MONROE - In the midst of the fight of his political life, Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., was in Monroe Friday defending his years in the U.S. Senate and taking sharp aim at his GOP opponent, Oshkosh businessman Ron Johnson.
"My opponent's campaign almost never refers to Wisconsin," Feingold said during an interview at The Monroe Times. "He's using all of the rhetoric of the national Republican campaign. There's no source of Wisconsin flavor to it ..."
Johnson was unavailable for comment Friday but his website claims he has been to 60 of Wisconsin's 72 counties in advance of the Nov. 2 election.
The race is one of the most closely watched in the nation, as a dismal economy, rising deficit and an energized GOP base threaten once-safe Congressional seats, such as Feingold's. Johnson leads the incumbent by single digits, according to several national polls. But Feingold says he trusts his own pollsters, who've informed him it's still a dead heat.
"We've been either a point or two behind or a point or two ahead in eight out of the nine or nine out of the last ten weeks," Feingold said.
Johnson is a self-made millionaire who has spent millions of his money on his campaign. The latest report issued by Johnson's campaign has the candidate raising $3.3 million in the last quarter.
Feingold's office Friday said it has raised $3.3 million of its own during the most recent reporting period and has $3.5 million cash on hand. Much of that, Feingold maintains, was raised by "grassroots" efforts and contributions from smaller donors, with the average donation at $57.
The two candidates have used their war chests to flood Wisconsin airwaves. According to a recent study by the Wesleyan Media Project, more Senate television ads have aired here between Sept. 1 and Oct. 7 than in any other state. More than 18,256 senate ads ran in Wisconsin in that time period - or one every two minutes.
The next closest race in terms of advertising is Nevada, with 17,777.
Feingold said Johnson spent over $2 million, received from outside groups, on attack ads.
"Big government is often bad," said Feingold. "But there is one thing worse than big government, and that is government dominated by special interests."
Feingold was recently named one of the top 10 members of Congress by Esquire Magazine; and was voted as the No. 1 "enemy of lobbyists" according to the Washingtonian. So on Friday, the senator continued to emphasize a renegade image - one that some say contrasts sharply with his long tenure in the Senate and liberal views.
"As people in this county know, I don't follow the party line," he said. "People in Wisconsin expect you to be open and accessible, and I've been to all 72 counties to listen to people."
Feingold then blasted Johnson, saying he refused to do 15 debates, including any in the first half of the race.
In a closely watched debate Oct. 8, Feingold and Johnson sparred over health care and spending. According to Feingold, Johnson has said the new health care bill "is the greatest personal assault on his freedom in his lifetime."
Feingold, who said he stands by his support for the bill, responded: "How is it an assault on Johnson's freedom that over a million different Wisconsinites have a pre-existing conditions that can't be kicked off their health insurance; that 85,000 small businesses will be getting tax credits this year to help them pay for health costs; that kids aged 26 and under can now stay on their parent's policy and that seniors will have the doughnut hole filled?"
Feingold further attacked Johnson for failing to acknowledge the impacts of global warming on the planet and economy. And he criticized him for simply offering spending and tax cuts for the rich as a solution, even as the senator says he's working to push a 41-point plan to trim the federal budget by half a trillion dollars over the next 10 years.
"My opponent's campaign almost never refers to Wisconsin," Feingold said during an interview at The Monroe Times. "He's using all of the rhetoric of the national Republican campaign. There's no source of Wisconsin flavor to it ..."
Johnson was unavailable for comment Friday but his website claims he has been to 60 of Wisconsin's 72 counties in advance of the Nov. 2 election.
The race is one of the most closely watched in the nation, as a dismal economy, rising deficit and an energized GOP base threaten once-safe Congressional seats, such as Feingold's. Johnson leads the incumbent by single digits, according to several national polls. But Feingold says he trusts his own pollsters, who've informed him it's still a dead heat.
"We've been either a point or two behind or a point or two ahead in eight out of the nine or nine out of the last ten weeks," Feingold said.
Johnson is a self-made millionaire who has spent millions of his money on his campaign. The latest report issued by Johnson's campaign has the candidate raising $3.3 million in the last quarter.
Feingold's office Friday said it has raised $3.3 million of its own during the most recent reporting period and has $3.5 million cash on hand. Much of that, Feingold maintains, was raised by "grassroots" efforts and contributions from smaller donors, with the average donation at $57.
The two candidates have used their war chests to flood Wisconsin airwaves. According to a recent study by the Wesleyan Media Project, more Senate television ads have aired here between Sept. 1 and Oct. 7 than in any other state. More than 18,256 senate ads ran in Wisconsin in that time period - or one every two minutes.
The next closest race in terms of advertising is Nevada, with 17,777.
Feingold said Johnson spent over $2 million, received from outside groups, on attack ads.
"Big government is often bad," said Feingold. "But there is one thing worse than big government, and that is government dominated by special interests."
Feingold was recently named one of the top 10 members of Congress by Esquire Magazine; and was voted as the No. 1 "enemy of lobbyists" according to the Washingtonian. So on Friday, the senator continued to emphasize a renegade image - one that some say contrasts sharply with his long tenure in the Senate and liberal views.
"As people in this county know, I don't follow the party line," he said. "People in Wisconsin expect you to be open and accessible, and I've been to all 72 counties to listen to people."
Feingold then blasted Johnson, saying he refused to do 15 debates, including any in the first half of the race.
In a closely watched debate Oct. 8, Feingold and Johnson sparred over health care and spending. According to Feingold, Johnson has said the new health care bill "is the greatest personal assault on his freedom in his lifetime."
Feingold, who said he stands by his support for the bill, responded: "How is it an assault on Johnson's freedom that over a million different Wisconsinites have a pre-existing conditions that can't be kicked off their health insurance; that 85,000 small businesses will be getting tax credits this year to help them pay for health costs; that kids aged 26 and under can now stay on their parent's policy and that seniors will have the doughnut hole filled?"
Feingold further attacked Johnson for failing to acknowledge the impacts of global warming on the planet and economy. And he criticized him for simply offering spending and tax cuts for the rich as a solution, even as the senator says he's working to push a 41-point plan to trim the federal budget by half a trillion dollars over the next 10 years.