is either a do-nothing senator, or too liberal, and needs to go. They’ll also say that he’s living off of McCain-Feingold, and that’s it for him. Personally, I see a senator who sticks to his guns and has paid a political price for it. He was the only one to vote against the Patriot Act, refusing to be a knee-jerk reactionary. Feingold also voted against the Finance Services Reform bill, which was highly touted by Dems. I saw him at a town hall meeting at a local high school a few months ago, and he stated that he wouldn’t support the bill because it didn’t go far enough. He wanted to see the Glass-Steagall Act reinstated, which went much further in it’s reforms.
I find it interesting that in Wisconsin, with such a small Jewish population, that we have two Jewish senators. I’ve run into folks who have never met a Jew before they met me, and yet, we have two Jewish senators. Like many other states, I’m seeing more of the extremes of the parties, though the GOP is louder right now.
Personally, I think Feingold will retain his seat in the senate. Madison is large enough to withstand the battering of the conservative chatter.
Let’s hope he is right.
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Don Johnson, the GOP opponent of Feingold, has said that Social Security is a Ponzi scheme and has said: \”I absolutely do not believe in the science of man-caused climate change,” Johnson said. “It’s not proven by any stretch of the imagination.” […]“It’s far more likely that it’s just sunspot activity or just something in the geologic eons of time,” he said. Excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere “gets sucked down by trees and helps the trees grow,” said Johnson. Average Earth temperatures were relatively warm during the Middle Ages, Johnson said, and “it’s not like there were tons of cars on the road.” OK, enough said about this right wing/libertarian freak. He's just another millionaire regressive. So DO NOT TELL ME there is no difference in the parties. If Johnson wins, it will cripple the Senate even more than it is now and we will lose an actual liberal in the Senate. The global climate change deniers don't believe the overwhelming majority of climate scientists in the world? Why? They seem to have no trouble with astronomers or nuclear physicists but for some reason they think that climate scientists are suspect. Why aren't they challenging particle physicists? Some of these clowns are challenging evolutionary scientists, to be sure but not metallurgists or mineralogists. Anybody remember when the auto industry and the right wingers fought anti-pollution measures in cars? Now all those anti-pollution measures are a given and universally accepted, by sane people. Anybody remember when the auto industry and the right wingers/libertarians fought safety measures in cars such as seat belts, air bags, collapsible steering wheels, reenforced doors, etc.? Now all these safety measures and devices are accepted and desired by all sane people. Progressives and liberals need to get out and vote Democratic, there is a difference in the parties. Sipprelle will have to tack far right wing or risk being marginalized and punished by his own party.
Just for clarification, it's Ron Johnson, not Don Johnson. Johnson has been running local ads lately, addressing the Ponzi scheme issue, claiming that (he believes) the way that the government has used (dipped into) SS makes it like a Ponzi scheme. I don't think Johnson will outlast Feingold, but if anyone really believes in Feingold, please consider contributing to his election. Even though he's not local to many readers, he's a strong voice that we cannot afford to lose. On that not, consider a contribution to Joe Sestak as well. He'll be a great senator!
Whoops, it is indeed Ron not Don Johnson, the actor. I had a senior brain fart moment. Dear sweet Jaysus, this Ron Johnson is an Ayn Rand acolyte.From a George Will (I really loathe him) column about Ron Johnson:\”He was, however, dry tinder — he calls Ayn Rand's \”Atlas Shrugged\” his \”foundational book\” — and now is ablaze, in an understated, Upper Midwestern way. This 55-year-old manufacturer of plastic products from Oshkosh, Wis., is what the Tea Party looks like.\”He's worse than a right winger, worse than a libertarian, he's a frikking Randian. Greed is good and social Darwinism on steroids.