Editor's note: The editorial board met with Sen. Russ Feingold. Attempts to schedule an interview with Ron Johnson were unsuccessful. The following is the majority view of the editorial board, which consists of General Manager Carl Hearing, Editor Mary Jane Grenzow and News Editor Gary Mays.
For 18 years, Russ Feingold has been a tireless advocate for Wisconsin in the U.S. Senate, and an independent voice in a body increasingly controlled by monied special interests. In the aftermath of the worst recession since the Great Depression, he has led the fight to reign in the banks, and was the only U.S. senator bold enough to oppose the Patriot Act in 2001. And while his liberal views are not universally shared in the state, he has also shown himself to be an independent pragmatist willing to work with the other side for shared goals - as was the case with the landmark McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform legislation.
But in this tumultuous political season, with Feingold's political future on the line, he faces a GOP upstart spending upwards of $8 million to attack him. That opponent, Oshkosh businessman Ron Johnson, offers little in the way of detail to solve the array of problems facing the nation and the state.
Feingold, a proven leader who knows his state, is simply the better choice for Wisconsin and gets the endorsement of The Monroe Times.
At a time when most candidates are running away from health care reform - in a recent debate Johnson called the new legislation "an incredibly expensive overreach" - Feingold is among the few in Congress willing to stand up and defend his position and his vote for reform. Agree with him or not on the substance of health care reform, it's tough to disagree with his heart: Feingold is willing to fight for what he believes is the right of every citizen to have access to affordable medical care.
If elected, Johnson would join the ranks of the "Millionaire's Club" in the Senate and bring to it more of the same laissez-faire ideology that helped get the economy into this mess in the first place. (Not to mention two wars, and tax cuts for top wage earners that weren't paid for).
While Feingold throughout the campaign has been willing to sit with editorial boards, reporters and constituents, Johnson has relied heavily on an air war, blasting out negative television ads, funded in part by outside donors who could give a darn about Wisconsin.
"My opponent's campaign almost never refers to Wisconsin," Feingold told The Monroe Times.
We would have liked to ask Johnson what he thought on that matter. But we haven't seen Johnson around these parts much. We're not alone: He not only refused to meet with our editorial board, but also those of other state newspapers, prompting the Associated Press and Wisconsin Newspaper Association to question his tactics.
Johnson, who as a businessman surely knows the value of good PR, even stiffed his hometown Oshkosh Northwestern newspaper.
"Little is known about the millionaire Oshkosh business owner outside of details released by a carefully scripted campaign and a small number of public comments and interviews granted by Johnson," wrote the Oshkosh paper.
On improving the economy and creating jobs - something Feingold and Johnson agree is the top issue in the race - Johnson offers four paragraphs on his campaign web site. "Ron believes we reduce spending by reducing the size of government," his website says.
That's a great rallying cry to garner support from an electorate that's feeling angry and scared about our collective financial solvency. But where are the details? We've yet to hear concrete examples of how Johnson plans to go about reducing spending. He's said he would push for an across-the-board spending cap, but that's as detailed as Johnson is willing to go. He's gone as far as to say during an appearance at the Milwaukee Press Club in September that he's unwilling to spell out in detail what federal programs he wants to cut, as doing so will only serve to make him the target of attacks.
We think that's an unacceptable position for a senate candidate. Wisconsin voters deserve straight answers.
For his part, Feingold has backed legislation to create jobs and ease lending markets. One such initiative, the HIRE Act, created tax breaks for businesses filling jobs. Feingold also recognizes the role agriculture has played in our economy, and helped shape the 2008 Farm Bill, which included measures to protect small and mid-sized farms that are the lifeblood of Green County and much of our state.
But what we like most about Feingold is his willingness to lay it all out for voters. His website includes his comprehensive 41-point plan to control government spending, which offers his concrete options to reign in the federal budget, as well as where he stands on all the issues. He's also kept his initial campaign promise to stay accessible to the voters by holding listening sessions in each of the state's 72 counties each year.
We don't agree with everything Sen. Feingold has done, or will do in the future. But we are confident that he is the best candidate for the job.
For 18 years, Russ Feingold has been a tireless advocate for Wisconsin in the U.S. Senate, and an independent voice in a body increasingly controlled by monied special interests. In the aftermath of the worst recession since the Great Depression, he has led the fight to reign in the banks, and was the only U.S. senator bold enough to oppose the Patriot Act in 2001. And while his liberal views are not universally shared in the state, he has also shown himself to be an independent pragmatist willing to work with the other side for shared goals - as was the case with the landmark McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform legislation.
But in this tumultuous political season, with Feingold's political future on the line, he faces a GOP upstart spending upwards of $8 million to attack him. That opponent, Oshkosh businessman Ron Johnson, offers little in the way of detail to solve the array of problems facing the nation and the state.
Feingold, a proven leader who knows his state, is simply the better choice for Wisconsin and gets the endorsement of The Monroe Times.
At a time when most candidates are running away from health care reform - in a recent debate Johnson called the new legislation "an incredibly expensive overreach" - Feingold is among the few in Congress willing to stand up and defend his position and his vote for reform. Agree with him or not on the substance of health care reform, it's tough to disagree with his heart: Feingold is willing to fight for what he believes is the right of every citizen to have access to affordable medical care.
If elected, Johnson would join the ranks of the "Millionaire's Club" in the Senate and bring to it more of the same laissez-faire ideology that helped get the economy into this mess in the first place. (Not to mention two wars, and tax cuts for top wage earners that weren't paid for).
While Feingold throughout the campaign has been willing to sit with editorial boards, reporters and constituents, Johnson has relied heavily on an air war, blasting out negative television ads, funded in part by outside donors who could give a darn about Wisconsin.
"My opponent's campaign almost never refers to Wisconsin," Feingold told The Monroe Times.
We would have liked to ask Johnson what he thought on that matter. But we haven't seen Johnson around these parts much. We're not alone: He not only refused to meet with our editorial board, but also those of other state newspapers, prompting the Associated Press and Wisconsin Newspaper Association to question his tactics.
Johnson, who as a businessman surely knows the value of good PR, even stiffed his hometown Oshkosh Northwestern newspaper.
"Little is known about the millionaire Oshkosh business owner outside of details released by a carefully scripted campaign and a small number of public comments and interviews granted by Johnson," wrote the Oshkosh paper.
On improving the economy and creating jobs - something Feingold and Johnson agree is the top issue in the race - Johnson offers four paragraphs on his campaign web site. "Ron believes we reduce spending by reducing the size of government," his website says.
That's a great rallying cry to garner support from an electorate that's feeling angry and scared about our collective financial solvency. But where are the details? We've yet to hear concrete examples of how Johnson plans to go about reducing spending. He's said he would push for an across-the-board spending cap, but that's as detailed as Johnson is willing to go. He's gone as far as to say during an appearance at the Milwaukee Press Club in September that he's unwilling to spell out in detail what federal programs he wants to cut, as doing so will only serve to make him the target of attacks.
We think that's an unacceptable position for a senate candidate. Wisconsin voters deserve straight answers.
For his part, Feingold has backed legislation to create jobs and ease lending markets. One such initiative, the HIRE Act, created tax breaks for businesses filling jobs. Feingold also recognizes the role agriculture has played in our economy, and helped shape the 2008 Farm Bill, which included measures to protect small and mid-sized farms that are the lifeblood of Green County and much of our state.
But what we like most about Feingold is his willingness to lay it all out for voters. His website includes his comprehensive 41-point plan to control government spending, which offers his concrete options to reign in the federal budget, as well as where he stands on all the issues. He's also kept his initial campaign promise to stay accessible to the voters by holding listening sessions in each of the state's 72 counties each year.
We don't agree with everything Sen. Feingold has done, or will do in the future. But we are confident that he is the best candidate for the job.
