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The town of Greenville is fast becoming an unlikely source of political debate. After returning from a golf trip to the city, a U.S. senator from Wisconsin criticized the city in an article on-line. Democratic Senator Russ Feingold wrote that the city made the wrong choice for president based on its economic troubles. "I wonder why people sometimes don't vote on the basis of that issue as opposed to issues that might divide us - issues like abortion and gay marriage, which I'm told some people made the basis of their decision for president." Of course, the senator's sentiments aren't...

I'm skeptical about Republican Tim Michels beating Democratic senator Russ Feingold in the Wisconsin Senate race, but a friend at the NRSC just sent me tracking numbers that show Feingold's lead slipping from 13 points to 5 points in four days: 10/26 -- Feingold 52 percent, Michels 39 percent 10/27 -- 51-41 10/28 -- 49-41 10/29 -- 48-43 Some Republicans have said all along that Wisconsin is their dark-horse race.

WISCONSIN SURPRISE [John J. Miller] I'm skeptical about Republican Tim Michels beating Democratic senator Russ Feingold in the Wisconsin Senate race, but a friend at the NRSC just sent me tracking numbers that show Feingold's lead slipping from 13 points to 5 points in four days:

(Waukesha) Republican U.S. Senate candidate Tim Michels today unveiled a new 30-second television ad that raises questions about Russ Feingold’s commitment to issues that are critically important to Wisconsin citizens. “Unlike Russ Feingold, who has spent much of his time in Washington on campaign finance reform, I will focus my time on important issues like creating jobs, keeping our country safe and making health care affordable for all citizens,” Michels said. Consider: On jobs, Russ Feingold stood by as the state lost more than 80,000 manufacturing jobs. Russ Feingold voted against tax cuts that have spurred the beginning of an...

"Russ better watch out." That remark was heard more than once from Democratic activists and others after Republican business executive Tim Michels' surprisingly strong victory in the U.S. Senate primary Sept. 14. Michels buried his better-known opponents, state Sen. Bob Welch, R-Redgranite, and car dealer Russ Darrow, immediately drawing the attention of senior national Republican strategists. If Bush can win Wisconsin, they figure, Michels can come in on the president's coattails, knocking off Feingold and building the Republicans' slim margin in the U.S. Senate. For Feingold, Michels is a more serious challenge than either Darrow or Welch would have offered...

MADISON — U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold is criticizing his party’s presidential nominee for voting to go to war in Iraq and then voting against the $87 billion to pay for it. Feingold, a Democrat from Middleton, said John Kerry and his running mate, John Edwards, should have voted “no against an unwise war, and yes to support the troops,” as he did.

E-mail Author Author Archive Send to a Friend <% printurl = Request.ServerVariables("URL")%> Print Version August 02, 2004, 8:37 a.m. 100% Pure ConservativeWisconsin's Bob Welch: Not Watered Down. Looking for a dark-horse Republican in this year's Senate elections? Try Bob Welch of Wisconsin, a true-blue conservative running against an unexpectedly weak incumbent, Democratic senator Russ Feingold. If Welch can win the GOP nomination next month, he may yet become the Saxby Chambliss of 2004 — the guy much of official Washington wrote off, who nevertheless went on to a surprise victory in November. "Feingold is a creature of the left-wing"...

Attention Wisconsin FReepers - the Tim Michels website is up and running. Please make a donation to this fine individual as he takes out the reprehensible and socialist Russ Feingold. President Bush Sr., First Lady Barbara Bush, and Tim Michels Tim Michels has an extensive business and military background. Business - Co-owner and Vice President of Michels Corporation, Brownsville, Wisconsin. - Member of IBAW, NFIB, and numerous trade organizations representing the construction industry - Executive Committee for the Transportation Development Association, Wisconsin (TDA) - Worked on the trading floors at the Chicago Board of Trade Military - Twelve years of...

The Wisconsin Right to Life Political Action Committee endorsed three of the four Republicans seeking to unseat U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) without expressing a clear preference for any of the three. The committee endorsed state Sen. Bob Welch, car dealer Russ Darrow and Oconomowoc businessman Tim Michels over Feingold, but did not mention the fourth Republican, Robert Gerald Lorge, a lawyer from Bear Creek. Lorge, who ran an unsuccessful campaign for secretary of state in 2002, announced his candidacy after the other three Republicans. The political action committee for Wisconsin Right to Life also endorsed President Bush in his...

U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., co-author of past campaign finance reform legislation, has earned more money for his re-election campaign for the U.S. Senate than his three Republican opponents combined. As of the Sept. 30 third-quarter filing period last year, Feingold amassed $2.3 million for his re-election campaign. Challenger Russ Darrow earned nearly $900,000 by that date, followed by Tim Michels, who raised more than $550,000. State Sen. Bob Welch, R-Marion, finished at the bottom of the Republican candidate pool with $300,000. Four times a year, candidates are required to report the amount their campaign has raised. Since then, Republican...

GREEN BAY — Tim Michels officially announced his bid for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Russ Feingold. His announcement Monday makes it a three-way race on the Republican ticket, which will be determined in a primary election later this year. he 41-year-old Browns-ville native said there was no one issue the that prompted him to run and that he began putting serious consideration into the campaign this summer. During his announcement, which drew about 35 people to the Brown County Courthouse, Michels challenged Feingold’s stances and voting records on the economy, national security and the war on terror....

U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold says he will "lead the charge" in Congress against any move to amend the U.S. Constitution to ban gay marriage. "It is unbelievable to me that we would use our Constitution to deal with an issue like that," the Wisconsin Democrat said Tuesday during a meeting with The Capital Times editorial board. Feingold, who serves as the ranking Democrat on the Constitution subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the committee held hearings on the subject this past summer. "I think we did very well in pointing out how inappropriate it is for the federal government...

Well-known through his car dealerships but a newcomer to the political scene, Russ Darrow has been crisscrossing the state to show voters what "The Darrow Difference" is all about in his bid for a seat in the United States Senate. A longtime resident of Big Cedar Lake and the owner of 19 car dealerships and related leasing and financing companies, the 63-year-old Republican has decided to transfer his business over to his children and follow the campaign trail. That move is attracting the attention of some high-powered political talent along the way, including former U.S. Sen. Robert Kasten, R-Wis., who...

Wisconsin car dealer Russ Darrow made his Republican U.S. Senate bid official Thursday, saying he hopes to bump off two-term Democratic incumbent Russ Feingold, whom he labeled as too liberal and out of step with Wisconsin residents. Darrow, 63, will first have to face two other Republicans who also have announced their U.S. Senate bids: state Sen. Bob Welch, 45, and Brownsville businessman Tim Michels, 41. In an interview, Darrow called himself "a grounded kind of guy, a real person who takes care of real people" and touted his business experience as a plus for the Senate job he hopes...

A provision in the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform law aimed at helping candidates compete against self-funding millionaires could help one of the bill's sponsors, Sen. Russ Feingold, in next year's Senate race. The "millionaire's amendment" raises contribution limits for candidates whose opponents finance their own campaigns and outpace them in spending. Two of the three candidates who have filed in Wisconsin's GOP primary, Tim Michels and Russ Darrow, are millionaires. The law could allow Feingold, D-Wis., hold off a barrage of funding if either of them wins the primary and challenges the senator next year. Feingold campaign manager George Aldrich...

WASHINGTON -- Wisconsin businessman Tim Michels said he's running for U.S. Senate. Michels is a Republican and joins Republican state Sen. Bob Welch in the battle to take on U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold next year. Michels said he's raised $200,000 so far. Feingold, a Democrat, had $1.9 million as of June 30. The 41-year-old Michels said his campaign's main theme will be national security.

If you live pretty much anywhere in the Western world these days, you'll notice a certain kind of news item cropping up with quiet regularity. The Irish Times had one last week. As Liam Reid reported, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties has warned Catholic bishops that distributing the Vatican's latest statement on homosexuality could lead to prosecution under the 1989 Incitement to Hatred Act, and a six-month jail term. "The document itself may not violate the Act, but if you were to use the document to say that gays are evil, it is likely to give rise to hatred,...

FEINGOLD-NEUMANN REMATCH? A Politics1 Exclusive: In 1998, then-Congressman Mark Neumann (R-WI) came within one-point of defeating US Senate Russ Feingold (D-WI). In March 2003, Neumann took himself out of contention by endorsing a potential GOP candidate (who in May subsequently announced she would not run). However, the conservative Neumann has apparently decided to make a rematch run against the liberal Feingold. He quietly filed his Statement of Candidacy with the FEC on June 18th. If he stays in the race, Neumann would likely face State Senate President Pro Tempore Bob Welch, wealthy businessman Tim Michels, Milwaukee County Supervisor Tim Johnson...

Multi-millionaire businessman Tim Michels said today he has not made a final decision as to whether he will challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, but in an interview with WisPolitics.com, he sounded very much like a candidate. "I would give this campaign my all-out effort," Michels said, only elaborating that he would make a final decision "soon." "We're strongly encouraged by all of the response we're getting as we look to all the various sectors throughout the state -- people on Main Street, significant people within the Party, as well as long term supporters of the Party," said Michels, who...

Two Republicans wanting to be U.S. senator met behind closed doors a little more than a week ago to try to gauge whether the other guy is running. Though neither state Sen. Bob Welch nor Brownsville businessman Tim Michels will talk about the hourlong sit-down, sources say the two wannabes reached the same conclusion: A primary brawl is coming. Welch, who brings a wealth of political experience but little cash, will likely square off against Michels, who has a ton of cash but empty pockets when it comes to political experience and name recognition. "They both seem very bound and...