The University of Wisconsin-River Falls
Russ Feingold delivering a keynote speech on
campus recently. If the McCain-Feingold bill is
passed by the House of Representatives, it will
bring about dramatic changes in campaign
finance. Picture: Scott
Wente/The Student Voice
Feingold upbeat about campaign finance bill
By Kevin O'Brien and Rachel Weddig - The Student Voice
Wisconsin's US Senator Russ Feingold, the self declared "Skywalker for campaign finance reform," told an audience of over 100 students, faculty members and administrators recently how the McCain-Feingold bill, if passed by the House of Representatives, would take political power out of the hands of wealthy corporations and put it into the hands of the people.
In a speech in Abbott Concert Hall Spring Semester 2001, sponsored by the Journalism and Political Science Departments, Feingold explained for one hour how his lifelong interest in progressive politics led him to make campaign finance reform a top priority when he was elected to the Senate.
"Never once in my career did I have to pick up the phone and ask for a single dime," he said.
With his bill, Feingold said he would like to return to the days of Nelson and Humphrey, when candidates didn't have to spend all of their time raising money and could focus on reaching their constituents.
During his first campaign for state senate, Wisconsin's public financing system provided him with half of the $35,000 he needed to run for office.
By knocking on 15,000 doors across the state and collecting small donations for the $17,500 he needed to raise himself, Feingold said he was able to defeat the Republican incumbent by 31 votes out of 47,000 in the district.
"If I didn't knock on doors in the rain in Baraboo and Portage on the last day before the election, I wouldn't be here today," he said. "So, my first experience was consistent with what I was brought up to believe - that politics is for everyone."
However, once he set his sight on the US Senate, people around him started to doubt if he had enough money to run a successful campaign.
After five years of campaigning around the state in a "beat-up truck" and running a TV ad endorsement featuring Elvis Presley, he was elected to the US Senate in 1992.
Feingold said his story is proof that money does not have to be an essential part of politics.
"I'm the least wealthy member of the Senate," Feingold said. "I'm the only guy who worries about paying for his house every month and paying for my kids to go through college."
In 1994, when the Republicans swept into the Senate, Senator John McCain from Arizona called Feingold 10 days later to ask for his help on "revolving door" legislation.
Feingold thought this was strange, since the first time he encountered McCain, they were on opposite sides of a nuclear aircraft debate.
"During the debate he asked me: 'Have you ever been on a nuclear aircraft?' and I said no. Then he said: 'You have no right to be out on this floor talking.'"
Despite their past differences, they have worked together to pass a ban on expensive gifts for lawmakers. Then, in 1995, they tackled the issue of campaign finance reform.
In 2001, they reached the final stages of passing the most comprehensive campaign reform bill since 1974.
The bill underwent debate in the House of Representatives fall of 2001, and was to be voted on that summer.
Political Science Chair Tracey Gladstone-Sovell agrees with Feingold's optimism but feels it won't be an easy task for Feingold to get the bill passed.
"I think Feingold is right to be optimistic about the bill," Gladstone-Sovell said. "But I think there are efforts being made to try to derail it in a variety of ways."
University of Wisconsin-River Falls.
Department of Journalism.
The Online Journalist. Copyright 2001
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