Six years ago, in 2010, Democrats held the Senate with a solid majority but conditions favored Republicans. The Tea Party movement was in its heyday and the people seemed particularly outraged. Outrage has become the standard election mood ever since.
RESULTS: Ron Johnson wins 50-47. Republicans hold the Senate.
In Wisconsin, three-term Democratic Senator Russ Feingold was running for re-election. He was challenged by businessman and Tea Party supporter Ron Johnson who jumped into politics for the first time at the federal Senate level.
The Senate debate took place October 14, 2016
Ron Johnson had worked hard running an extrusion company specializing in medical devices. He spent millions of dollars on his own campaign.
Russ Feingold was a career politician. At age 57, he had spent nearly 18 years in the US Senate. Russ Feingold was well known for his opposition to large campaign funding, at times refusing party money or asking independent groups to refrain from placing “issue ads” to support him.
Russ Feingold was a leader in working to reduce money in politics. With Republican Senator John McCain, he co-authored the 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, which became known as the McCain-Feingold law.
Russ Feingold often voted against laws supported by large majorities in the Senate. When the USA Patriot Act was passed in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, Russ Feingold stood alone in the Senate to oppose the new police and surveillance powers.
Ron Johnson was not in the Senate during the USA Patriot Act vote, but Ron Johnson has indicated through advertising that Russ Feingold was wrong about the vote:
The ad — Johnson’s first attack ad of the 2016 campaign — seeks to portray Feingold as a dangerous candidate on national security issues, invoking recent terrorist attacks in Paris, Brussels, Istanbul, San Bernardino, California, and Orlando, Florida. It goes after Feingold for voting against the Patriot Act, without mentioning the measure by name.
“Islamic terrorists slaughtering innocents,” the narrator says. “And when Congress gave law enforcement the tools to keep Americans safe from international terror, only one senator voted no: Russ Feingold.”
Russ Feingold also voted against many bills despite large bipartisan support including these:
- NAFTA, North American Free Trade Agreement, 1993 (61-38)
- Telecommunications Act, media deregulation and consolidation, 1996 (81-18)
- Financial Services Modernization Act, banking deregulation, 1999 (54-44)
- Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq, 2002 (77-23)
- Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, with the Troubled Asset Relief Program, 2008 (74-25)
- Military Commissions Act, removed habeas corpus until found unconstitutional, 2006 (65-34)
- Protect America Act, retroactively legalized warrantless wiretaps, 2007 (60-28)
But Russ Feingold voted for “Obamacare” — the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act or ACA that expanded Medicaid and medical insurance coverage generally. The law includes a federal mandate for some citizens to buy insurance or face a tax penalty. The law also adds a new capital gains tax to fund Medicare. The new 3.9 percent tax covers unearned income over $250,000. With this tax and other provisions, the ability of the Medicare fund to cover benefits was extended for twelve more years.
The Tea Party, armed with funding and support from partisan outfits including the Koch Foundation and the Bradley Foundation and extensive free TV coverage, made Obamacare the main issue in 2010. They wanted to repeal the law before the mandate took effect and before the new tax on wealthy people kicked in. Ron Johnson took the role as anti-Obamacare speaker and jumped into the race with no political history.
In the 2010 election, with millions of dollars, attacks against Russ Feingold focused relentlessly on the issue of the moment — his vote for Obamacare. Ron Johnson won the election 52 to 48 percent.
In his six years as Senator, he supported reducing government spending, deregulating business, conservative social issues, and of course the Patriot Act.
In 2016, the Ron Johnson versus Russ Feingold rematch is underway. Although Ron Johnson is the incumbent this time around, he is running as the outsider. The Koch brothers group Americans For Prosperity is still making commercials on Obamacare. This really is a rematch.
Finally, Russ Feingold opposes the TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) trade agreement. Ron Johnson, who has supported other trade agreements, has not provided a specific position.
(Picture credits: Ron Johnson, Russ Feingold)