Wisconsin incumbent Feingold embraces underdog label as GOP newcomer Johnson narrows gap

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Feingold labels himself underdog against newcomer

MILWAUKEE — Sen. Russ Feingold calls himself the underdog in his re-election bid against a Republican challenger no one had heard of six months ago but who, like other GOP newcomers this year, is tapping his own fortune to start a political career at the top.

Capturing the seat held by the liberal Feingold for the past 18 years would be a coup for businessman Ron Johnson and could even give Republicans a Senate majority. A number of polls suggest the two are running about even, but Johnson still has to win a primary Tuesday against cash-strapped and little-known opponents.

A clear favorite earlier this year, Feingold has appeared increasingly vulnerable as Johnson and Republicans nationwide have tapped into voter anger and fears about the economy and increasing discomfort with President Barack Obama and Democrats.

Feingold’s seat is among 11 Democratic seats in play this November. Democrats now hold a 57-41 advantage in the Senate, plus two independents who side with them.

While Feingold has stood with Obama on several key issues, including the $814 billion stimulus package and health care overall, he has criticized the president’s strategy in Afghanistan and opposed a Wall Street reform measure for not being strong enough. In 2008, he also opposed the financial bailout for banks and financial institutions that many Democrats, including Obama, supported.

Both campaigns are spending freely. Johnson has spent $4.5 million compared with $4.2 million for Feingold, but Johnson has outspent him 3-1 on television ads, according to CMAG, an independent firm that tracks TV advertising.

Johnson has said he’s prepared to spend as much of his personal wealth as necessary to win, a total he said could be in the $10 million to $15 million range. That’s still a pittance compared with the $104 million of her own money that billionaire Republican and former eBay chief executive Meg Whitman has pumped into her campaign for California governor.

Rick Scott, a former health care CEO, spent more than $25 million of his own money for a string of TV ads to win the GOP nomination for Florida governor. Former World Wrestling Entertainment CEO Linda McMahon has said she’s willing to spend up to $50 million of her own money to win retiring Democrat Chris Dodd’s Connecticut seat in the Senate.

Casting himself as the underdog despite a political network across the state and years of campaign experience, Feingold said Johnson is trying to buy the seat. “I can’t buy it, I have to earn it, and I’m very happy to be doing that,” he said.

In his first re-election bid in 1998, as part of his crusade to keep unregulated money out of politics, Feingold risked his 20-point lead by asking the Democratic Party to pull “soft money” ads from the race. He ended up edging Republican Rep. Mark Neumann by just 2 percentage points.

Feingold, who co-authored the 2002 McCain-Feingold law with Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., accepts political action committee money from labor unions, but over the past five years has relied on smaller donations from individuals for 90 percent of his campaign money, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Union members from across the state who gathered for a Labor Day parade in Milwaukee roared in approval when Obama mentioned Feingold during his speech there.

“He certainly has labor’s support,” said Mark Maierle, 51, business manager of the local operating engineers union.

Johnson, who made most of his fortune through his Oshkosh plastics company, Pacur LLC, has fashioned himself as a longtime businessman forced into politics because things have gone so horribly wrong.

“I’m just going out, meeting people, putting my record up against a career politician,” Johnson said. “Just in terms of the intensity and passion on our side of issues, as well as how our message is resonating, I’m cautiously optimistic.”

Tom Slavinsky, a 55-year-old sales manager from Brookfield, said he likes Johnson’s calls for lower taxes, smaller government and a repeal of the health care law.

“He’s been making business decisions. I think that’s what’s required in Congress,” Slavinsky said. “Too often politicians don’t have any practical business experience.”

But Johnson’s campaign has stumbled on occasion. He drew scorn last month when he said he “absolutely (does) not believe” in the science of man-caused climate change.

“It’s far more likely that it’s just sunspot activity or just something in the geologic eons of time,” he said.

Feingold called that explanation “not credible” and painted Johnson as a science lightweight.

Johnson’s ambiguous statements on whether he would support drilling for oil in the Great Lakes allowed Feingold to attack him in TV ads. Johnson later made clear he opposes it.

Johnson’s opponents in Tuesday’s primary are Dave Westlake, a Watertown small-business owner who enjoys support from some tea partiers, and Stephen Finn, a Milwaukee plumber.

Wisconsin voters also will decide Tuesday which Republican will advance in a hotly contested primary for governor. Feingold’s former opponent Neumann is running against Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker. The winner is expected to face Democratic Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett.

Also at stake is which of three Republicans will advance to take on Democratic Rep. Steve Kagen of Appleton in one of two House races expected to be highly competitive in the fall.

In the other one, former Ashland County District Attorney Sean Duffy, a Republican, and Democratic state Sen. Julie Lassa are expected to advance over lesser-known rivals in the race to replace retiring Rep. Dave Obey, a Democrat.

Associated Press writer Jim Kuhnhenn in Washington contributed to this report.

Online:

Russ Feingold: www.russfeingold.org

Ron Johnson: www.ronjohnsonforsenate.com