Last week Russ joined Jeff Mayers of WisPolitics and 120 guests for a discussion of issues as part of their 2009 Luncheon Series.  You can read WisPolitics's summary of events or listen to the full audio at the links below.

WisPolitics summary

Full audio of the event

Special thanks to Jim Zellmer, who created a panorama of the event, with versions for full screen and iPhone viewing.

.Full Screen Panorama

Optimized for iPhone

 
While setting up yesterday's 'Fein'Tunes video I came across this live performance of Wilco the Song from last year's Concert for Change in Madison.  Russ 'opened' for Wilco with a rousing speech before they took the stage.  Wilco had just debuted Wilco the Song on The Colbert Report, but altered it slightly for the Wisconsin crowd.   Russ supporters will appreciate the second chorus (1:30).

Find out how Russ started listening to Wilco and suggest your own music at our 'Fein'Tunes web page.

Russ's proposed amendment is getting support from newspaper editorial boards in both Wisconsn and nationally. Here are some highlights.

The Sheboygan Press

Simply, if the electorate is trusted to choose senators every six years, why not trust them to do the same when vacancies occur?

The Eau Claire Leader-TeleGram

However, once in a while, it becomes clear that the nation's underlying constitutional structure needs to be upgraded to ensure the continued strength of our democracy.

Now may be one of those times.

The Daily Cardinal (UW Madison)

With every solution, there are drawbacks. Using a special election would cost more finances and labor, but such costs are worth giving people the final say over a gubernatorial appointment. Congressional voters and state legislatures should endorse Feingold’s amendment proposal as soon as the subcommittee convenes. Such an amendment change can only translate to more democratic representation in the legislative branch, a stipulation that should always remain of the highest priority.

The Washington Post

As with all constitutional amendments, this reform will have to pass by a two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate. Then it must be passed by three-fourths of the state legislatures within seven years. Mr. Feingold chose this route because a state-by-state effort to change the system would be at the mercy of governors with veto power. We're not fans of constitutional amendments, especially when they seek to take rights away. But the alternative is further unseemly and undemocratic appointments of U.S. senators. Mr. Feingold plans to hold hearings "soon" on his proposed amendment. We urge anyone who has a better way to solve this problem to testify. The New York Times:

There has to be a better way, and there is. Senator Russ Feingold, a Democrat of Wisconsin, has introduced a constitutional amendment that would require that vacant Senate seats be filled by popular election. It builds on the 17th Amendment, ratified in 1913, which first provided for the direct election of senators. Until then, senators were chosen by state legislatures through backroom politics, unsavory deal-making and occasional bribery — in other words, the way vacant Senate seats are filled today. Mr. Feingold’s amendment, which is co-sponsored by Senator John McCain, a Republican of Arizona, and Senator Mark Begich, a Democrat of Alaska, should be passed by Congress and sent to the states. It would need to be ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures.

The New York Times

There has to be a better way, and there is. Senator Russ Feingold, a Democrat of Wisconsin, has introduced a constitutional amendment that would require that vacant Senate seats be filled by popular election. It builds on the 17th Amendment, ratified in 1913, which first provided for the direct election of senators. Until then, senators were chosen by state legislatures through backroom politics, unsavory deal-making and occasional bribery — in other words, the way vacant Senate seats are filled today.

Mr. Feingold’s amendment, which is co-sponsored by Senator John McCain, a Republican of Arizona, and Senator Mark Begich, a Democrat of Alaska, should be passed by Congress and sent to the states. It would need to be ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures.

For more of the latest news on Russ, take a look at our Recent News page.

Well we had a busy weekend here on the Feingold campaign trail!

On Friday, we officially opened our Madison campaign office. More than 200 of our supporters from the Madison area squished into our office to talk to Russ and meet the campaign team.

Russ was fired up during his remarks and in talking with his supporters!

We also launched our new Mobile Messaging program – Russ pulled out his cell and asked everyone at the crowd to join him in texting RUSS to 91990. They will be the first to know about breaking news, events in their local area, rapid response opportunities, and other ways to get involved with Russ’s campaign.

Judging from all the beeping and buzzing I heard, I’d say the launch was a success!

(Don’t worry, we’re not leaving you out. You can text RUSS to 91990 too!)

Today, we held our Spring Fling statewide canvass, with an army of supporters - braving the Spring snowstorm - knocking on doors in 57 communities across Wisconsin.

We’re still compiling the numbers, but all in all, this incredible weekend energized the entire campaign team. We look forward to many more office openings (four more planned for April) and statewide canvasses as we head toward November.

Thanks to everyone who helped make the event a success, especially the College Democrats and Students for Russ.  You can check out more pictures from the opening at our campaign Flickr feed.

Earlier this week, Russ’s grassroots supporters from around the state hosted more than 30 community house parties in cities large and small.

If you aren’t familiar with the term, house parties are small, intimate neighborhood gatherings, located in supporters' homes across Wisconsin. 

This is the first statewide house party gathering of 2010 – the third for the campaign so far.  
 
Russ spoke with supporters at the house parties via conference call.  He not only thanked them for their support, but answered questions from attendees on topics ranging from health insurance reform, his Control Spending Now Act, his fight to end earmarks and his work on a jobs tax credit bill to encourage small businesses in Wisconsin to hire and retain more workers. 

Russ knows house parties are an important tool in our field program arsenal, and that these grassroots events are an exciting way for people from across Wisconsin to get together and talk about the issues that matter most to them and their family.

More than 300 people from across Wisconsin attended a house party in their community.

Needless to say, the call got pretty loud at times! 

Our supporters used their house parties as a follow-up to the “Spring Fling” canvass I wrote about last week. For the “Spring Fling,” our supporters went door-to-door and talked to voters in 57 cities across Wisconsin. So far, we’ve knocked on more than 25,000 doors.
 
Our field program continues to grow – we’re opening four new offices this month so we can talk to even more voters across the state. And we have 27 active regional campaign steering committees with more than 1,300 members who help advise the campaign on outreach in their local communities. These committees have been meeting regularly since 2004 and were a huge help in organizing our “Spring Fling” canvass.
 
More than 2,500 Wisconsin elected officials have endorsed Senator Feingold’s campaign. In addition, thousands of Wisconsin community leaders and citizens continue to sign up as endorsed supporters of his 2010 reelection.
 
Make sure you check back here often – we’re already planning our next statewide canvass. I’ll give you a hint…it will have all the action, but not as much noise as another major event in May.

I’ve got great news. Recently, the Senate H.E.L.P. Committee passed the Affordable Health Choice Act which includes giving everyone in America the choice of a strong public option.

The pressure is working!  We would be nowhere on this important legislation without your continued hard work and dedication putting the pressure on your elected officials through phone calls, petition deliveries, and local actions. 

Now, I’ve teamed up with Democracy for America to thank Senator Kennedy and his colleagues on the H.E.L.P. Committee for their commitment to real reform. Help me send a clear message to my colleagues that when Senate Democrats stand up and lead, Americans won’t forget. Will you join me today?

THANK SENATE DEMOCRATS ON THE H.E.L.P. COMMITTEE FOR THEIR HEALTHCARE LEADERSHIP

Twelve colleagues put this bill together under the leadership of Senator Kennedy with help from Senator Dodd. Here’s the whole list so we all know who they are:

Edward Kennedy (MA) - Christopher Dodd (CT) - Tom Harkin (IA) - Barbara A. Mikulski (MD) - Jeff Bingaman (NM) - Patty Murray (WA) - Jack Reed (RI) - Bernard Sanders (VT) - Sherrod Brown (OH) - Robert P. Casey, Jr. (PA) - Kay Hagan (NC) - Jeff Merkley (OR)

I’m not interested in passing a bill in name only, and neither are my Democratic colleagues on the H.E.L.P. Committee. Every American deserves the right to quality healthcare, and allowing Americans to choose a strong public healthcare option will help ensure that for all of us.

This fight for real reform is far from over.  Please add your name to our thank you and remind Senate Democrats that when we stand with the American people the American people will stand up for us.

JOIN ME -- ADD YOUR NAME NOW

Insurance industry executives and special interests shouldn't rule the debate, and they shouldn't rule decisions about the kind of health care your family needs.  The Affordable Health Choice Act is the first step towards giving families a choice, and making sure that all Americans are covered. 

So keep the pressure up. We need to hear from you. All of us in Congress need to hear from all of you. There is too much at stake to sit at home hoping for change. It’s up to each of us to work together to make change happen.

Thank you for all of your hard work.

This morning Russ, and fellow Janesville native Rep. Paul Ryan, introduced the Congressional Accountability and Line-Item Veto Bill.  The bill, aimed at curbing Congressional earmarks and wasteful spending, would grant President Obama line-item veto power.  This means that he could veto specific items in a bill, but still sign the rest of the bill into law. 

Russ's statement:

“In order to meet the great economic challenges we are facing, we’ll need to tighten our belts and work across party lines,” Feingold said. “This legislation does both. Congress should set an example by passing this legislation which takes a serious step toward curbing wasteful spending.” (Wispolitics)

In a press conference this morning Russ joked that if this bill passed he and Rep. Ryan expected it to be named "The Janesvile veto."  Video of the press conference below. 

Additional links of interest:

• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Vetoing earmarks in tough times
• The Badger Herald: Feingold, Ryan want line-item veto
• Janesville Gazette: Line-item veto for Obama? Janesville-based proposal says yes
• 12 ABC WISN: Ryan, Feingold To Introduce Presidential Line Item Veto Bill
• Oshkosh Northwestern:Feingold, Ryan target 'earmark' funding
• Chicago Tribune: Feingold, Ryan back presidential line item veto

The Feingold Senate Committee is hiring 4 Field Organizers for additional field offices across the state.  The positions will begin April 5^th, 2010 and run through the November 2010 election.  Applicants should expect to work long hours, have access to reliable, insured transportation, and possess a valid US driver's license.

• Specific responsibilities of the Field Organizer include:
• Recruiting, training and mobilizing volunteers in their assigned regions
• Attending regional steering committee meetings in their assigned area
• Planning, organizing and executing canvasses, phone banks and visibility events
• Expanding contact with Democratic Party County Chairs and Activists
• Expanding outreach to constituency groups
• Outreach to community leaders and elected officials
• Maintaining and updating information in the campaign database
• Representing the campaign at community events

Successful applicants will demonstrate the following qualifications:

• Strong organizational and time management skills while working independently
• Strong verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills
• Strong work ethic and ability to handle multiple projects
• Results-oriented, dependable, and proactive
• Prior experience working for or interning with campaigns a plus

Compensation is competitive and commensurate with applicants experience and includes health benefits.  Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume to State Field Director, Paula Zellner at zellner@russfeingold.org.  Deadline for applying is Friday, March 5^th.

By now you're familiar with multi-millionaire, real estate magnate Terrence Wall, a candidate in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate.  He's the opponent who, in 2008 as the economy was on the brink of falling into a depression, said, "I don't think Wall Street should be regulated."

Well, Mr. Wall has decided to officially "launch" his primary campaign next Wednesday, January 20 by forming what he calls his "Senator's Club" - a select group of "maxed out" contributors who are awarded special access to Mr. Wall with a $4,800 contribution to his campaign.

For someone who would give Wall Street free reign to do whatever it wanted, perhaps the only reason Mr. Wall wants to go to Washington D.C. is to become a member of the "Club" that stands in the way of solutions for moving our country forward.

By contrast, our campaign and the reasons why Russ goes to work for you couldn't be more different. As you know, Russ has held open, town hall-style meetings called Listening Sessions in all 72 Wisconsin counties every year, and he counts on grassroots support from people like you so he can stand up for our Wisconsin values and interests.  While Mr. Wall and his "Senator's Club" are planning their official campaign launch, today we're counting on you to help grow our online community. 

Forward to 10 Friends to Help Ensure a Successful 2010

What does signing up at russfeingold.org get you?  Well, you don't get a fancy "lapel pin" like the one Mr. Wall is giving to his big-money "Senator's Club" members for their $4,800 check.  However, getting your friends and neighbors involved at russfeingold.orgwill help us ensure that the sort of distortion, attacks and mudslinging we've already seen by Mr. Wall, as well as Russ's other opponent Dave Westlake, is met head on.

Ask 10 Friends to Sign-Up at RussFeingold.org

As always, your continued support of Russ means a great deal.  If the last few months are any indication, our opponents will try to throw anything and everything at Russ between now and November.  But with your continued dedication I know we will succeed.

We wanted to give you a sneak peek at the NBC Nightly News broadcast tonight, featuring Russ discussing his objections to hard rock mining of resources such as gold on public lands – royalty free.
 
Russ’s Control Spending Now Act, among many other money-saving provisions, would end the near-billion dollar giveaway to the mining companies that mine for free on the lands that belong to you and me The Control Spending Now Act, a collection of spending cuts and other measures to rein in the deficit, is projected to save nearly one-half trillion dollars.
 
You can catch the full story tonight on NBC Nightly News. 

I don’t have to tell you that our current health care system is broken.  Today, there are approximately 45 million Americans who lack adequate, or any, health insurance.  This has to change, and with President Obama in office we have a realistic chance to pass comprehensive health care reform before the end of the year.

I am dedicated to making sure all Americans have access to good, affordable health care, but right now I want to know more about your thoughts on health care reform.  Today, I'm asking you to brief me on heath care.  How does the state of our current system affect you and your family?  And what should be our top priorities for reform?  You can make sure your voice is heard by visiting my Citizen Brief on Health Care web page.

Participate in our Citizen Brief on Health Care

Listening to people has always helped me do my job better, and if we ever hope to fix our health care system, your input on this issue is vital.  I look forward to reading your responses, experiences, and ideas.  I'll also be sure to share some of your feedback with others in our online community.   

Today, the U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan jobs bill 70-28.

Russ had this to say about the measure:

“I am pleased the jobs bill passed the Senate with support from both parties.  I am especially pleased it includes a payroll tax break, similar to the jobs tax credit I proposed. While not as aggressive as my jobs tax credit legislation, this assistance for businesses should provide some help for Wisconsin businesses and workers. Passage of this bill is important but more must be done, and Congress must remain focused on job creation and bringing down unemployment.”

Russ has been a constant fighter for smart, sensible plans to bring much-needed jobs here to Wisconsin. He is the author of the landmark E4 Initiative and has proposed legislation to introduce deficit-neutral tax credits over the next two years for businesses that hire new employees, expand work hours for their current workforce, or simply raise worker pay.

I wanted to make sure I shared the latest on President Obama's healthcare proposal with you, including Russ's statement.

From WisPolitics DC Wrap:

The plan, which the Obama administration says would cover 31 million additional Americans, is set to be discussed Thursday at a bipartisan summit on health care at the Blair House in Washington.

U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Middleton, praised the proposal's impact on the federal deficit and insurance company abuses.

"I am also pleased that the bipartisan health summit on Thursday will be televised and out in the open where it belongs," Feingold said in a statement. "After listening to the people of Wisconsin, it is clear that they want reform that creates competition and accountability for insurance companies and lowers costs for hardworking families and small businesses."

WisPolitics has Russ's full statement supporting the deficit-reduction benefits of the president's healthcare reform.

Yesterday, at a Judiciary Committee hearing Senator Feingold questioned media executives about why many residents of Northern Wisconsin can't watch Packers games with their satellite dishes. 

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Packers Blog:

Because of complicated rules surrounding satellite television, residents in several Wisconsin counties in the northwestern corner of the state are only able to receive Minnesota-based television broadcasts because they fall within those markets. It's a problem Feingold says he often hears during his listening sessions in that part of the state.

"Most of my constituents only want to watch the Vikings when they lose to the Packers and they are frustrated that an arbitrary line on a map prevents them from seeing their favorite team," he said. "We need to look for ways to ensure that people living in Wisconsin are able to watch the news, sports and other programming that affects them."

And:

Asked about his quest to make Packers games available to all Wisconsinites, Feingold called it his "top priority." "I thought I got a very good shot off at the Vikings today so I feel like I've  done something," he said.

Russ Feingold: Senator, Statesman, Packers Fan.

Last week Senator Feingold had the opportunity to speak at the Jefferson County Democratic Party President’s Day Dinner.  Below are some video highlights from his remarks.

The Stimulus Bill

Restoring the Rule of Law

The 28th Amendment

Yesterday Russ spoke on the Senate floor calling for real health care reform, not a bill in name only.  During his speech he highligthed the story of Danine Spencer, a Rhinelander woman who had written to her elected officials just ten days ago.

NBC Newswatch 12 has more, including video.

On Danine Spencer's four year anniversary of being released from the hospital--she wrote a letter to Wisconsin lawmakers in Washington.

Thursday afternoon Democratic Senator Russ Feingold told her story on the Senate floor to raise awareness about the importance of healthcare insurance options.

In his Senate speech Feingold says, "And it would have made a big difference to Danine Spencer of Rhinelander, Wisconsin."

Thursday afternoon Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold shared Danine's story in front of the US Senate.

He told lawmakers, "Doctors expected to leave her a quadraplegic for life. Danine credits the medical professionals at Froedert Hospital in Milwaukee with helping her reclaim her mobility and in many ways--her life."

Danine says, "I'm thrilled that I have the opportunity in a very small way to have a voice in this national debate on healthcare."

Danine also wrote about the experience on her blog.

I wrote a letter to Rep. Dave Obey, Sen. Herb Kohl and Sen. Russ Feingold explaining what I'd been through. I told them that I was trying to work my way off of disability but that I simply cannot do that without affordable health insurance. I asked them to support the public option in any health care reform bill.

I emailed the letters and forgot about it.

Yesterday afternoon, I received a call from one of Sen. Feingold's aides. She told me that they were touched by my story and that the senator would like to mention it in a speech he will be giving today. Could they please have my permission to use my story?

Well, heck yeah! I immediately agreed.

I am honored that my story, this crazy journey I've been on for the last four years, will be part of the national debate on health care, even in this very small way. Honored and humbled.

In case you missed it, Russ was on CBS’s “Face the Nation” this weekend talking about Afghanistan and health care reform.

Russ talks about the health care bill and how it benefits Wisconsin families.

Last week Russ sat for an interview with Democracy Now!  Video of that interview is now available online.  (It takes a minute to fully load)

Russ gives his take on a variety of important issues including Afghanistan, torture, the State Secrets Act, and health care reform. If you agree with Russ, you can show your support by adding your name to our growing list of citizen endorsers.

Last week the Wisconsin State Council of Vietnam Veterans of America presented Russ with the 2009 Wisconsin Government Leader of the Year award.

The Council recognized him in part due to his leadership in the “successful bipartisan effort to ensure the opening of new USDVA Vet Centers in Brown and La Crosse counties.”

Russ successfully led the charge for the VA to establish new clinics in Sawyer, Barron, La Crosse and Brown counties. Additionally, he helped authorize a new spinal cord unit for the Milwaukee VA Zablocki Medical Center and fought to preserve medical services at the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital.

Mike Demske, a decorated Vietnam War Navy Veteran, Swift Boat crew member, and President of the Wisconsin State Council of Vietnam Veterans of America, had this to say about the honor:

 “Russ Feingold has demonstrated once again his deep commitment to Wisconsin’s and America’s veterans, as well as his understanding of the special readjustment needs of veterans returning home after serving tours of duty in harm’s way during our nation’s wars. We are indebted to Sen. Feingold for his unwavering commitment and effective leadership within the veterans affairs arena.”

Just following the presentation ceremony, Russ sent out this Tweet:  @russfeingold Deeply honored to be chosen 2009 leader of the year by the State Council Vietnam Vets.

Russ will keep up his hard work ensuring our veterans receive the very best care our nation has to offer.

Their brave service demands nothing less.

Please read more about Russ’s fight for our veterans, and follow Russ on Twitter and Facebook to keep up-to-date on the campaign.

 On Sunday Russ was in Milwaukee to help kick off the 2009 AIDS Walk Wisconsin.  One of the highlights of the opening ceremony was a live acoustic set performed by Russ's first 'Fein'Tunes pick: Bon Iver. 

 Russ's remarks from the event

 Russ and Justin Vernon

 Justin Vernon gives a shout-out to Russ.

AIDS Walk WI 2009 raised $362,278 for the fight against AIDS and HIV. 

Yesterday Russ made his support for the public option clear once again by saying: "I am not interested in passing health care reform in name only.  Without a public option, I don't see how we will bring real change to a system that has made good health care a privilege for those who can afford it."  Read his full statement here.

Russ is going to keep speaking out for real reform, and fight for a strong public option.  Here are three things you can do to help spread the word:

1. Forward this email to a friend.
   
2. Tweet this message:  RT @russfeingold STAFF: Russ Feingold "not interested in passing health care reform in name only." http://bit.ly/gcWWG
   
3. Post this link with Russ's full statement to your Facebook profile.

We're counting on you, our online community, to make it known that the public option is not dead.  It's going to be an uphill battle, but Russ will continue to keep the pressure on - and we know that you will, too. 

Last night President Obama reaffirmed his commitment to health care reform saying: "I am not the first President to take up this cause, but I am determined to be the last."  He isn't going to give up on real reform.  Neither am I.  And I know from your emails and online comments that you aren't either.  This is our opportunity to pass meaningful health care reform, including a strong public option, and we can't let it slip through our fingers.

I don't usually do this, but now more that ever, my colleagues and I need to hear from you.  Please take a moment to call their offices today, and let us know about your calls.

Call the White House: 202-456-1111
 
Call Your Representative in Congress: 202-224-3121
 
Call Your Senators: 202-224-3121

Tell Us About Your Calls

Right now the best thing you can do is keep the pressure on your elected officials, no matter what their stance is.  My colleagues and President Obama - need to keep hearing from supporters of real reform.  Thanks for all you do.

Russ introduced his Control Spending Now Act earlier this week – a measure made up of over 40 different proposals that would cut the deficit by a half trillion dollars – and his first announced opponent, Dave Westlake, as well as the Republican Party of Wisconsin, both put out press releases criticizing Russ for doing so.  They also misrepresented both the legislation and Russ's record on fiscal responsibility.  Today, we're counting on you to help Russ push back. 

Learn More About Russ’s Control Spending Now Act Here and Become a Citizen Co-Sponsor TODAY

The Control Spending Now Act fundamentally reforms the budget process, forces Congress to be more responsible with your tax dollars, stops corporate handouts, reduces subsidies and ends giveaways of public resources. 

Russ’s legislation contains, in part, various proposals already supported by both Democrats and Republicans, and, as Russ has done throughout his career, the measure brings Wisconsin’s historic tradition of fiscal discipline to Washington.

Learn More About Russ’s Control Spending Now Act Here and Become a Citizen Co-Sponsor TODAY

Russ has a long record of fiscal responsibility.  Throughout the years he’s been recognized by numerous non-partisan groups – like the Concord Coalition, the Taxpayers for Common Sense, and the National Taxpayers Union – for his efforts to cut the federal deficit and restrain federal spending.  And while Mr. Westlake and the Republican Party of Wisconsin may choose to ignore and distort his record, even the pro-Republican group Club for Growth has recognized Russ for his votes to curb wasteful spending. 

By becoming a citizen co-sponsor of the Control Spending Now Act – and asking your friends and family to do the same – you’ll help Russ send a clear message to our opponents and others in Washington that rather than spending time distorting Russ’s record, they should get behind the Control Spending Now Act and help back his common sense approach to get our fiscal house back in order.

Thanks for your support.
 

While Secretary Thompson publicly dances around tossing his hat into the race for U.S. Senate, behind the scenes, the people closest to him say he is "preparing to run" and that he’s "calling top donors."

John Kraus from our campaign sent out this email yesterday discussing Secretary Thompson's possible entrance into the race, and how you can help us fight back against the money his Washington corporate interest lobbyist friends will surely throw in on his behalf.

 Melissa,

I’m sure you’ve probably heard by now that former Bush administration HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson will likely be entering the Republican primary to run against Russ this November.  And while he isn’t formally in the race yet, he’s already throwing punches from outside the ring.

During an interview last Friday, instead of answering questions about his work as a D.C. insider taking on corporate special interests as clients - and making millions for doing their bidding - he attacked Russ.

Get in the Ring - Contribute $20.00 Today!

Thompson, who continues to refuse to disclose who he is working for at one of Washington’s largest lobbying shops, attacked Russ saying, among other things, he “has been in Washington too long.” 

But that’s not too surprising considering all lobbyists and special interests think that Russ “has been in Washington too long.”  Unlike Secretary Thompson, Russ hasn't been a friend to D.C. corporate interests.  Russ has been an independent voice for the people of Wisconsin - working hard to move our country and state forward.

Let's Send a Message to the Corporate Special Interests - Contribute $20.00 Today!

We are ready for this fight, Russ is already in the ring, and this is a debate we are looking forward to - no matter who's throwing the punches.  We're ready because of you - because of your support. 

With our always important first-quarter filing deadline coming up next Wednesday, we’ve set an ambitious goal of 5,000 online donors for the quarter.  Will you stand with Russ and make a $20.00 contribution today?

Let's Send a Message to the Corporate Special Interests - Contribute $20.00 Today!

Thompson’s lobbyist friends have gone on the record saying that “lots of people in Washington” want him to run and have already pledged $200,000 should he decide to do so.  We’re counting on your support to fund our grassroots campaign and match them every step of the way.  Together, we've been in these fights before, so please make a contribution today so that we can send a message to “lots of people in Washington” that the people’s interests should be put ahead of the special interests. 

Sincerely,

John Kraus
Senior Strategist
 
  

 

The Feingold Campaign took advantage of the sunny skies and mid-70 degree weather and took ourselves out to the ball game yesterday for the Brewers home opener.
 
We met up at a supporter’s home right outside the gate and with a small team of dedicated volunteers, we went out to talk to voters and pass out bumper stickers (and maybe eat a brat or two...)
 
We turned the day into a competition – several teams of four volunteers went out to see who could talk to the most voters. The winning team members won free Backbone t-shirts.
 
The Feingold Campaign also thought it would be fun to launch our new mobile messaging program with a very important question: Who will win the inaugural Sausage Race at the game?
 
People could text their answer – Bratwurst, Polish, Italian, Hot Dog or Chorizo – to 91990 and sign up to receive text messages from our campaign. While Brat won in our poll with 30% of the vote (including mine,) the day belonged to the Polish Sausage who beat the crowd to the finish line.
 
We also collected endorsements from more than 150 Wisconsinites in the crowd. Many of these people signed up to volunteer as well – in fact one man sought us out before we got to his tailgate to say how much he appreciated Russ’s fight against earmarks and wanted to know how he could help.  

Don’t worry if you couldn’t make it out to the game yesterday or didn’t know about our Sausage Race poll. You can still sign up as an endorser and text RUSS to 91990 to sign up for our text message program.

You can also check out more photos from from Opening Day on our Flickr page!
 
Go Brewers!

Feingold Campaign volunteers will be out in full force before today’s Brewer game – talking with voters, gathering endorsements and signing up fellow volunteers for our 2010 campaign.  We’ll update with pictures later, but what we really want to know is:  Who’s going to win today’s big race?  Brat, Polish, Italian, Hot Dog or Chorizo?  Take part in our poll and text your Sausage Race winner to 91990.

Who do you think is going to win the inaugural sausage race of the year? Sign up to receive mobile updates from Russ by taking this quick vote:

Text A to 91990 for Bratwurst
Text B to 91990 for Polish Sausage
Text C to 91990 for Italian Sausage
Text D to 91990 for Hot Dog
Text E to 91990 for Chorizo

So take a moment and text who you think will win today’s big race to 91990.  We’ll tally up the poll results and text them back to you later today.  We’ll also send you the real results once there’s a declared winner.

Thanks for your support - and for signing up to receive mobile updates from the campaign.

Russ recorded a video from the road that we wanted to share with you.

As the two Republican primary candidates start gearing up their campaigns, let’s make sure that they do what Russ has done – visit all 72 Wisconsin counties, listen to people, and meet with voters face to face, so they can hear from you about your challenges and the solutions you want. You deserve that much from them. 

As you probably heard, one of our opponents, multimillionaire, real estate magnate Terrence Wall, wrote a $275,000 check to his campaign last week and he is talking about spending seven to ten million dollars on this election. Wall has also set up a “Senator’s Club” and is asking people to “max out” in return for special access to his campaign.

Our campaign couldn’t be more different. As always Russ is relying on your grassroots support.

So please sign up to volunteer for the campaign today or visit one of our campaign offices listed below to help us build our campaign to move Wisconsin and our country forward.

Eau Claire
405 S. Barstow Street
Eau Claire, WI 54701 
(715) 836-7915

Green Bay
1061 W Mason St
Green Bay, WI 53403
(920) 497-1375

Hudson
206 2nd Street, C-1
Hudson, WI 54016 
(715) 381-3525

La Crosse
116 5th Avenue South
La Crosse, WI 54601 
(608) 782-1588

Madison-Campus
125 W. Mifflin Street
Madison, WI 53703 
(608) 251-3500

Milwaukee
207 E Buffalo St, Ste 302,
Milwaukee, WI 53202 
(414) 727-5682

Thank you again for all that you have done to support Russ’s campaign.

I’m sure that you, and every single other person across our country, would like a job that gives you an automatic, few thousand dollar, pay raise every year.  Doesn’t matter the state of your company, doesn’t matter how well you’ve performed, you just get the pay raise every year no matter what.  Sounds great right?  Currently, if you’re a member of the House or Senate, that’s what happens, and after years of fighting this flawed, back-door pay raise system, we’ve finally made some progress on this issue.

As you may know, I don’t take pay raises during each of my six-year terms in office, and I return such increases to the Treasury Department.  And I’m pleased that this year, during a time of major economic woes, Congress voted down a 2009 pay raise for itself.   But trust me, after pressing this issue for a number of sessions of Congress, that’s usually not the case, and if we don’t act, Congress is scheduled to get another raise come 2010.

Last evening, Senator Harry Reid and I were able to pass through the Senate legislation that ends the automatic pay raise system.  If this legislation makes it through the House, and is signed by the President, that means that when Congress wants to give itself a raise in the future, it must do so through legislation, in the light of day.

But this bill has to make it through the House first, and while I’m hopeful that members will do the right thing, I’m concerned that far too many still don’t get it.

Now is the time, when Americans in every state are hurting economically, when we are all outraged by the taxpayer funded bonuses paid to executives at AIG, to once and for all end a corrupt automatic pay raise system that only spurs distrust with people around the country.

I’m going to be doing everything I can to make sure that we end this system permanently. 

Today Senator Feingold, a member of the Senate Budget Committee, introduced the Control Spending Now Act, a comprehensive bill comprised of over 40 proposals that would cut the deficit by one half trillion dollars over ten years.

 WKTB La Crosse Interview:

An excerpt from Senator Feingold's WisOpinion op-ed:

To reduce spending, my bill targets several key areas including corporate welfare, massive subsidies for big agribusinesses that come at the expense of family farmers and programs that plain don’t make sense. Some of the prime targets for cuts include:

- the Wall Street bailout – we can save $244.5 billion by ending it now
- $4 billion for C-17 aircraft that the Defense Department doesn’t even want
- $30 million per year for a program that sends a TV signal to Cuba that virtually nobody gets

But terminating wasteful programs isn’t enough. My bill includes institutional reforms to make the federal government more fiscally responsible. The bill would end bad budgeting by reinstituting “statutory paygo,” a tool we used in the 1990s to help balance the budget, fixing the broken earmarking system that allows billions of taxpayer dollars to be spent on the pet projects of members of Congress, and giving the president a line-item veto to challenge earmarks. And while we’re at it, Congress should be tightening its belt, as well. My bill includes legislation I have championed for years to permanently end automatic annual pay raises for members of Congress. It would also cut the budgets of House and Senate offices by five percent, similar to what I do every year when I return a portion of my office budget to the U.S. Treasury.

Additional Articles:

• Feingold Unveils Major Bill to Slash the Deficit, Curb Wasteful Spending
• Feingold: proposal would reduce the national deficit
• Senator Feingold Introduces Legislation To Cut Deficit   

‘Fein’Tunes is off to a great start!  I’ve really enjoyed reading your suggestions.  Learning about what you’re listening to, and why you like it, is a highlight of every week for me.

 
‘Fein’Tunes has been a lot of fun and the response has been overwhelming.  Thanks for all of your suggestions, and please keep them coming!

In a recent post on his website, our first opponent, Dave Westlake, claimed that Russ Feingold “…is NOT a stand up guy…”  Now that's just one of the mudslinging quotes we've heard from him in recent months, and while it's disappointing for someone to kick off their campaign on such a negative tone, we expected it and are working hard to fight back these and other attacks that are sure to come in the weeks and months ahead.

But beyond the mudslinging, when you get down to the issues, the rhetoric from the other side continues down a troubling path - especially when it comes to fixing our broken health care system.

After nearly 1200 Listening Sessions around Wisconsin over the years, the skyrocketing cost of health care continues to be the top concern of Wisconsinites in every county.  Russ has taken a leadership role in the current efforts to reform health care - including advocating a strong public option.  And because he's standing up for our right to have healthcare, he'll continue to be a target for reelection.

Our opponent has said, “I do not think we should have a public option for people...”  He's worried that a public option would be "unfair" to big insurance companies.  He even went so far as to say that a public option is a "...threat..." that has "...fanned the flames of liberty in the United States..." 

Russ has been standing up for Wisconsinites throughout his career and with your help, he'll continue to be an independent voice for Wisconsin in the years to come - on health care and all of the other issues we care deeply about.

If you haven't already done so, please take a minute to share your experiences with the current health care system with Russ and the campaign by participating in our Citizen Brief on Health Care.  Thanks for your support.

Continuing on our quest for social networking dominance, we've created profiles for Russ on Linkedin and Plaxo.  We've also created a 'Fein'Tunes profile on iLike.

And of course you can connect with Russ on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, and FriendFeed.

Is your favorite social network missing from the list?  Let us know in the comments section.

Last week Russ announced his first 'Fein'Tunes pick, and the response has been overwhelming.  We've had over 400 suggestions for new songs, albums, or artists for Russ to listen to.  You've suggested everything from Mozart to Mos Def, and we've enjoyed reading the responses.  Please keep them coming!

Russ won't make his next pick until next month but I wanted to highlight some of our favorite suggestions.

Gordon, West Allis, WI
One Fine Day by The Chiffons
"It's a Fein song!  Upbeat."

Mark, Wisconsin
Worker's Song by the Dropkick Murphys
"It is a different sound, a Celtic/Punk vibe...and the lyrics are honest and
truthful about the plight of the worker through all time."

Carrie, Chili, WI
Joshua Tree by U2
"I can see where you are going with this, hmmm, music is an emotional thing, politics is more cranial... U2=Raw, hopeful, idealistic, identifiable, defiant, and poetic, with some really ethereal Bono/Edge tones and arty lyrics."

David, Tampa, FL
The Times They Are A Changing by Bob Dylan
"The message is at least as timely now as it was 45+ years ago......we need to get those entrenched interested out of the way and restore Constitutional rule,establish universal, single payor health care, restore union rights, strengthen social safety net."

Rudi, Waukesha, WI
Zion Roots by Abyssinia Infinite, with Bibi Shibabaw
"Great Ethiopian music, rolling beats, sometimes bluesy. Different and good. Guaranteed winner, even for American audience."

Laura, Fitchburg, WI
Someday I'll Be Saturday Night by Bon Jovi
"Although the lyrics could be depressing, when I need to fire up, I like to listen to this song because it's all about other people having it worse than you and still there is hope that the future is better.  Today's a Monday, but someday it'll be Saturday."

Rachel, Shorewood, WI
Vampire Weekend
"If you like African music, you'll love this African-influenced group!  Also reminiscent of Paul Simon, I think you'll love the whole album!"

Be sure to check out Russ's first pick, and make your own over at our 'Fein'Tunes web page.

More highlights from your citizen endorsements.

Ms. Katie Berry, Reedsburg
I support Senator Feingold because he's one of the good guys in Congress. He stands up his constituents and never gives up.

Eric Ruth, Milwaukee
In age when so many states have lost elected representatives to corruption, I am proud and relieved to have Russ Feingold as our senator. He always stands up for his principles even when facing tremendous pressure from both parties to compromise them.

Khoua Xiong, Rothschild
Russ has support the Hmong Americans in Wisconsin and across the nation in many projects and we'll go for him.

Joanne Williams, Lake Geneva
Russ stands up for the Constitution and ordinary people.

Rudi Mueller, Waukesha
He's the most independent senator we have, the most courageous, and the most often correct.

Jill Armentrout, Lake Mills
Russ Feingold is a thoughtful leader who cares about the rule of law.  His leadership on campaign finance reform is greatly needed.  He also knows that we must protect our environment for future generations.

Karen Gleason, Glendale
Russ Feingold is one of the few legislators whose integrity never waivers. I trust him to put the needs of the country first. I trust him to really listen to what his constituents tell him. I trust him to take a stand for what is right.

Have you endorsed Russ for 2010 yet?
 

Lincoln County, located in northern central Wisconsin, was named after Abraham Lincoln. In addition to its historical name, Lincoln has the one of the first public libraries and last remaining stone arch bridge in Wisconsin. The second-oldest post office in Wisconsin can also be found in one of Lincoln County’s largest communities, Merrill. Historic sites are not the only attractions in Lincoln County.  Tomahawk Operations, located in Tomahawk, is the main fiberglass provider for Harley-Davidson motorcycles and Lincoln County is the third-largest producer of Christmas trees in the state.

Recreation and community events play an important role in Lincoln County. Tomahawk hosts Venison Feed every November, offering free Venison burgers. In addition to this 40-year tradition, there is an annual Tomahawk Fall Ride, which attracts more than 40,000 motorcyclists and the Pine River Run Dog Sled Races, an international sled-dog racing event.

Interesting Facts:

• Merrill is known for its volunteerism, with more than 80 clubs and organizations.
• It is said that John Dillinger and Al Capone were both served at Bootlegger’s Lodge, established in 1928 in Tomahawk.
• The T. B. Scott Mansion was said to be cursed, because all owners either had an untimely death or suffered from another misfortune. However, the misfortune suddenly ended when the house was sold to the Sisters of the Holy Cross.
• The third-largest bear to have ever been killed with a bow and arrow is displayed in the Chamber of Commerce building in Tomahawk. Tomahawk was originally home to Native Americans, who gave the community its name, which means “made by nature’s own hands”.

I wanted to make sure you saw this.  On Friday, right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh compared Russ to terrorist Osama Bin Laden on his nationally syndicated show.

Limbaugh said the al Qaeda leader's most recent audio tape: "sounds like this could easily be [said by] Russ Feingold, the Senator from Wisconsin."

You can see and listen to Limbaugh's rant via from Media Matters.

This isn't the first time Limbaugh has crossed the line and it won't be the last, but this is the sort of slash and burn politics that we are up against. Extremists and corporate special interests are going to do everything they can do to attack Russ's character. 

Send Rush a message by showing your support for Russ.  With your continued help we will move our campaign forward together, no matter what gets in our way.

I wanted to share with you excerpts from a letter to the editor I wrote to the Sheboygan Press regarding their editorial on earmarks. Wasteful spending in Washington is out of control, and I'm just as sick of it as you are.

There is not enough transparency when it comes to earmarks, and as the editorial pointed out, creating a Web site where the public can view and track earmarks is a good start.

I would like to go even further to crack down on earmark abuses. That's why I introduced a bipartisan bill, the Fiscal Discipline, Earmark Reform, and Accountability Act of 2009, to take aggressive steps to prevent unauthorized earmarks from being slipped into larger spending bills.

I have also joined with Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Janesville, in proposing a bill giving the president a line-item veto to remove wasteful earmarks that are snuck into bills. This tool will provide the president with the means to reduce earmarks, as well as promote transparency by highlighting earmark requests.

You can read the text of the full letter here.

Originally known as New County, Langlade County was created in 1879 from previously unorganized territories.  Its current name comes from Charles de Langlade, a French and Indian War hero, who later established a trading post in what is now Green Bay.

Langlade County, located in the heart of Wisconsin’s Northern Woods, is known for its natural beauty and many recreational activities.  It has more than 700 wild lakes, 400 miles of trout streams, and the Wolf River, which is popular for whitewater rafting.  Additionally, there are 500 miles of ATV and snowmobiling trails, which are maintained by the county and several local clubs.  Skiing, hunting, and horseback riding are also popular activities.

Agriculture plays a vital role in Langlade County.  It is Wisconsin’s second-largest producer of potatoes, and among its largest producers of mink.  Langlade County also produces Christmas trees and maple syrup.

Facts of Interest

• Sheldon's, Inc. manufactures Mepps fishing lures in Antigo and its plant is open for tours. Mepps is touted as the number one fishing lure in the world.
• The Fuddfest Country Music Festival is a five-day event that features national country music acts and a karaoke contest for local qualifiers each summer. Fuddfest began in 2003.
• Antigo's motto is "The Gateway to Wisconsin's Northwoods."
• The Antigo Cheese Company has been operating since 1994. It is known for producing Italian-style cheeses.
• The Langlade County Historical Society building was created through a $15,000 grant from the Carnegie Foundation in 1905.  The museum displays a large variety of lumbering and Native American artifacts.
• Northern Advertising, based in Antigo, has an interesting display of vintage advertising signs on the outside of their building.
  

Named for Revolutionary War hero, Marquis de Lafayette, Lafayette County is located in southwestern Wisconsin.  It is part of Wisconsin’s driftless region, untouched by glaciers. 

Lafayette County was first settled by miners in the 1820s who mined ore from its many hills.  Many of these historic camps have been restored and are open to the public.  The Badger Mine and Museum, located in Shullsburg, moves beyond the industrial aspect of mining and also features displays about everyday life during the mining boom. There is still a small lead mine that allows visitors to spend time in a real mine.  The Swindler’s Ridge Museum in Benton also features exhibits on historic and modern lead and zinc mining.

Facts of Interest

• Lafayette County was home to Wisconsin's first State Capitol. The building was used only once during the1836 legislative session, after which the Wisconsin Capitol moved to Madison.
• Shullsburg Creamery has been in operation since 1934. During World War II, Shullsburg Creamery sold cheese to the United States government.
• Located in Darlington is the 1886 Lafayette County Soldiers and Sailors Memorial, which features a life-sized solider on top of a 56-foot-tall pedestal.
  Father Samuel Mazzuchelli was an early religious leader in the Wisconsin Territory. He built Wisconsin's first "teaching sisterhood" and numerous churches throughout the region. St. Augustine, located in New Diggings, is the last remaining church built by Mazzuchelli.
• Outside of Shullsburg, there is a stretch of County Road U that is referred to as "Gravity Hill." If you put your car in neutral on the bottom of the hill, it will allegedly begin to roll up the hill in reverse/backward.
• Part of the film Public Enemies was filmed in Darlington, as the town has an historic business district.

Earlier today, Russ was joined by his amazing supporters for the grand opening of our La Crosse campaign office! The La Crosse office joins our new offices in Eau Claire, Hudson, and Downtown Madison, as well as our Green Bay office, which we opened back in August. Our offices in Middleton and Milwaukee have been up and running since 2004.

That's 7 offices -- and more are on the way as our team of staff and volunteers keeps growing!

We have 27 active regional campaign steering committees with more than 1,200 members who advise on outreach in their local communities. These committees have been meeting regularly since 2004 and have helped to organize canvasses in 54 communities around the state.

Another statewide canvass is already scheduled for March to add to the more than 17,000 doors we've already knocked on. 

Russ and everyone here at the campaign is so proud of the hard work we have done together and we look forward to continuing our fight in the weeks and months leading up to Election Day in November.

Check out more pics from today's opening via our campaign Flickr, and make sure you keep up-to-date on the campaign by following us on Facebook and Twitter.

Named by French settlers who thought the Native American game was similar to the sport of tennis, La Crosse County is part of Wisconsin's driftless region.  Known for its historic role in Wisconsin's logging boom, La Crosse County had 33 sawmills in operation between 1850 and 1900.  Today one of La Crosse County's largest employers is the Trane Company, founded by James and Reuben Trane.  Reuben Trane invented the convector radiator, which was used in the company's heating systems. Today, the Trane Company specializes in air conditioning and heating systems.  La Crosse County also boasts several leading universities and colleges including: Viterbo University, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and Western Technical College.

La Crosse County is home to Oktoberfest, USA, modeled after the traditional German Oktoberfest.  It is billed as the "Midwest's Largest German Fall Festival" and features authentic German entertainment and food.  The La Crosse Speedway, a NASCAR racing track, holds an annual Oktoberfest Race Weekend, a four-day race that runs concurrent to Oktoberfest.

Facts of Interest

• Riverside Park in La Crosse has a sculpture named Hiawatha, which marks the spot where the Mississippi, La Crosse and Black Rivers meet. The sculpture weighs 25 tons and was designed by Anthony Zimmerhakl. According to legend, the place where three rivers meet is inherently safe and no natural disaster will occur at that spot. To date, the legend has held true.
• Founded by nuns in the mid-1800s, Franciscan Skemp Healthcare (formerly St. Francis Hospital) is now part of the Mayo Clinic.
• La Crosse's Rotary Lights display is one of the largest "free holiday lighting displays in the Midwest." The display uses over 2.4 million lights and can be seen from Thanksgiving until New Years. A 140-foot Christmas tree is also on display.
• The La Crosse Doll Museum is home to over 7,200 dolls and the "largest collection of Barbies in the Northern Hemisphere."
• The former Old Style Brewery in La Crosse was home to the world's largest six-pack of beer. Six large silos were painted to look like Old Style cans; however, the beers have since been painted over.
• Elvis Explosion, an Elvis impersonator contest (the web site refers to them as Elvis Tribute Artists) , is held in La Crosse each year. The winner of the La Crosse competition advances to the "Images of the King" contest, which is held on the global level.

Located on the Door Peninsula, Kewaunee County is one of the top dairy producing counties in Wisconsin.  It is estimated that the average cow in Kewaunee County produces 19,300 pounds of milk each year.  Agriculture provides 2,199 jobs for residents and generates $42.1 million of the county’s total income.  Farmers own or manage 79% of the land in Kewaunee, including cropland, pasture, and tree farms. 

Recreational activities are plentiful, with 1,300 acres of public lands for hunting and fishing.  Kewaunee County also has four county parks and five inland lakes with public access.  White tailed deer and wild turkeys are popular game during open hunting season, with an average of 1,000 deer harvested each year. 

Facts of Interest

• Wisconsin's oldest winery is the von Stiehl Winery, located in Algoma. The winery was built shortly after the Civil War and was originally known as Ahnapee Brewing. Von Stiehl also hosts the Wet Whistle Wine Fest which features competitive grape stomping.  The von Stiehl winery produces 25 varieties of wine.
• The Kewaunee Trout Fest features an annual fish boil and Off-Shore Challenge Fishing Tournament in addition to a car show and parade.
• The world's largest grandfather clock stands in front of an antique shop in Kewaunee County; it is approximately 25 feet tall.
• The first doctor's office in Wisconsin was opened in the city of Kewaunee.
• Kewaunee displays the Tug Ludington tugboat that was used during World War II to assist ammunition barges. The tug also participated in the D-Day Normandy invasion.
• An original, 1920s fish shanty is located in Algoma.  The Art Dettman Fish Shanty is one of the last-remaining, original shanties on Lake Michigan.  Each year Algoma holds Shanty Days Celebration of the Lake.  The festival lasts for three days and includes a book sale, a 5K walk/run, and a parade. 
• The Kewaunee County Area Barn Quilts Driving Tour features 18 paintings by local 4-H and FFA members. The students painted quilt patterns for historic barns in Kewaunee County, which comprise a driving tour through the area.
• Bluegrass on the Lakeshore is a three-day festival hosted by Kewaunee County that features Bluegrass bands from throughout the county.
  

Located in the southeastern corner of Wisconsin, Kenosha County’s name is derived from the Chippewa word Mas-ke-no-zha which means “place of the pike.”  Situated alongside Lake Michigan, Kenosha is one of Wisconsin’s fastest growing counties.

Thomas Jeffery first produced the Rambler in Kenosha County. The Rambler was a Model C car and the second mass-produced automobile in the United States. It was also the first car to come with a spare tire.  Kenosha has a storied history in the automobile industry and has been home to many well-known automakers including Nash Motor Company, American Motors Company and DaimlerChrysler.

Major employers in Kenosha County include Jelly Belly Candy Co., Jockey International, Snap-on, Ocean Spray, and G. LeBlanc Corporation.  The oldest, continually operating velodrome (bicycle racing track) in the United States is in Kenosha, and weekly races are still held there.  Kenosha County is also home to several museums including the Civil War Museum, the only museum that focuses on Civil War History in the Upper Midwest, and the Dinosaur Discovery Museum which houses the Carthage Institute of Paleontology. 

Facts of Interest

• Pleasant Prairie is home to a Jelly Belly factory and provides a tour of their warehouse complete with large, suspended jelly beans hanging from the ceiling.
• Kenosha's Keno Family Outdoor Theatre is Wisconsin's oldest drive-in movie theatre.
• Orson Welles was born in Kenosha and lived there until he was four years old.
• Frank's Diner has been featured on an episode of the Food Network's "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives." The diner has been in business for 80 years and is an historic "lunch car diner." Frank's is located in Kenosha and is famous for "Frank's Garbage Plate," which is made with whatever ingredients the chef chooses.
• Wisconsin's oldest mushroom farm is located in Kenosha County. River Valley Ranch has been in business since 1976 and sells a wide variety of mushrooms, including portabella.
  The Culver's in Kenosha County uses a water heater powered by used vegetable oil.
  

Juneau County is home to Wisconsin's second (Petenwell) and fourth (Castle Rock) largest inland lakes, both of which were created by power dams. It has more than 800 farms, which produce a wide range of agricultural commodities, including: dairy, emu, bison and sheep.  Necedah National Wildlife Refuge provides a home to cranes, wolves, butterflies, swans, flying squirrels and numerous plant varieties. The Cranberry Creek Archeological District is also part of the refuge; it contains effigy mounds from the Woodland Culture which predated the Ho-Chunk. 

Volk Field Air National Guard Base, a military airport located in Juneau County’s Camp Douglas, houses Camp Williams, the home of the Wisconsin National Guard.  Volk field is one of only four Air National Guard Combat Readiness Training Centers in the U.S.  It is also the only Training Center that does not share it’s airfield with a civilian airport. 

Facts of Interest

• Juneau County is named after French trader Solomon Juneau, who later became Milwaukee's first mayor.
• After Juneau County resident Mary Ann Van Hoof experienced numerous religious visions, ranging from 1949 to 1984, the city of Necedah has maintained a shrine of religious statues and relics based on her visions. There are depictions of the Last Supper and the Crucifixion, among other statues.
• As part of Juneau County's Waterfest, residents can participate in the Venetian Boat Parade where they decorate their boats and display them on the water. There is also a dueling fireworks display with Adams County.
• Built in 1875, the Boorman House serves as Juneau County's Historical Society. The home is decorated with "period pieces" and contains the county's historical records.
• Three state bicycle trails meet in Elroy: The "400" State Trial, the Elroy-Sparta Trail, the Juneau County Omaha Trail. The Elroy-Sparta Trial was the first "Rails to Trails" bicycle trail in the United States.
  

I wanted to make sure you saw this email that our field director Paula just sent out about our upcoming Spring Fling statewide canvass on the 20th! We’ll be in communities big and small talking about the great things Russ has done for Wisconsin families.
 
I hope you can join us on March 20! 

Melissa,
 
I’m excited to announce our first statewide canvass of 2010!  On Saturday, March 20, Feingold volunteers will canvass door-to-door in 57 cities and towns across Wisconsin.  And we’d love to have you join us.
 
Sign Up for Our Spring Fling Statewide Canvass Today!
 
You don’t need to be an experienced canvasser to participate.  The campaign will provide training, literature, walking lists, and pair you up with a canvass partner.  The only requirement (in addition to being an enthusiastic supporter of Russ!) is a three-hour time commitment.
 
Sign Up for Our Spring Fling Statewide Canvass Today!
 
Russ has always run grassroots campaigns, fueled by dedicated volunteers like you.  It’s because of your continued support that we’re able to go door-to-door so early and often.  Thanks in advance for your participation and support.
 
Sincerely,
 
Paula Zellner
Feingold Senate Committee
 
P.S. Do you know anyone else who might want to join us?  Click here to forward this message to them. 

With over 70 sites designated on the National Register of Historic Places and Historical Society of Wisconsin Register, Jefferson County is known for the preservation of local character.  Three communities within Jefferson have received the “Main Street Program” designation through the Wisconsin Department of Commerce’s downtown revitalization efforts. 

One of the top counties in Wisconsin for aquaculture, Jefferson County is known for its fish farms and the production of aquatic plants.  Fish and shellfish raised in Jefferson County are used both for food and stocking streams and ponds across Wisconsin.  The National Aquaculture Association and the National Trout Farmers Association are both headquartered in Jefferson County. 

The Trek Bicycle Corporation was founded in a rented red barn in the Jefferson County community of Waterloo.  Lance Armstrong has partnered with Trek during his professional cycling career and has won seven Tour de France titles on bikes made by their corporation.  Trek sells bicycles worldwide but the company is still headquartered, and has two factories in Jefferson County.
 
Facts of Interest

• Gemuetlichkeit Days is an annual German celebration in Jefferson, which features German food, polka dancing, a euchre tournament and German beer.  A highlight of this festival is the Gemuetlichkeit Parade which features more than 85 floats annually.  Senator Feingold marched in the 2009 parade. 
• Aztalan State Park is home to one of the most important archeological sites in the Wisconsin. Located within the park is an ancient village that is believed to have existed between A.D. 1000 and 1300. The site is a former Middle-Mississippian Village with restored mounds and a stockade. Lake Mills also has three underwater pyramids at the bottom of Rock Lake. Some scholars believe there is a connection between these underwater pyramids and the ones in Aztalan State Park.
• The Jefferson County Indian Mounds and Trail Park contains 11 effigy mounds, which are in the shape of birds and other animals. Moreover, Fort Atkinson is home to the only remaining intaglio (reverse effigy mounds, which are cut into the ground instead of mounded) in the United States. The intaglio mound is located on Riverside Drive and is in the shape of a panther.
• Lake Mills hosts the Knickerbocker Ice Festival each winter. There are ice carvers, an ice golf tournament, a chili cook-off and a frozen fish toss.
  Historian and Presidential Biographer Stephen Ambrose was raised in Whitewater. 
• Fort Atkinson's Hoard Museum provides information about the Black Hawk War and the town's military involvement. There is also a permanent Abraham Lincoln collection, which showcases Lincoln's involvement with the Black Hawk War and Civil War soldiers from Jefferson County.
• The first U.S. kindergarten was opened in Watertown in 1856 by Margaretha Meyer Schurz.
• Fort Atkinson is combating global warming at the local level with the creation of the Atkinson Diet, which calls on community members to reduce their carbon footprint. The initiative runs a comprehensive web site that explains the four week "diet," which aims to shed 1200 lbs of carbon per week, and gives tips on leading a greener life.
  Palmyra is named after a city in the Syrian Desert due to the large amount of sand that settlers first encountered in the area. There are also six mineral springs located in Palmyra, which were a large tourist draw in the mid-1800s due to their alleged "medical and therapeutic properties."
• Built in 1964, the Fireside Dinner Theatre is known for its full rotating season of plays and musicals.
  

Named for President Andrew Jackson, Jackson County is located in West-Central Wisconsin.  Geographically divided by the Black River, Jackson’s eastern half is known for level land and forests; while its western half, untouched by glaciers, consists of rolling hills and valleys.  Large stretches of land along the Black River, which runs through granite bedrock, remain undeveloped.  Jackson County is a popular destination for outdoor recreational activities, including snowmobiling, hunting, and cross country skiing. 

The Ho-Chunk Nation’s tribal government is based in, the Jackson County Seat of Black River Falls.  The Black Hawk Pow-wow Grounds, a Traditional Cultural Property (TCP) are used as a community center for the Ho-Chunk Nation.  The grounds are also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Pow-wows, celebrating thanks and featuring traditional dance and music, are held Memorial and Labor Day weekends each year, and are open to the public. 

Facts of Interest

• A former mining quarry, the Wazee Lake Recreation Area is now dubbed as one of the best places to scuba dive in the Midwest. The water is incredibly clear and old mining roads are visible underwater.
• The Field of Honor is a veteran's memorial located near Black River Falls, with plaques honoring those who fought in World War I, World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. There is also a tribute to Jackson County native and Medal of Honor recipient, Mitchell Red Cloud, Jr, who fought in World War I and the Korean War. Red Cloud died in combat during the Korean War and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
• There are 235 miles of ATV trails and 300 miles of snowmobile trails in Jackson County.
• In 1872 Black River Falls was the first village in the state to establish a city library. 
• Spread throughout downtown Black River Falls, are nine murals by local artist Susan Sampson that depict the history of Jackson County.
• The Karner Blue Butterfly Festival celebrates the endangered Karner Butterfly, which is prominent in Jackson County and northern Wisconsin.
• The Bear Bluff State Natural Area wetland formerly existed as part of the "Great Swamp of Central Wisconsin." However, most of the extensive swamp is now used for cranberry production.  Bear Bluff has continued to exist as a natural area and is home to a large variety of trees, plant species, birds and mosses.

While I was in Appleton earlier this week, I outlined my views on a flexible timetable to bring our brave men and women home from Afghanistan.  After eight years of war, I am not convinced that continuing to send troops into Afghanistan, with no end in sight, is a well-thought out strategy.  It’s time for a new course.

I am concerned that the current military build-up could end up simply driving more extremists across the border into Pakistan, while feeding resentment among the Afghan people about a perceived occupation.  A flexible timetable that shows the people of America and Afghanistan that we have a strategy and a commitment to leave is going to be one of the best things we can do to succeed in that country and strengthen our own national security.

As we debate important domestic issues such as health care, and the economy, we must never forget our troops currently serving our nation overseas.  While there are still four months left in the year, 2009 is now the deadliest year for international forces in Afghanistan since 2004.  We are clearly not moving forward, and we can’t continue this open-ended commitment indefinitely.  

I will continue to speak out in favor of a flexible timetable for withdrawal, and I’m counting on you to help spread the word.  You can sign on as a supporter of a flexible timetable to bring our troops home from Afghanistan here.  You’ll also be able to view my recent ed board meeting on the topic and forward this message to your friends and family.  I’ll keep you updated on the next steps, and what you can do to make sure our message is heard.

Located in northern Wisconsin and bordered by Lake Superior, Iron County earned its name from the large quantity of iron ore found and mined from its lands, primarily between the 1880s and the 1960s. While 80 percent of the county is covered in forests, it is the Turtle-Flambeau Flowage – the “Crown Jewel of Wisconsin” – that covers nearly 19,000 acres with flowing freshwater in the form of creeks, rivers, and lakes. The flowage was created from the construction of a dam along the Turtle and Flambeau Rivers in 1926.

Of the dozen natural waterfalls in Iron County, the Potato River, Saxon, and Superior waterfalls are each 90 feet high. Another geological attraction, the Penokee-Gogebic Iron Range marks a great divide in northern Wisconsin where water to the north runs to Lake Superior and water to the south runs to the Mississippi River. With these obstacles and lacking a traversable riverway between the Lake Superior and the Mississippi watersheds, the Flambeau Trail served as an ancient overland pathway for Native Americans and European explorers and traders beginning near Saxon Harbor in Oronto Bay and leading to the lakes and rivers surrounding Lac du Flambeau. This trail and the region’s history of Native American and European contact are a few of the reasons Iron County is honored as a Wisconsin Heritage Area.

The Heritage Festival celebrates this distinction with walking and auto tours and a parade. Other unique festivals include the National Finnish American Festival, located at Little Finland in Hurley, and Loon Days, celebrated with its distinctive loon-calling contest, in Mercer.

Interesting Facts

• The largest artificial loon in Wisconsin stands 16.5 feet tall, weighs 2,000 pounds, and is located in Mercer, the “Loon Capital of the World.”
• The Whitecap, Eagles Nest, and Thunderhead mountains are part of the Whitecap Mountains Ski Resort. The resort holds the claim as “the largest downhill ski area in Wisconsin” and has a total of 43 ski trails.
• Occurring in Hurley the second Saturday of August annually since 1969, the Paavo Nurmi Marathon is named in honor of Paavo Nurmi, the winner of multiple Olympic Gold Medals and the “greatest Finnish runner in that nation's history.”
• Likely the largest corkscrew in the world, a 15-foot corkscrew is located at Corkscrew Liquors in Hurley.
• The 80-foot-high Plummer Mine Headframe – a tower-like structure used to lower miners and raise ore from a vertical mineshaft – is the last headframe located in Wisconsin. The mine was closed in 1924 and the headframe is now the focal point of the Plummer Mine Interpretive Park.
• The Annala Round Barn was built in 1917 by a Finnish master stonemason and is only barn found in Wisconsin that is made completely with field stones.

The many historic sites and attractions of Iowa County preserve the impact of the area’s nineteenth century mining boom. At that time, lead was used in everything from beads to bullets, pipes to paints, and windows to weights. The now-historic site of the Dodge Mining Camp Cabin took advantage of the lead-laden lands of Iowa  County when it was built in 1827.  The log cabin was constructed by Henry Dodge, one of the area’s prominent early white settlers, the first commander of the United States Regiment of Dragoons, the first territorial governor of Wisconsin, and the first Wisconsinite to serve in the United States Senate. Dodgeville, the county seat, is home to the oldest, continually operational county courthouse, which was designed in Greek Revival style and built in 1859 from local limestone cut by Cornish immigrant stonemasons.

In the 1830s, the lead rush brought an influx of skilled English miners from Cornwall to Mineral Point, increasing the city’s population to more than that of Chicago and Milwaukee combined. These immigrants who settled Mineral Point built traditional, Cornish-style stone cottages. Pendarvis, a Wisconsin Historic Site, is a collection of these cottages that began as a restoration effort in the 1930s and is meant to present the lifestyle of the Cornish settlement and lead mining in Wisconsin. Additionally, Mineral Point became the first district listed on the National Register of Historic Places because its downtown “is home to a variety of Greek, Italianate, Federal, and New England revivial-style buildings.”

In northern Iowa County, along the Wisconsin River, there is hiking and canoeing at Tower Hill State Park. The name comes from the 120-foot-high, manually carved shaft used for dropping molten lead to create spherical bullets. Just to the west is the 600-acre Taliesin; the home of, the inspiration for, and experimental site for which the “ideas, concepts, theories and techniques applied to every structure” were designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright. South of Taliesin and just north of Dodgeville is Governor Dodge State Park, which developed from a 160-acre farmstead into a 5,270-acre park encompassing two lakes, a waterfall, and the Pine Cliff State Natural Area. The 40-mile Military Ridge State Trail runs through Iowa and Dane Counties and skirts Governor Dodge and Blue Mound State Parks.

Facts of Interest

• The historic Iowa County Courthouse in Dodgeville is actually the county’s fourth courthouse. The first three were in the original county seat of Mineral Point, until Dodgeville became county seat - after much civic rivalry - in 1861.
• By the 1820s, the mines found throughout modern Iowa County were fulfilling 75 percent of demand for lead in the United States.
• Arena was originally established as a commercial port along the Wisconsin River bank. In the 1850s, as railways supplanted riverways for transportation, the village was resettled a mile south to be nearer a planned railroad route.
• The clothing retailer Lands’ End is based in Dodgeville and its name is derived by typographical error from the coastal landmark of Land’s End in Cornwall, England.
• On June 8, 1984, a massive F5 tornado – one of a group of 50 hitting the Midwest the same day and one of the worst tornadoes in Wisconsin history – decimated much of the Village of Barneveld. Within the 600-person village, 9 people died, almost 200 were injured, $25 million in damage was done, and 17 of the 18 businesses, all public buildings, and over 200 homes were damaged or demolished. Memorial Park was dedicated on June 8, 1986 to honor those who died and to thank those who aided in the recovery.
• The Pointer Canine Landmark is a 130-year-old zinc cast of a dog perched upon a building in downtown Mineral Point.

Previous Featured Counties

• Adams
• Ashland
• Barron
• Bayfield
• Brown
• Buffalo
• Burnett
• Calumet
• Chippewa
• Clark
• Columbia
• Crawford
• Dane
• Dodge
• Door
• Douglas
• Dunn
• Eau Claire
• Florence
• Fond du Lac
• Forest 
• Grant
• Green
• Green Lake

This weekend brought with it some important developments in the campaign that we wanted to make you aware of. 

Republican “Uber-Lobbyist” Bill McCoshen went on Mike Gousha’s “UpFront” TV program this weekend and said Tommy Thompson has “the right people in the room,” and that “he's the only one that frankly could win on the Republican side.” 

This comes after reports this week that one of Thompson’s colleagues at the DC lobbying shop he works for said, “lots of people in Washington” want him to be Wisconsin’s next Senator. Bob Wood, President of Washington’s most elite GOP lobbying firm has registered websites for Thompson and McCoshen said they are all planning to set up an exploratory committee so Tommy can start raising money from “lots of people in Washington.” 

As many of you know Russ had events in Madison and Milwaukee yesterday and we wanted to let you know what Russ had to say: 

“So you might ask, well why are all these people in Washington asking Tommy Thompson to run?  Because he's their friend.  Because he does what they want.  That's why they're asking him to run. 

“I've spent years and years taking on the special interests.  And Tommy Thompson spent years, taking them on as clients.  That's the difference between the two of us.  That's the difference for Wisconsin as we go forward for this election.”   

This is exactly why a lot of people in Wisconsin like you have supported Russ and will continue to support our campaign in this election.  

Russ has shown courage standing up to the lobbyist crowd in D.C. He has been tough on wasteful spending, never walking away from a deficit. And he has been an independent voice for the people of Wisconsin, not the special interests in Washington.  

So while Tommy Thompson sits in a room with his lobbyist friends in Washington making plans to announce his campaign at the Republican convention in the coming months, we’ll be in Wisconsin hard at work organizing our Spring Fling – our door-to-door, grassroots statewide canvass in communities in every corner of our great state on March 20. Sign up to help out today.

Let’s show “lots of people in Washington” what lots of support for Russ in Wisconsin looks like.   

 
Thank you for standing with Russ every step of the way.
 

Today, Russ's daughters Jessica and Ellen sent out an email to our friends with a virtual birthday card for Russ.

As you may know, Russ turns 57 tomorrow, March 2, and the girls want to help him celebrate a bit early.

Please take a moment to sign Russ's virtual birthday card and share a message with him!

Tomorrow is our dad's 57th birthday. Traditionally, his supporters in Wisconsin come together to celebrate, and this year we wanted to give you an opportunity to join in the fun!

We have a virtual card here for you to sign. You can leave Dad a message and his campaign will make sure he gets everyone's well wishes tomorrow.

Sign Our Dad’s Birthday Card!

Thank you for helping to make Dad’s birthday extra special!

Sincerely,

Jessica and Ellen Feingold

My thoughts are with the people of Haiti in the wake of the devastating earthquake that has taken many lives and caused overwhelming damage.  As the Obama administration organizes relief efforts to get the Haitian people much-needed assistance, we stand ready to help our Haitian neighbors with whatever assistance we can provide.

Today I'm asking you to make a donation to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund.  Your donations will be used for immediate relief and long term recovery efforts. 

Help Haiti - Donate to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund

You can also text the word "QUAKE" to 20222 to donate $10, charged to your cell phone bill, to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund.

Once again, I extend my deepest sympathies to the Haitian people and people around the world who lost friends and loved ones in this terrible disaster.

Hello Wisconsin

Welcome to the re-launched russfeingold.org, your primary source for all things related to Senator Feingold's campaign! 

Here are a few of our favorite sections to get you started:

• Sign up to receive updates from Russ and the campaign
• Find out where Russ stands on the issues
• Take a look at some of our favorite photos
  

And it wouldn't be a campaign blog without a contribution link.  Grassroots campaigns, the kind Senator Feingold has always run, are fueled by the support of grassroots donors like you .

What do you think of the new digs?  Let us know in the comments section. 

 Yesterday, several advocacy organizations and blogs launched a campaign to get all 100 Senators on the record on their support of a public plan option.  Russ was the first Senator to respond publicly to their series of 4 questions, with a resounding YES in the comments section of DailyKos.

Russ has always supported comprehensive health care reform, expanding the availability of health care to all Americans.  In an op-ed for the Coulee News, Russ outlined his goals for for the upcoming debate in Congress:

Each year, I travel to all of Wisconsin’s 72 counties and hold an open, town hall-style meeting. In the 17 years I’ve held these listening sessions, health care has consistently been one of the top issues raised, particularly the skyrocketing cost and difficulty accessing health care. I have worked for years to get the U.S. Congress to address the need for health reform, and I am very pleased that it is finally doing so. Having listened to the concerns of families, businesses, health care professionals and others about why health care reform is so urgently needed, I have the following goals as Congress undertakes this vital and long-overdue debate.

And last Friday Russ came out strongly in favor of reform, and a public plan at the Democratic Party in Wisconsin's State Convention in Green Bay.  He urged attendees to keep applying the pressure.

We're still looking for your ideas and stories on health care.  Let Russ know what's important to you at our Citizen Brief on Health Care.

Green Lake shares its name with Wisconsin’s deepest inland lake which is 237 feet at its deepest point.  Located along the Fox-Wisconsin waterway, Green Lake County is a frequent destination for Wisconsin’s outdoor enthusiasts.  With 20 lakes and the Fox River, Green Lake County is a popular destination for sport fishing.  Water sports and swimming are also popular recreational activities.
 
Originally part of Brown County and then the Marquette District, Green Lake was incorporated as its own county in 1858.  At only 380 square miles, modern Green Lake is one of Wisconsin’s smallest counties.  Green Lake County is also known as a producer of cranberries, Wisconsin’s leading fruit product.  Wisconsin’s first cranberries were grown in Green Lake’s own Berlin, and it is credited with the birth of an industry that has grown across the state.  Today, nearly 50% of the cranberries eaten in the U.S. are grown in Wisconsin.
 
Badger Mining, a sand-and-limestone-producing operation, is located in several communities around the county and headquartered in Berlin. Magnum Products, which makes light towers, mobile generators, and other construction products, is also based in Berlin.
 
Facts of Interest

• "Wisconsin's Largest Weekly Outdoor Flea Market" is in Princeton.
• The need for a road that connected Stevens Point and Fond du Lac led to the foundation of Berlin. The location was selected as the most feasible location for a new route to cross the Fox River.
• Green Lake hosts an annual Chalk Art Festival where visitors are encouraged to create their own chalk art creations.
• Both the Burning Down the Fox Bar-B-Q Championship and the Wisconsin State Chili Cook-off are held annually in Green Lake County.
• Green Lake is home to the Gloria Hills Sculpture Garden, which features a collection of sculptures by artist Lester O. Schwartz.
• Lawsonia, one of Wisconsin's first public golf courses, has been recognized nationally by both Golf Digest and Golf Weekly for its quality and affordability.  Lawsonia was also the first public course to host the Wisconsin State Golf Association's State Amateur tournament in 1980.

The region composed of many Green County communities might be aptly nicknamed “Swiss-consin” for the lasting influence of the area’s early Swiss settlers.  The county seat of Monroe – the “Swiss Cheese Capital” of the United States – is home to many dairy and cheesemaking businesses that benefitted from the dairy know-how of Swiss immigrants. New Glarus owes its chalet-style architecture and cultural identity to the 108 citizens of Glarus, Switzerland, that formed the community as a Swiss colony in 1845. New Glarus – known as “America’s Little Switzerland” - celebrates Switzerland’s independence each August through traditional folklore music, alphorn playing, and yodeling at the Swiss Volksfest and each Labor Day with the Wilhelm Tell Festival. Additionally, New Glarus hosts multiple local productions of the classic play Heidi during its Heidi Festival each June.

Many Green County businesses support the Wisconsin staples of beer, cheese, and sausage. Monroe is home to both the oldest continual brewery in the Midwest, Minhas Craft Brewery (formerly Joseph Huber Brewing Company and the producer of Berghoff beer), and the oldest retailer of cheese in Wisconsin, Baumgartner’s Cheese Store and Tavern. Located in New Glarus, the Braun Suisse Kase produces cheese only from local Brown Swiss cows and the New Glarus Brewing Company produces the widely known Spotted Cow. The Rackow Family Sausage in Juda and New Glarus’s Ruef’s Meat Market and Hoesly’s Meats all produce a variety of wursts, brats, and sausages.
 
For outdoor adventurers, the Browntown-Cadiz Springs State Recreation Area has two lakes popular for fishing and surrounding trails for wildlife viewing. The New Glarus Woods State Park is available for hunting, camping, and educational programs. For hiking, snowmobiling, and bicycling, the Badger State Trail and Sugar River State Trail link through the Ice Age National Scenic Trail and connect multiple Green County communities.

Interesting Facts

• The idea for mail-order cheese began with The Swiss Colony’s founder, Ray Kubly, while he was a student at the University of Wisconsin – Madison.
• Chalet Cheese Cooperative in Monroe is the only producer of the famously strong-smelling Limburger cheese in the United States.
• Green County’s Cheese Days celebrates cheesemaking each even-numbered year with a parade, music, arts and crafts fair, a cow-milking contest, and cheese tasting.
• New Glarus’s Glarner Stube restaurant claims the largest urinal in the Midwest.
• Not only is Monroe the site of the National Historic Cheesemaking Center, but its high school is the Monroe Cheesemakers.
• The Half-Way Tree is a Burr Oak that marks the middle of the distance from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River.
• The Village of Albany is known as “The Pearl of the Sugar River” because of the many fresh-water pearls collected from the nearby Sugar River in the late 1800s.

Previous Featured Counties

• Adams
• Ashland
• Barron
• Bayfield
• Brown
• Buffalo
• Burnett
• Calumet
• Chippewa
• Clark
• Columbia
• Crawford
• Dane
• Dodge
• Door
• Douglas
• Dunn
• Eau Claire
• Florence
• Fond du Lac
• Forest 
• Grant

 Russ's remarks from the official grand opening of the Green Bay field office.

Since 1989 79,275 acres along the Lower Wisconsin River have been protected by the State Riverway, much of which is located in Grant County.  This unique designation was created by the state to protect the natural beauty of the area, which has retained the same look viewed by explorers Marquette and Joliet when they first explored the area.  The Riverway Board, based in Muscoda, consists of 9 members, 6 of whom must reside in affected counties and the other 3 of whom must be recreational users of the riverway.  The Riverway legislation is an innovative example of Wisconsin’s history of conservation. 
 
Facts of Interest

• Potosi and Tennyson are known as the "Catfish Capital of Wisconsin."
• In 1982 Muscoda was named the “Morel Capital of Wisconsin.” Each year Muscoda plays host to the Morel Mushroom Festival.
• Cuba City is known as the "City of Presidents." This name stems from the presidential plaques found on Main Street. It is one of the longest running bicentennial projects.
• Lancaster calls itself "The City of the Dome" after the octagonal glass and copper-clad dome of its courthouse building, which was built in 1905. In the spandrels of the courthouse dome are four allegorical murals painted by Franz Edward Rohrbeck.  The Lancaster courthouse is modeled after St. Peter’s Basilica. 
• The Potosi Brewery Foundation, formed to restore and preserve the history of the Potosi Brewery, operates both the Potosi Brewing Company Transportation Museum, and the National Brewery Museum.

Previous Featured Counties

• Adams
• Ashland
• Barron
• Bayfield
• Brown
• Buffalo
• Burnett
• Calumet
• Chippewa
• Clark
• Columbia
• Crawford
• Dane
• Dodge
• Door
• Douglas
• Dunn
• Eau Claire
• Florence
• Fond du Lac
• Forest 

Have you signed up yet for our Spring Fling Canvass this Saturday, March 20?

Our state field director Paula just sent out a reminder email to our supporters - more than 200 have signed up so far!

The Spring Fling Canvass is our first canvass of 2010 and we want to make sure we kick-off the year with a bang.

Here's the email from Paula:

Melissa,

Have you signed up for our Spring Fling Statewide Canvass yet?  On Saturday, March 20, Feingold volunteers will canvass door-to-door in 57 cities and towns across Wisconsin. There's still plenty of time to sign up if you'd like to join us. 

Sign Up for Our Spring Fling Statewide Canvass Today!

You don’t need to be an experienced canvasser to participate.  The campaign will provide training, literature, walking lists, and pair you up with a canvass partner.  The only requirement (in addition to being an enthusiastic supporter of Russ!) is a three-hour time commitment.

Thanks again for all that you do.  We look forward to seeing you on Saturday!

Sincerely,

Paula Zellner
Feingold Senate Committee

P.S. Do you know anyone else who might want to join us?  Feel free to forward this message to them.
 

I look forward to seeing you on Saturday, March 20! 

I’m excited to announce our next round of Feingold Campaign House Parties!

House parties are small, grassroots campaign events organized and hosted by dedicated supporters.  They are a fun way to meet fellow Russ supporters in your community, to raise financial support, and, most importantly, to get fired up for Russ’s 2010 reelection campaign.

On Wednesday, March 31, we'll be holding simultaneous parties across the state.

Sign up to Attend a House Party Near You

According to a new report out yesterday evening, Secretary Thompson has spent the last week "calling top donors" in advance of his formal campaign launch.

With the secret, corporate interests he works for on speed dial, Thompson has been calling his clients about his campaign, and raising money before he even officially enters the race. This comes on the heels of other reports that indicate Secretary Thompson already has over $200,000 in pledges for his Senate run.

Russ runs his campaigns a bit differently. We count on you, not the corporate interests.  During the parties, Russ will lead a conference call to give you the inside scoop on the campaign, and take some of your questions.

Sign up to Attend a House Party Near You

House parties are a great way for you to help us demonstrate the strong grassroots organization you have helped build across Wisconsin for Russ and his campaign. Thank you for all that you do. 

Forest County appropriately derives its name from the heavily forested region in northeastern Wisconsin it is set in. The county is a perfect retreat for recreation, with the 100 Mile Snow Safari Trail and the 40-mile-long Three Lakes Trail that are part of the 396 miles of snowmobiling trails weaving through the Nicolet National Forest and link to surrounding counties’ trails. There is cross-country skiing on the six-mile Ed’s Lake National Recreation Trail and a mix of beginner and intermediate trails at Otter Springs Trail in Crandon. As for hiking, walk over a bog and under the canopy of a 400-year-old hemlock forest at Franklin Lake Trail, or hike Halley Creek Bird Trail through four diverse habits with birds commonly found in each. Converted from former logging roads and located between Lake Lucerne and Lake Metonga is 8 miles of Forest County ATV trail, and a reclaimed railroad route has become the 25-mile-long, two-portion Florence County segment of the Nicolet State ATV Trail.

Additionally, Forest County has 21,882 acres of lakes for canoeing, boating, and fishing. The Forest County Veterans Memorial Park has 66 sites for trailer or tent camping, a public beach, picnic areas, and public boat launch for boating and fishing access to the 2,100-acre Lake Metonga. Not only does the Crandon Water Show Team perform weekly on Lake Lucerne from June through August, but the City of Crandon annually hosts Footstock, a barefoot waterskiing tournament.

Other events and activities include Pow Wows held by the Mole Lake Sokaogon Chippewa and the Forest County Potawatomi, hiking the 1,950-foot-high Sugar Bush Hill (one of the highest points in Wisconsin), viewing Armstrong Creek’s historic Red Bridge, the Potawatomi Bingo Northern Lights Casino and the Mole Lake Casino, and attending the Camp Five Museum and Farm Complex. Located in Laona, Camp Five was built in the 1890s as a logging camp, with a farm added to support those operations. In addition to exhibits on logging, farming, and the environment, the museum provides forest and river wildlife tours, has a working farm and blacksmith shop, and runs an authentic 1916 Vulcan Iron Works steam train.

Interesting Facts

• Once important to the movement of the military and then mail, an 1860s-era log cabin near Crandon became the property of Danish adventurer Wilhelm Dinesen in 1873. His daughter Karen Blixen, under the pen name Isak Dinesen, wrote the novel Out of Africa that inspired the movie by the same name.
• Crandon’s International Off-Road Raceway is the site of the BorgWarner World Championship Off-Road Races.
• Not only is the world’s largest soup kettle located in Laona, but the local Lions Club serves up free soup at the annual Community Soup event the first Sunday of every August.
• Shortly after the 1887 establishment of the Soo Line Railroad at Cavour, the town had a population of 600 lumberjacks.
• Heavily advertised in the early 1900s as the “Land of Milk and Honey” to Polish immigrants in large American cities, about 58 percent of the Town of Armstrong Creek’s population cites Polish ancestry, while for Forest County it is about 11 percent. The town annually celebrates Polish Heritage Days and has a local Polish National Alliance group that was created in 1919.

Comprised of 33 cities, villages, and towns, Fond du Lac County is located on Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin’s largest inland lake.  Fond du Lac received its name from early French trappers who called it “base of the lake.”  Though a trading post was established as early as 1787, Fond du Lac was incorporated in the Wisconsin Territory in 1836.

Lakeside Park, in the city and county seat of Fond du Lac, has over 400 acres on the south end of Winnebago.  The park system consists of 11 parks and a public hunting ground totaling just over 1,200 acres.  There is also a county-wide system of six year-round, multi-use recreational trails. 

With over 1,600 farms covering more than 344,000 acres of land, Fond du Lac is Wisconsin’s top producer of peas, and ranks in the top ten of grain production of wheat, corn, oats, and soybeans.  Its largest employer is Mercury Marine, a division of Brunswick that manufactures marine propulsion equipment.  UW-Fond du Lac, Ripon College, Marian University, and Moraine Park Technical College host a diverse student population. 

Facts of Interest

• The town of Ripon is known in Wisconsin as the birthplace of the Republican Party.  The first organizational meeting occurred in a Ripon schoolhouse on March 20, 1854.  In March of 2004, Senator Feingold was able to pass a unanimous resolution commemorating the 150th anniversary of the GOP’s formation through the Senate.
• Larson's Famous Clydesdales farm is located in Ripon and is home to 14 champion Clydesdales. The Larson's Clydesdale Reggie has won the Anheuser-Busch Best American Bred Clydesdale Gelding 17 years in a row.
• Grocery and convenience stores occupying Miracle Mile, a southern stretch of downtown Fond du Lac’s Main Street, have sold an unusually high number of winning lottery tickets.  Ma and Pa’s Grocery Express, which sits in the heart of Miracle Mile, sold the only winning ticket for a Powerball drawing of $209 million.  The ticket was claimed by 100 employees of the Sargento Cheese Factory.  Last month a Ma and Pa’s customer won $60,000, purchased with part of her previous winnings from a $250 ticket. 
• Fond du Lac boasts the world’s largest fondue set, which was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records in 2007.  The pot weights approximately 2,000 pounds and is 8 feet in diameter.  It is the feature attraction of the city of Fond du Lac’s annual Fondue Fest.
• Held for three days each June, Fond du Lac’s Walleye Weekend is the second largest festival in Wisconsin.  It attracts over 100,000 visitors each year.  In addition to fishing tournaments, Walleye Weekend features musical acts and sporting events. 
• In 1994, the town of Ripon baked the "World's Largest Cookie," prompting then Governor Tommy Thompson to officially recognize Ripon as "Cookietown, U.S.A."
• Ripon College alumni include Harrison Ford, Spencer Tracy, and Al Jarreau.
  Fond du Lac's Octagon House, a national landmark, has ties to the Underground Railroad. Built in 1856 and originally used as an Indian fort, the home has 9 secret passageways and an underground tunnel.  It was featured on the History Channel’s Secret Passages program.

Previous Featured Counties

• Adams
• Ashland
• Barron
• Bayfield
• Brown
• Buffalo
• Burnett
• Calumet
• Chippewa
• Clark
• Columbia
• Crawford
• Dane
• Dodge
• Door
• Douglas
• Dunn
• Eau Claire
• Florence 

Located along the Wisconsin-Michigan border in the northeastern portion of the state, Florence County has no incorporated cities or villages, is 80 percent covered in forests, and with a population under 5,000 people it is the second least populated county in Wisconsin. Dr. Nelson Powell Hulst discovered an iron ore site in the region in 1873; the iron ore mine, the county seat, and the county each were named for Hulst’s wife, Florence.

Taking advantage of the natural resources of the Northwoods, the areas of forest products, recreation, and tourism provide the most private employment in the county. Forests long devoured and left dilapidated, along with rivers once used for timber transport, were renewed for recreational uses ranging from berry picking, fishing, and hunting to snowmobiling, mountain biking, and kayaking. More than 25 percent of the county is covered in an 83,000-acre portion of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, which was restored through the reforestation, forest management, and fire control efforts of Civilian Conservation Corps members. Within this portion, the 7,500-acre Whisker Lake Wilderness remains untouched by human development and is popular for hunting, camping, and skiing.

Additionally, Florence County has 165 miles of rivers and streams, 265 lakes, 27 miles of hunting-hiking trails, 155 miles on the Blue Ox Trails for snowmobiling, and the 40-mile-long intermediate-level Bass Lake Trail, the county’s longest trail for mountain biking. Two of Wisconsin’s three protected wild rivers, the Pine and the Popple, are in the county. Each has rapids and waterfalls – the 22-foot-high La Salle Falls splits the Pine River and the Popple River has four waterfalls – used for kayaking, canoeing and portaging, and tubing. Enjoyed for its downhill and cross-country skiing, the Keyes Peak Ski Hill is the highest peak and only Alpine ski facility in Florence County.

Interesting Facts

• A 225-pound albino deer with an eight-point rack and 22-inch spread is on display at the Florence Wild Rivers Interpretive Center.
• There are no stoplights in Florence County.
• Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Florence County Courthouse and Jail were designed in Romanesque Revival style and constructed in 1889.
• Spread Eagle Barrens State Natural Area is a unique pre-settlement ecosystem of 8,850 acres that was created in 1995 by a partnership of governmental agencies and private organizations.  In addition to recreational and research activities, the area is home to many diverse and rare plants and animals.
• In Tipler, St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church still offers religious services in its 50-year-old log structure church.
• The Virgin Timber Forty is a Wisconsin DNR-owned tract of over 200-year-old pristine hardwood and old-growth forest untouched by logging.

Previous Featured Counties

• Adams
• Ashland
• Barron
• Bayfield
• Brown
• Buffalo
• Burnett
• Calumet
• Chippewa
• Clark
• Columbia
• Crawford
• Dane
• Dodge
• Door
• Douglas
• Dunn
• Eau Claire

The Feingold Senate Committee is hiring numerous Field Organizers for field offices across the state.  The positions will begin Thursday, May 27th, 2010 and run through the November 2010 election.  Applicants should expect to work long hours, have access to reliable, insured transportation, and possess a valid US driver's license.
 
Specific responsibilities of the Field Organizer include:
            Recruiting, training and mobilizing volunteers in their assigned regions
            Attending regional steering committee meetings in their assigned area
            Planning, organizing and executing canvasses, phone banks and visibility events
            Expanding contact with Democratic Party County Chairs and Activists
            Expanding outreach to constituency groups
            Outreach to community leaders and elected officials
            Maintaining and updating information in the campaign database
            Representing the campaign at community events
           
Successful applicants will demonstrate the following qualifications:
            Strong organizational and time management skills while working independently
            Strong verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills
            Strong work ethic and ability to handle multiple projects
            Results-oriented, dependable, and proactive
            Prior experience working for or interning with campaigns a plus
 
Compensation is competitive and commensurate with applicants experience and includes health benefits.  Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume to State Field Director, Paula Zellner at zellner@russfeingold.org  Deadline for applying is Wednesday, April 28th.

Senator Russ Feingold’s campaign, the Feingold Senate Committee, is seeking to hire campaign field organizers to be a part of our expanding statewide grassroots efforts.   Qualified applicants should expect to work long hours, be dedicated to the progressive tradition of political organizing, and have reliable and insured transportation.  These initial positions will be located in the Madison and Green Bay areas. The positions will begin July 1st, 2009 and run through the November 2010 election. 

Specific responsibilities of the Field Organizer include:

Recruiting, training and mobilizing volunteers in their assigned regions

Planning, organizing and successfully executing canvasses, phone banks and visibility events

Maintaining positive relationships with local Democratic Party officials and activists

Attending statewide campaign steering committee meetings with the Field Director

Expanding outreach to constituency groups and progressive partners in their operational area

Reaching out to local elected officials and community leaders on behalf of Senator Feingold

Maintaining and updating information in the campaign database

Representing the campaign at community events

Successful applicants will demonstrate the following qualifications:

Commitment to reelecting Senator Russ Feingold

Superior organizational and time management skills

Ability to work independently

Strong verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills

Strong work ethic and ability to handle multiple projects

Results-oriented, dependable, and proactive

Experience managing volunteers or supervising staff

Understanding of accurate record keeping using online databases

Prior experience working on campaigns is a definite plus

Compensation is competitive and includes health benefits.  Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume to State Field Director, Paula Zellner at zellner@russfeingold.org.  Deadline for applying is Friday, May 29th.

As promised here are some highlights from your citizen endorsements.

Dr. John W. Bendler, New Berlin
Russ is independent, right thinking and willing to do less than popular things for the right reasons.  He can be trusted not to be swayed by those with agendas which corrupt good government.

Rhonda Doherty, Beloit
I believe he has integrity.  He was a maverick in voting against the Iraq war, which I've been very much against.  He fights for the rights for many people, not just a select few.  I believe he has done an excellent job for years, on the U.S. Senate.

Rebecca Eisel, Racine
Russ' annual listening sessions in Wisconsin are a model for other elected officials.  They should all take as much time as Russ does to hear what their constituents think about current issues.

Herman Bender, Fond du Lac
I have known Russ personally for over twenty years and ever since we first met, knew that he was the right man for whatever job or office he held.  He is a true 'maverick' , a real patriot and a staunch defender of the intent of the Constitution.

Michelle Hylleste, Rice Lake
I have been a Feingold fan for years.  I am proud to be represented by a Senator who votes not by party or what is politically beneficial but by what is best for this Country and for Wisconsin.

Clarice Peterson, Superior
Russ has been wonderful for Wisconsin.  He cares about it's citizens, and has strong leadership qualities that I admire.  He is a down to earth, no-nonsense politician that I am proud to call my Senator.

John Montgomery, Onalaska
Russ has integrity and continues to work for his constituents tirelessly!!

Two weeks ago Russ spoke to a group of 24 women participating in Emerge Wisconsin, an organization dedicated to encouraging and training Wisconsin Democratic women to run for office.  Russ was happy to offer his advice on running successful grassroots campaigns, and share some stories from the campaign trail.

Thanks to Emerge Wisconsin for sending us the photo!

The Capital Times today ran an editorial on Russ’s dedication to creating good, family-supporting jobs here in Wisconsin through ideas like his landmark E-4 Initiative and aggressive legislation to cut taxes for businesses who hire new workers.
 
From the editorial:
 

U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, the Wisconsin Democrat who has made job growth a central focus of his service in recent years, is on target when he says: “The February jobs report shows we still have a long way to go until we see a full recovery in employment and it cannot come fast enough for Wisconsin families who are struggling with unemployment and financial concerns.”
 
Feingold notes: “The Senate has taken important steps to help get more Americans back to work, including passing a payroll tax break to encourage hiring, along the lines of the one I proposed. I am pleased that yesterday (March 4), the House passed a bill including this tax break for businesses, as well.”
 
“But,” the senator adds, “we must remain focused on job creation and bringing down the deficit because taxpayers can’t afford more wasteful spending. Putting Wisconsinites back to work is a top priority and I will continue to push for more victories on my E4 Initiative aimed at fueling job creation and economic development for Wisconsin.”

The city of Eau Claire serves as the county seat, and most populous city.  Over 60,000 of the county's 98,000 residents live in the city.  UW-Eau Claire is consistently ranked as one of the top universities in the Midwest.  Menards, a hardware store chain that began in Eau Claire, is the county's largest employer providing over 4,500 jobs.  Silver Spring Foods also maintains its corporate headquarters in Eau Claire.

Carson Park, an athletic complex built as one of President Franklin Roosevelt's Works Public Administration (WPA) projects, included a baseball diamond that was the home field for both the Eau Claire Bears and the Eau Claire Braves.  In addition to future Milwaukee Braves Bill Bruton, Wes Covington, Andy Pafko, Joe Torre, and Bob Uecker; 18-year-old Hank Aaron got his start on the roster of the Eau Claire Braves.  In 1994 Aaron returned to Carson Park for the unveiling of a statue in his honor.  Currently the diamond is the home field of local high school and college teams as well as the Eau Claire Express.  Roughly 200 games are played there annually.

Wisconsin native Justin Vernon of Bon Iver hails from Eau Claire and produced his critically acclaimed album For Emma, Forever Ago entirely in Wisconsin.  Senator Feingold counts himself among Bon Iver’s fans, and chose the album for his first ‘Fein’Tunes pick earlier this year.

Facts of Interest

• When it was founded in 1887, Altoona was the smallest city in the United States.
• In downtown Eau Claire, the Wisconsin Regional Arts Center -- capable of seating over 1,000 patrons -- plays host to professional touring theater companies in addition to community performing arts groups.
• Eau Claire County's University of Wisconsin ranks among top universities nationally for Fulbright Scholars.
• The town of Cadott hosts two large music festivals every year -- "Country Fest" and "Rock Fest." The two events draw over 100,000 music fans per year.
• Former Green Bay Packer great Fred "Fuzzy" Thurston, known for his blocking skills, was from Eau Claire. 

Previous Featured Counties

• Adams
• Ashland
• Barron
• Bayfield
• Brown
• Buffalo
• Burnett
• Calumet
• Chippewa
• Clark
• Columbia
• Crawford
• Dane
• Dodge
• Door
• Douglas
• Dunn

The museums and historic sites of Dunn County present the contrasting lifestyles of the pioneers and lumber barons who transformed the county from the time of its establishment in 1854 to the beginning of the twentieth century. The Empire in Pine Lumber Museum, in Downsville, examines life in the era of Knapp, Stout & Co., Company’s reign as the world’s largest white pine milling company. A lumber mill saw, sandstone quarry tools, a blacksmith shop, and historic post office and village jail exhibits provide a glimpse of the past. In Menomonie, the Caddie Woodlawn Historical Park is site of the Woodhouse home, which, along with the Woodhouse family, was the inspiration for Caddie Woodlawn, a frontier story about a young girl, similar to its contemporary Little House on the Prairie.

The Russell J. Rassbach Historical Museum in Menomonie covers the history of Dunn County; incorporating exhibits on Caddie Woodlawn, the industries of Dunn County, and a set of Victorian-era rooms. Two other historic sites, both created by wealthy lumber barons of the Knapp, Stout & Co., Company, with ornate Victorian themes are the Wilson Place Mansion and the Mabel Tainter Memorial Theatre. William Wilson, founder of the company that became Knapp, Stout & Co., Company, built the colonial-style house on a 22-acre estate in1859. Then his daughter Angelina and her husband, James Huff Stout, transformed the home into a Queen Anne-style mansion. Though the mansion was last remodeled in the 1920s as a Mediterranean-style villa, visitors to the site can explore all three exquisite décor and design styles. In 1889 lumber baron Andrew Tainter financed the construction of the Mabel Tainter Memorial Theater which was named in honor of his daughter, who loved music and arts and died at age nineteen. The building was constructed at a cost of about $96,000 in Victorian style with hand-stenciled walls and ceilings, Dunnville sandstone from the nearby Red Cedar River Valley, brass fixtures, a marble staircase and floors, a reading room, a 1,597-pipe organ, and “a lavish 313-seat ‘crown jewel’ Victorian theater.”

As a son of the lumber baron and Knapp, Stout & Co., Company partner Henry Stout, James Huff Stout used the family’s wealth to create the Stout Manual Training School in 1891. By 1907, schools were set up for the training of domestic science, kindergarten, physical culture, teachers for manual training and domestic science, and homemakers. Over time the school transformed into an institute, then a state college and state university, and in 1971became part of the University of Wisconsin System. It was designated Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University and continues its mission as a place where “diverse students, faculty and staff integrate applied learning, scientific theory, humanistic understanding, creativity and research to solve real-world problems, grow the economy and serve a global society.”

Interesting Facts

• In October 1931, the four-man Keating-Holden Gang robbed Menomonie’s Kraft State Bank of $90,000.  The robbery resulted in the deaths of the bank president’s son James and two members of the gang, and eight months later the arrests of Keating and Holden on a golf course in Kansas City, Missouri.
• Menomonie’s Mabel Tainter Memorial Theater recently hosted the launch of the book Encore: The Renaissance of Wisconsin Opera Houses.
• Hoffman Hills State Recreation Area near Menomonie has 707 acres of wooded hills, wetlands, and prairie and a 60-foot-tall observation tower.
• Carol Ryrie Brink won the Newbery Medal in 1936 for her book Caddie Woodlawn. It was based on the life of Brink’s grandmother Caroline Woodhouse, who grew up on the Wisconsin frontier in the 1860s.
• Boyceville’s annual Cucumber Festival began in the 1960s as PickleFest.  

Previous Featured Counties

• Adams
• Ashland
• Barron
• Bayfield
• Brown
• Buffalo
• Burnett
• Calumet
• Chippewa
• Clark
• Columbia
• Crawford
• Dane
• Dodge
• Door
• Douglas

Previous Featured Counties 

Lava flows crossed the land, seismic events split the earth, and glacial melt carved and etched the landscape. These grand geologic events occurred in Douglas County, in northwestern Wisconsin, hundreds of millions of years ago. And in forming the Douglas Fault – a rift of land sloping about 50 degrees from one side to the other – gave rise to beautiful waterfalls and significant rock formations preserved in the county’s parks.

In Pattison State Park is Big Manitou Waterfall – the largest in Wisconsin and fourth highest east of the Rocky Mountains. This 165-foot-high waterfall descends into a gorge in the sandstone and the volcanic-remnant basalt rocks below. Both this waterfall and its 30-foot-high counterpart, the Little Manitou Waterfall, are fed by the Black River as it flows north toward Lake Superior. As suggested by its name, Interfalls Lake resides between the two falls and has a 300-foot sand beach and swimming area.

To the northeast at Amnicon Falls State Park is another series of rapids and waterfalls. As the Amnicon River flows through the park, its waters are parted by a small island, forming the Snake Pit Falls to one side and the Lower Falls and Upper Falls to the other.  And further east is the Brule River State Forest. Though established in1907, it was recently expanded to 47,000 acres; providing trails for ATVs and snowmobiles, hiking, biking, camping, swimming, hunting and trapping, and wildlife viewing. This state forest encompasses all 44 miles of the Bois Brule River as it descends 420 feet from its spring source to Lake Superior.  In addition to being popular for canoeing and kayaking, a self-sustaining fishery and cold spring water support the Bois Brule River as “one of the premier trout streams in the lake states.”

Historically, a short two-mile portage linked the Brule and St. Croix Rivers through which Native Americans, followed by European explorers and traders, traveled from Lake Superior to the Mississippi River. The westward expansion of exploration and settlement was followed by the growth of shipping on the Great Lakes. The “Twin Ports” of Duluth, Minnesota, and Superior, Wisconsin, have been crucial to the shipping of bulk cargo and natural resources. They are the furthest inland ports worldwide and connect through the St. Lawrence Seaway to the Atlantic Ocean. Located on Barker’s Island in Superior, the 113-year-old S.S. Meteor is the last remaining “Whaleback Ship” and acts as a museum about shipbuilding, shipping, and shipwrecks on the Great Lakes.

Interesting Facts

• In addition to President Calvin Coolidge, who set up a “Summer White House” at Cedar Island Lodge in 1928, the Presidents Grant, Cleveland, Hoover, and Eisenhower each spent time fishing the Bois Brule River. It has since been nicknamed “River of Presidents.”
• Major Richard I. Bong, called the Ace of Aces, piloted a P-38 Lightning during World War II in over 200 missions and destroyed 40 enemy aircraft – the most of any United States pilot. In 1945, he was killed while testing one of the first fighter jets.
• The largest ball of twine in Wisconsin, and possibly the world, is located in Lake Nebagamon. James F. Kotera has single-handedly assembled the 19,000-pound ball since 1979.
• Superior resident and Green Bay Packers fan Frank Emmert praises the Cheesehead he was wearing for his surviving a plane crash upon his flight home from a Packers game. He walked away with only an ankle injury.
• The three-mile-long Wisconsin Point, when paired with the neighboring seven-mile-long Minnesota Point, forms the “world’s longest sandbar.” The Wisconsin Point – important to protecting the local harbor - is the site of a Chippewa burial ground, a wildlife-viewing area, and the Wisconsin Point Light House.
• Inspired by Chinese tradition and organized by Rotary Clubs from Superior and Duluth, Superior hosts its annual Lake Superior Dragon Boat Festival with a traditional Dragon boat race. Approximately 70 to 100 boats, made up of 20 to 25 members, compete in the race.

 Previous Featured Counties 

With over 300 miles of shoreline, Door County is believed to have more miles of waterfront than any other county in the United States.  A peninsula, jutting into Lake Michigan, Door County is 75 miles long and 18 miles wide at its southernmost point.  There are 34 islands that are also part of Door; the most notable and the largest in Wisconsin is Washington Island with a year-round population of 700.
 
 Known for its cherry and apple orchards, 10 to 15 million pounds of cherries are harvested annually.  The appearance of cherry blossoms is marked by the annual Festival of Blossoms each May. There is also a growing grape industry.  Five wineries are located in Door County, including the Simon Creek Vineyard & Winery, which at 30 acres is the largest vineyard in the state.  

 A popular vacation destination, Door County has over 30 public beaches.  Boating and fishing are also popular activities for visitors.  Roughly 90% of land in Door County remains undeveloped.  There are over 30 county and local parks and 5 state parks which together account for 10,000 acres of land.  May through October, beginning with cherry blossoms and ending with fall foliage, is the busiest season for tourism.  Of the visitors, 95% come from the Midwest and more than half of those are from Wisconsin. 

Facts of Interest

• Fish Boils are a popular traditional meal in Door County.  A fish boil generally consists of whitefish, potatoes, onions, and salt – boiled in an outdoor kettle, and cooked until the water literally boils over. 
• Due to its location on Lake Michigan, Door County has a rich history of shipping and shipbuilding. Many communities, such as Baileys Harbor, were settled because of its natural timber resources that aided in shipbuilding and repair.  Sturgeon Bay has a celebrated history of shipyards and shipbuilding dating back to the early 19th century. 
• Washington Island is the largest island in Wisconsin.  It is also the nation's largest Icelandic settlement.
• Door County has been named "One of the Top Ten Vacation Destinations in North America" by Money Magazine.
• Door County has the "second largest concentration of light houses" in any United States county. There are 10 light houses spread throughout the county.
• Middleton's Capital Brewery uses wheat grown on Washington Island for their popular Island Wheat beer.
  

Previous Featured Counties

• Adams
• Ashland
• Barron
• Bayfield
• Brown
• Buffalo
• Burnett
• Calumet
• Chippewa
• Clark
• Columbia
• Crawford
• Dane
• Dodge

Just a quick reminder that today is Spring Election Day in Wisconsin.  So please, be sure to go vote and encourage your family, friends, and neighbors to do the same.  If you’re not already registered, you can do so at your polling place.  And if you’re unsure of where your polling place may be, click here for more information.

Make sure that our voices are heard.

Previous Featured Counties 

As a Wetland of International Importance and the “largest freshwater cattail marsh in the United States,” the 32,000-acre Horicon Marsh, in Dodge County, is an important habitat both for thousands of migrating birds and for endangered species. The marsh, managed as a state wildlife area and as a national wildlife refuge, offers activities as varied as hiking, hunting, wildlife viewing, nature education, volunteering, bicycling, and, of course, bird watching. The largest breeding ground of great blue heron in Wisconsin is located at the Horicon Marsh.

A park not far from the Horicon Marsh, the Nitschke Mounds Park, is historically important due its large number of effigy mounds. Of the estimated 100 mounds built approximately 800 to 1,200 years ago, the park currently contains about 40 to 60 mounds that “represent one of the best surviving examples of the [Native American Late Woodland] Mound Builders culture.”  The Turtle Effigy is the largest mound at a height of 4 feet, a width of 57 feet, and a length of 200 feet.

A great many of the Dodge County historical societies are each a part of buildings as historical as the items and artifacts they contain. The Theresa Historical Society is in the last remaining home of Solomon Juneau, the Waupun Historical Society is located in a former Carnegie Library that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Horicon Historical Society is housed in the 1850s-era Satterlee Clark house that was built with bricks from Dodge County’s first brickyard, the Mayville museum is in the former Hollenstein Wagon and Carriage Factory dating to 1888, and the building founded by Beaver Dam patron John J. Williams as the Williams Free Library in 1890 now hosts the Dodge County Historical Society. 

Among some of the other activities in Dodge County, there is the 6.5-mile Rock River Regatta, which in its tenth year took place on the Horicon Marsh Canoe Trail; the Midwest Cream Cheese Competition sponsored by Kraft and held in Beaver Dam has contestants competing for the Best New Cream Cheese Recipe, the Greatest Cream Cheese Dip Recipe, and the Ultimate Cheese Cake; in Waupun, known as the City of Sculpture, there are seven bronze sculptures and the city has one of the highest per capita public art ratios in the United States; and in Ashippun the Honey of a Museum details the history of the Diehnelt family’s Honey Acres and the honey products it has produced since 1852.

A native of Woodland and Juneau, teammate to Cy Young while playing for the Cleveland Naps, and Hall of Famer, Adrian “Addie” Joss is recognized as one of baseball’s best pitchers. After only nine seasons in Major League Baseball, at 31 years old, Joss died. In his short career he had pitched a perfect game, a second no-hitter, three one-hitters, 20 or more winning games in four consecutive seasons, 45 shutouts, and has the second-best ERA in baseball history.

Interesting Facts

• In 1846, the Horicon Marsh was temporarily turned into the Horicon Lake – the largest man-made lake of its time – by the creation of a dam on the Rock River.
• The county seat of Dodge is Juneau. The city is named in honor of Paul Juneau, son of Milwaukee founder Solomon Juneau, who died after being accidentally shot while returning to the courthouse in Dodge County.
• The baseball term “perfect game” was first used by the Chicago Tribune to describe Addie Joss’s no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox in 1908. In 1910 against the White Sox, he became the first and only player to have pitched two no-hitters against the same team.
• Beaver Dam is home to one of only two Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese plants in the United States.  The Beaver Dam location was operated as a cheese factory in 1924 and has been a Kraft cream cheese plant since 1928.

Dane County is named for Nathan Dane, a Massachusetts delegate to the Congress of the Confederation.  Mr. Dane helped draft and pass the Northwest Ordinance, the United States’ first organized territory whose lands included Wisconsin and created a path for its eventual statehood.

Comprised of over 60 cities and towns, and with a population of 482,705, Dane is Wisconsin’s second most populous county.  Madison, the state capital, sits at the center of Dane County.  The Capitol Building has the distinction of being the only state capitol built on an isthmus and the only granite dome in the nation.  From April to November the Capitol Square is the site of the Dane County Farmer’s Market: the largest "producer-only farmers' market in the country."  All goods sold originate in Wisconsin, and are allowed to be sold only by those that produced them.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is the largest university in the state and one of Dane County’s leading employers.  It is the flagship university of the UW System and one of two doctoral research universities in the state.  The Wisconsin Badgers compete in the NCAA’s Big Ten division, having won 27 national championships to date.

Dane County resident U.S. Senator Russ Feingold is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  He was elected to three terms as a state senator representing the 27th District which lies partly in Dane County.  He lives in Middleton.

Facts of Interest

• Two of Dane County's largest employers are Kraft/Oscar Meyer Foods which employs 2,000 workers in Dane County and Epic Systems, a health care software company which employs 3,300.
• Mount Horeb is known as the "Troll Capital of the World" due to the many troll statues and sculptures that decorate its downtown. Mt. Horeb was originally settled by immigrants of Scandinavian descent, many of whom believed in the folklore surrounding trolls. Eventually, local business owners began placing trolls near their storefronts to attract visitors and the trend later spread throughout the downtown area, which is referred to as the "Trollway." Today there are over 15 trolls in downtown Mt. Horeb.
• In 2007, Money Magazine named Middleton as the "Best Place to Live" in the United States.  It bestowed the same honor on Madison in 1996.
• The Henry Vilas Zoo is one of only a few metropolitan zoos in the United States with free admission.
• Sun Prairie has its own, more statistically accurate version of Punxsutawney Phil--Jimmy the Groundhog. Jimmy has a 79 percent success rate of predicting when spring will come, while Punxsutawney Phil only has a 17 percent success rate (as of 2001). However, Congress has passed a "nonbinding resolution" which gives both groundhogs equal authority. 

Local Links

• Isthmus - The Daily Page
• Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce
• The Capital Times
• Dane 101
• The Daily Cardinal
• The Badger Herald

Previous Featured Counties 

Amid the driftless area of land untouched by glacial forces, Crawford County takes advantage of the local landscape with its Kickapoo BRAVE Ride. The Bluffs, Rivers, And Valley Event, or BRAVE, ride offers two competitive and scenic bicycle courses starting in Gays Mills; one 20-mile excursion through Soldiers Grove, and the other a 100-kilometer journey to the Mississippi River and back. Both routes end with the locally grown, family farm food of Harvest Dinner at Riverside Park in Gays Mills. The county also draws inspiration from the valleys and hills characterizing the area for its Driftless Area Art Festival, which is held in Soldiers Grove in September. The festival features visual, performance, and school-age artists who reside in the driftless areas of Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota.

St. Feriole Island in Prairie du Chien, the oldest community on the Upper Mississippi River, provides plenty of sites for history enthusiasts. On the island is Wisconsin’s first State Historic site Villa Louis, a Victorian estate created in the 1840s by Hercules Louis Dousman, a former clerk for John Jacob Astor’s American Fur Company who gained great wealth through land speculation, fur, and lumber businesses. The estate was initially constructed as an Italian-style villa, was then operated for a short time as a stock farm for trotting horses, and is currently the “finest example of a British Arts and Crafts interior in a rural setting in the United States.”

Fort Crawford, also on St. Feriole Island, is the location of the only battle fought in Wisconsin during the War of 1812. The Battle of Prairie du Chien, fought in 1814, is reenacted each year at Villa Louis near the site of the fort. President Zachary Taylor commanded the fort as a colonel during the Black Hawk War of 1832. And, as a lieutenant, Jefferson Davis transported the imprisoned Black Hawk from Fort Crawford to St. Louis.

Initially settled as the village of Pine Grove, Soldiers Grove was renamed in 1867 for the United States army and militia soldiers who sought recovery from exhaustion while pursuing Black Hawk following the Battle of Wisconsin Heights in 1832. The village’s Beauford T. Anderson Park has a Congressional Medal of Honor wall honoring recipients from seven states, including the village’s own Beauford T. Anderson, and has a memorial wall for missing-in-action, prisoner-of-war, and killed-in-action veterans from the village.

Interesting Facts

• Following the energy crises of the 1970s and a devastating flood in 1978, Soldiers Grove relocated away from a floodplain and with an eye on energy efficiency. It became America’s first solar village, with twenty buildings constructed in accordance with the village’s solar-access law and another law requiring buildings to receive at least half of their heating from solar energy.
• Prairie du Chien, which lies along the Upper Mississippi River and is among the best areas in the country for viewing bald eagles, lists the Gordon’s Bay boat landing and Lock and Dam #9 as prime sites for viewing bald eagles. The city also hosts its Bald Eagle Appreciation Day in February with live exhibits, life-size nests, and field trips to viewing areas.
• Before becoming a member of the Orson Welles-affiliated Mercury Players, film actress, and Bewitched star, Agnes Moorehead earned a masters degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1924 and taught at Soldiers Grove High School until 1927.
• The Great River Road - which runs along 250 miles of Wisconsin’s western Mississippi border, through 33 river towns, over 30 Wisconsin historical sites, 50 parks and beaches, and 12 state parks – winds through the scenic bluffs and valleys of Prairie du Chien, Lynxville, and Ferryville.
• La Riviere Park, in Prairie du Chien, is a 320-acre park consisting of native prairies, hardwood forests, and grasslands with activities including horseback riding, primitive walk-in camping, horse camping, mountain biking, birding, cross-country skiing, and tobogganing.
• A 270-foot-wide, 1,550-feet-long log raft was assembled in Lynxville in 1896 and was the largest log raft to float down the Mississippi River.

Local Links

• Courier Press
• Crawford County Government

Previous Featured Counties

• Adams
• Ashland
• Barron
• Bayfield
• Brown
• Buffalo
• Burnett
• Calumet
• Chippewa
• Clark
• Columbia

If you're a Facebook/Twitter/YouTube addict, and also a supporter of Russ Feingold we've got you covered. 

• Become a supporter of Russ on his Facebook Page
• Follow the campaign on Twitter
• Subscribe to our YouTube channel
• View photos from the campaign trail on Flickr
• and for the super-supporter, we've set up a special RuSS feed via Friendfeed, which combines all of the above plus news and blog posts from our website.

You can use these tools to help spread the word about Senator Feingold all over the Internet! 

Previous Featured Counties

Portage, Columbia’s largest city and county seat, was named for the Fox-Wisconsin-Waterway, a portage between the Fox and Wisconsin rivers.  The 17th Century explorers Louis Joliet and Jacques Marquette came across the portage en route to their exploration and mapping of the Mississippi River.  Portage became a hub of trade and transportation throughout the 19th century.  Eventually a canal was cut between the two rivers, but closed 1951 due in part to the dominance of goods being transported by rail.

A native of Columbia County, author and playwright Zona Gale (1874-1938) hails from and spent most of her life and literary career in Portage.  Gale’s fictional town of Friendship Village is widely believed to be based on Portage.  Gale was also an early supporter of women’s rights, lobbying extensively for Wisconsin’s 1921 Equal Rights Law.  An active member of the National Women’s Party, Gale supported and campaigned for the La Follettes and the progressive causes they championed.

Facts of Interest

• The Dells is home to fleets of vintage WWII "Duck" vehicles which can travel up to 50 MPH on land, and 15 MPH in water. Duck tours transporting tourists through the woods and right into the river are a popular tourist activity.
• Actor and former Dukes of Hazzard star Tom Wopat hails from Lodi.
• Pardeeville hosts an annual Watermelon Festival that features the United States Watermelon speed-eating and seed-spitting championships.
• Every year the town of Lodi celebrates Susie the Duck Day recognizing the many mallards that have made their nests in downtown Lodi. The Duck Derby is the highlight of the festival, with hundreds of plastic ducks race down Spring Creek. Each duck is numbered and purchased by local residents prior to the race.
• Columbus is home to the Sassy Cow Creamery, which is a family-operated milk bottling business. The creamery provides milk to Wisconsin grocery stores and local consumers.
• Various towns within Columbia County served as filming locations for the recent film Public Enemies. Columbus's downtown became Greencastle, Indiana circa 1933 due to its historic Main Street and downtown area.

Local Links

• Columbia County Official Website
• Portage Daily Register
• Travel Columbia County
• Wiscnews – Wisconsin Dells Events

Previous Featured Counties

• Adams
• Ashland
• Barron
• Bayfield
• Brown
• Buffalo
• Burnett
• Calumet
• Chippewa
• Clark

Previous Featured Counties 

Clark County is one of the largest producers of dairy products in Wisconsin, and is the original location of America’s only natural native cheese, Colby.  Joseph Steinwand created Colby cheese, and named it after the city of Colby where his father had built Clark County’s first cheese factory.  Colby celebrates its dairy heritage with the annual Colby Cheese Days Festival featuring, among other events, a cheese curd-throwing contest. 

An abundance of wildlife makes Clark County a frequent destination for hunters.  Popular game includes whitetail deer, wild turkey, duck, ruffled grouse, and black bear.  The Clark County Forest, created to rescue lands abandoned by failed homesteads and logging, was established in 1934 and consists of 133,000 acres.  Many endangered species of birds can be found in Clark County including the bald eagle, red-shouldered hawk, and peregrine falcon. 

Interesting Facts

• Loyal was named for the Civil War veterans that founded the town in the 1870s for their loyalty to the Union.  The town of Unity was named to signify the unity its first settlers had with one another.
• Neillsville is home to Central Wisconsin Broadcasting’s WCCN Wisconsin Pavilion, originally the entrance to the Wisconsin Exhibit at the 1964/1965 New York World's Fair. Currently, the pavilion houses three radio stations, a gift shop, and memorabilia from the New York World's Fair.
• The High Ground, founded by Vietnam Veteran Tom Miller, is a park dedicated to honoring the service and sacrifice of our nation’s veterans.  It is open to visitors 24 hours a day, year-round.
• Clark County's Highway 73 and County Road X were once part of the famous Yellowstone Trail, the nation's first interstate highway.  Both highways are now marked with yellow stones and signs to commemorate their historic background.

Local Links

• Abbotsford Tribune-Phonograph
• Clark County Homepage
• The Highgound – Veterans Memorial Park
• The Yellowstone Trail - Wisconsin

Previous Featured Counties

• Adams
• Ashland
• Barron
• Bayfield
• Brown
• Buffalo
• Burnett
• Calumet
• Chippewa
• Clark

John W. Hunt, in his 1853 Wisconsin Gazetteer, provides an early description of Chippewa County:

"CHIPPEWA, County, is bounded on the N. by St. Croix and La Pointe, on the E. by Marathon, on the S. by La Crosse, on the S. W. by the Mississippi river, and on the W. by St. Croix...The soil in the western portion is good…and covered with forests of excellent pine timber...The tributaries of the Chippewa river are numerous, and pass through large portions of the county, watering lands as valuable as any in the State. There are now in successful operation 11 saw mills, capable of cutting 30,000,000 feet of lumber annually. The largest of these mills is owned by Allen, at Chippewa Falls...which average about 5,000,000 of feet each, per annum, and furnish employment for about 200 hands each."

In the last quarter of the nineteenth century, the race to control natural timber resources had a transformative and lasting impact on Chippewa County. Dams and mills created towns, such as Chippewa Falls, Bloomer, Holcombe, and Stanley, which were important to the processing of timber and its transportation through the Chippewa River to the Mississippi River. Frederick Weyerhaeuser, founder of the corporation by the same name which is still one of the world’s biggest timber sellers, controlled much of the timber industry in Chippewa County until the early 1900s. During the timber boom, Chippewa Falls was the site of the largest single-building sawmill in the world.

Chippewa County is known for the Chippewa Spring, a source of natural spring water. In 1889, Wisconsin Governor Thaddeus Pound created the Chippewa Springs Health Club, believing the pure water restored his health. And taking pride in the naturally filtered spring water, Chippewa Falls celebrated this August its 33rd year of Pure Water Days with a parade and festivities.

The Leinenkugel Brewing Company is headquartered, and is the oldest business, in Chippewa Falls, where Jacob Leinenkugel established his own brewery in 1867.  Seymour Cray, also of Chippewa Falls, created the world’s first supercomputer, which was installed at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in 1976 and had an 8-megabyte memory.  Cray, Inc. continues to manufacture supercomputers and employ people in its Chippewa Falls factory.

Interesting Facts

• The Cook-Rutledge Mansion, in Chippewa Falls, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The 1887 mansion was the residence of numerous business, civic, and state leaders, as well as being “one of the finest remaining examples of High Victorian Italianate architecture in Wisconsin.”
• The Cadott Area Historical Museum contains the last wooden butter churn to be used in Wisconsin.
• Bloomer is the “Jump Rope Capital of the World.”
• The world’s only known mechanical pulpwood stacker, built between 1911 and 1912, rises to a height of 175 feet and is located in Cornell.
• Billboards in both Cadott and Tilden boast the respective cities’ locations half-way between the equator and the North Pole.
• Chippewa County’s Lake Wissota is referenced in the film Titanic by Leonardo DiCaprio’s character while aboard the ship’s 1912 maiden and only voyage. Contrary to the character’s claim of having ice-fished on the lake as a boy, Lake Wissota was created in 1918 due to the creation of a dam on the Chippewa River by the Wisconsin-Minnesota Power and Light Company.
• In the Woody Allen film Annie Hall, Diane Keaton’s character Annie Hall is from Chippewa Falls.

Local Links

• The Chippewa Herald
• Bloomer Advance
• Chippewa Chamber of Commerce

I wanted to be sure you knew that Russ will be chatting live on Firedoglake.com tomorrow at 4 PM CDT.  He'll be discussing the upcoming health care debate and taking your questions.  Hope to see you there.

Our third statewide canvass of 2009 is just around the corner. On Saturday, November 7, Feingold campaign volunteers will once again canvass door-to-door, across Wisconsin. Will you join us?

Sign Up to Canvass Today!

You don't need to be an experienced canvasser to participate.  The campaign will provide training, literature, walking lists, and pair you up with a canvass partner.  The only requirement (in addition to being an enthusiastic supporter of Russ!) is a three-hour time commitment.

Sign Up to Canvass Today!

With two announced opponents already vying for the Republican nomination, it's more important than ever that we keep voters up to date on the important work Russ is doing in the Senate, particularly his leadership on health care reform and the introduction of his 'Control Spending Now Act'.  Canvasses are the most direct and effective way our campaign has to deliver the message.

Russ has always run grassroots campaigns, fueled by dedicated volunteers like you.  It’s because of your continued support that we’re able to go door to door so early in the race. Thanks again for all that you do.

Calumet County
Located between Lake Winnebago and Lake Michigan, Calumet County occupies 319.84 square miles of land.  Three rivers, the Killsnake, Manitowoc, and the Sheboygan, run through it.  Several caves are located throughout the county with Bat Cave Sink being the most accessible to spelunkers. 

Agriculture is a vital part of Calumet’s economy accounting for $338.1 million in economic activity, and providing jobs for 2,407 people.  Calumet County boasts over 230 dairy farms and several manufacturing plants supporting the dairy industry. 

The Calumet County Brewing Company hosts the Wisconsin Micro Brewers Beer Fest annually, featuring over 30 Wisconsin-based microbreweries.  Several running events are held in Calumet County including the High Cliff Triathlon and the Cheesehead Run.  But perhaps the most unique event is the New Holstein Super Fly-In, a week-long camping event for flying enthusiasts. 

Facts of Interest

• Calumet is a French word meaning Menominee Peace Pipe.
• Calumet County’s official slogan is “We Extend the Calumet to All Mankind.”
• The first steam boat to cross Lake Winnebago was built in Calumet County.
• Calumet County Park is known for its portion of the Niagara Escarpment, which runs from the East Coast to the Midwest. The Niagara Escarpment is made up of rocks that are highly resistant to erosion. Most notably, the Niagara Falls plunge over the escarpment.
• The Calumet County Fair, which bills itself as the “Biggest Little Fair in Wisconsin” has been held every year since 1856.

Local Links

• Official County Website
• Travel Calumet
• Chilton Times Journal
• Calumet County Fair Facebook Page

The Burnett Dairy Cooperative is the nation’s largest dairy co-op and cheese factory, and can trace its roots to three of Burnett County’s oldest creameries.  Agriculture provides the county with 800 jobs and $97.3 million in economic activity.

Facts of Interest

• Grantsburg has a statue of local legend Big Gust Anderson, who stood 7 and 1/2 feet tall and served as the town’s lamp lighter for 25 years.
• Every 4th of July weekend the town of Siren hosts a series of racing events, including the Bed Races, where racers decorate wheeled beds and navigate them down an obstacle course.
• Grantsburg is the home of the World Championship Snowmobile Watercross, where competitors race over the unfrozen waters of Memory Lake.
• A portion of the Gandy Dancer State Trail runs through Burnett County.  The 98-mile, interstate trail was built on a former railroad corridor and named for the crews that laid the original railroad tracks.  Their use of work songs to keep their movements in synch earned them the name “Gandy Dancers.”
• Each August the Wild Rice Pow-Wow is held in Danbury. The three-day pow-wow is put on by the St. Croix Chippewa and features native dancers, drummers, and arts and crafts.

Local Links

• Burnett County Sentinel
• Burnett County Official Site
• Burnett Dairy Cooperative
• Crex Meadows Wildlife Area

Most of Buffalo County’s land was outside the advance of the last glaciers’ edge, keeping the natural landscape untouched by glacial drift and debris. This land maintains its natural beauty of valleys and bluffs carved by rivers. The 550-foot-tall Eagle Bluff, in Fountain City, is the highest bluff along the Mississippi River. In Alma, the platform atop the bluffs at Buena Vista Park gives a view from 500 feet above the city.

Agriculture is vitally important to the economy of Buffalo County. Seventy-two percent of the county’s land is farmland that is owned and worked primarily (about 80 percent) by individual and family farmers. Agricultural economic activity totals about $302.6 million annually in Buffalo County.  Most of this activity is from dairy production, with a single dairy cow producing $15,000 to $17,000 in dairy products.

In Cochrane, the Prairie Moon Sculpture Garden and Museum displays the folk-art work of farmer-turned-artist Herman Rusch. His sculptures include decorative fences, a Hindu temple, dinosaurs, a mountain, a rocket, and a self-portrait.  A fifteen-foot-tall Viking statue guards the Viking Hotel, also located in Cochrane.

Facts of Interest

• Elmer’s Auto and Toy Museum, in Fountain City, has one of the largest pedal car and antique and modern toy collections in the country. It displays 500 to 600 pedal cars and 100 pedal tractors.
• After a 550-foot fall from a bluff, a 55-ton rock crashed into the bedroom of a Fountain City house, now called “Rock in the House.”
• Of the 22 lakes in Buffalo County, one-half are shallow and no more than five feet deep.
• At Tourist Park in Mondovi, visitors can experience rural life or attend an original one-room school house. 

Brown County is probably best known for the Green Bay Packers, the only NFL football team owned directly by fans.  The team has offered shares of stock for sale over the years. Currently 112,088 Packers fans own shares in the team, including our own Russ Feingold.

With 12 championship titles and 21 retired players inducted to the NFL Hall of Fame, the Packers are the most decorated football team in the NFL’s history.  Their success has earned Green Bay the nickname “Titletown, U.S.A.”

Brown County, located on the shores of Lake Michigan, has a thriving arts community including many museums and festivals.  Green Bay is Wisconsin’s oldest city.  Agriculture provides 16,759 jobs to Brown’s 245,018 residents.

Facts of Interest

• De Pere is the only city in Wisconsin served by two separate public school systems.
• The National Railroad Museum’s collection includes the Big Boy Locomotive, which weighs over 1 million pounds.  
• Brown County gets its name from Jacob Brown, a hero in the War of 1812.
• The Fox River is one of few rivers in the world that flows northward.
• Green Bay is also known as the “Toilet Paper Capital of the World” thanks to a large paper industry.  Quilted Northern originated in Green Bay.
• The Village of Pulaski located in the northwest corner of the county is home to one of the largest celebrations of Polish culture in the United States-Pulaski Polka Days.  The celebration takes place annually in July.
• Thomas E. Hawley, the one time Chief of Police in Green Bay, has been recognized by the Guiness Book of World Records as the longest serving Chief of Police in the History of the United States.  He served as the Chief of Police from August 17, 1897 to June 1, 1946.

Local Links

• The Green Bay Press Gazette
• Packers.com
• Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce
• University of Wisconsin – Green Bay
• Packers Lounge (Packers Fan Site)

Today, our country took an historic step toward fixing our broken health insurance system. The House has now taken an up-or-down vote on the Senate reform bill and it passed with majority support.
 
Without your sustained efforts, the insurance companies would have won.   But they didn’t.   A lot of people in Wisconsin and across the country won because we didn’t walk away from this fight.
 
President Obama will now sign into law health insurance reform that gives people more control over their own health care.   If health insurance companies had won, they would have been able to continue denying coverage to people when they get sick; costs would have continued to increase for small businesses; and higher premiums and out-of-pocket costs would have continued to break the budgets of working families and seniors.
 
Thank you for the support and commitment you have shown for health insurance reform - particularly when you kept the pressure on my colleagues and me to continue this fight.
 
In the months ahead, I look forward to continuing our fight against the special interests and politics as usual in Washington.
 
Working together we will continue to move our state and country forward. 

Some reactions to Terrence Wall's announced candidacy, and the most recent revelations that Mr. Wall hasn't paid state income taxes 4 out of the past 5 years.

Caffeinated Politics:

I find it amusing that Republican Terrence Wall, who wishes to become a United States Senator, feels paying income taxes is best left to the little guy.  The multi-millionaire has not paid any income taxes to Wisconsin four out of the last five years.  And yet he wishes to convince voters that he should be the one representing our values and interests in Washington as a United States Senator.  I am quite certain than not even conservative Republicans in Wisconsin can endorse or support such behavior.

Haas414:

And now, consider this: the multi-millionaire Mr. Wall has not paid any income taxes to Wisconsin four out of the last five years. Despite having an income somewhere between $3,500,000 and $15,000,000 million, and having personal assets worth $58,584,046 to $129,862,000, Wall has not paid a cent to the state of Wisconsin since 2005.

Pretty Important Politics:

How does a real-estate developer with at least $58 million in assets manage to not pay income taxes?

I’m no accountant, but something isn’t right. Terrence Wall has dodged taxes using a pumpkin patch, but this is a bombshell. He just loaned his campaign $275,000, and he can’t pay the taxes he will have the power to levy, if elected?

Blogging Blue:

The fact that Terrence Wall has not paid Wisconsin state income taxes in four of the past five years just underscores that he’s a candidate who has little – if anything – in common with middle class folks here in Wisconsin, folks who pay their taxes each and every year, and folks who can’t exploit every tax loophole known to man in order to avoid paying their fair share of taxes.

Forward Our Motto:

On the other hand, I don't think that his main opponent in 2010, Terrence Wall, is up to the task. Check out his issues page. It's very general, very vague. Mr. Wall says: Enough Talk. It’s Time for Solutions!

Does he not realize that the United States Senate is a deliberative body? If he thinks he can go in there and just start ordering people around, there is no way he will ever be an effective advocate for Wisconsin.

And really, how in touch with the average Wisconsinite can he be considering Terrence Wall didn't pay income taxes 4 out of the last 5 years.

Also check out:

• MyDD: WI-Sen: Feingold Opponent Paid No State Income Tax In 4 Of Last 5 Years
• The Sconz: Terrence Wall has avoided state income taxes
• Forward Our Motto:Terrence Wall: Not Good with Honesty

Wisconsin’s northernmost county, Bayfield is home to 962 lakes, and its northern portion juts into, the world’s largest freshwater lake, Lake Superior.  Additionally, Bayfield County boasts five waterfalls, sea caves, and seven known ship wrecks off the Lake Superior coastline.  The city of Washburn has a natural artisan well.  At 119 feet deep, it produces 224 gallons of water a minute.

Every summer Bayfield County is home to the Big Top Chautauqua Tent Show, which features over 70 concerts, plays, and local performers.  Additional arts festivals in the county include the Cable Open Air Art Market, the Bayfield Festival of the Arts, the Cornucopia Art Crawl, and the Drummond Blue Moon Art Tour. 

Facts of Interest

• Bayfield County's Highway H  is longer in the winter than in the summer, because it extends from Madeline Island to Bayfield when the bay freezes over in the winter months.
• The county gets its name from Henry Bayfield, a British Naval Lieutenant, famous for making the first survey of the Great Lakes.
• Bayfield County hosts the nation's most prestigious cross-country ski race, the American Birkebeiner, and the largest off-road bike race, the Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival.
• The annual “Blessing of the Fleet Ceremony” pays due homage to the Bayfield’s Lake Superior fishing families, which the Bayfield Chamber of Commerce refers to as “the backbone of the area’s economy.”

Local Links

• Bayfield County Tourism
• The County Journal
• Bayfield County Official Twitter Feed
• Bayfield County Chamber of Commerce

Indian Mounds Park, in Rice Lake, and Pioneer Village Museum, in Cameron, provide visitors a chance to experience the past, through viewing twelve burial mounds or over twenty nineteenth century-era buildings, respectively. Other sources for entertainment are UW-Barron County Campus’s Japanese Friendship Garden and shows at Northern Star Theatre and Red Barn Theatre in Rice Lake. Barron County’s Blue Hills has a twenty-mile trail system for hiking, biking, skiing, and hunting set amongst the remnants of a once twenty-thousand foot high mountain range.

Facts of Interest

• Rice Lake’s Aquafest embraces summer’s return with a carnival, music, and sports.
• For over twenty years, Chetek’s Chain of Lakes has hosted it’s Fish-O-Rama in which tagged fish are released into the lakes and prize money is awarded to anglers who catch them.
• Eventually becoming part of Jennie-O’s operation, the Badger Turkey Industries’ Barron processing plant recorded producing 23,000 turkeys per day during peak production making Barron County the world’s largest turkey producer.
• The town of Cumberland holds its annual Rutabaga Fest each year on the weekend before Labor Day.
• Barron’s Red Cedar River produces more fish life than any other body of water in the state.

Local Links

• Barron County Economic Development Corporation
• Rice Lake Online
• Barron News Shield

This afternoon Russ sat down the Mike Gousha for a discussion at Marquette University Law School.  Audio of the program is available here.

“I’m glad to be back in northern Wisconsin. I am, I think, the second President of the United States to spend the night in Ashland. Calvin Coolidge was here for some weeks, some days, but he never said a word; and I was here for one night and spoke all the time! In any case, I appreciate very much your coming out and welcoming us back. This trip, which is a conservation trip across the United States, came about as a result of a suggestion by your junior Senator, Gaylord Nelson, who made conservation his great work as the Governor of Wisconsin, and has had a strong conviction as Senator, as do I, that every day that goes by that we do not make a real national effort to preserve our national conservation resources is a day wasted.”

-President John F. Kennedy, during a visit to Ashland County, September 24, 1963

In 1963 President Kennedy chose Ashland County to highlight the importance of conservation and protecting the environment.  Ashland County is known for its natural beauty, including the Apostle Islands, most of which fall within its borders.  The Great Divide, where water flows both north into Lake Superior and south into the Mississippi, and the Chequamegon National Forest are also located there.

Approximately 58,000 acres of Ashland County’s land are owned and managed by farmers.  Milk is the most common product, but Ashland also produces many horticultural products including landscape trees.  Also located in Ashland are quarries that produce black granite and brownstone.

Facts of Interest

• The town of Ashland’s Main Street Business District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  It boasts a Mural Walk created by two local artists, Susan Prentice and Martinsen Kelly Meredith, which depicts scenes of the town’s history.
• The town of Glidden displays the world’s largest-recorded black bear.  It stands over 107” tall.
• The Ashland Historical Society Museum is run entirely by local volunteers.

Local Links

• Ashland Chamber of Commerce
• Ashland Historical Society
• The Daily Press
• Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest on Twitter
• Superior Trails: The Mural Walk

The controversies surrounding some of the recent gubernatorial appointments to vacant Senate seats make it painfully clear that such appointments are an anachronism that must end. In 1913, the Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution gave the citizens of this country the power to finally elect their senators. They should have the same power in the case of unexpected mid term vacancies, so that the Senate is as responsive as possible to the will of the people…

We've been on this bandwagon for some time. Appointed senators rarely win re-election -- perhaps because governors tend to do a poor job of choosing them, often choosing family members or cronies in lieu of people with superior qualifications, or using the appointment to advance their own well-being rather than that of their states or their parties. Vacancies in the House have long been chosen by special election; it's odd that vacancies in the Senate have not been.

Even more at MyDD, and Shakesville.

And you can read Russ's own thoughts over at DailyKos:

I do not make this proposal lightly. In fact, I have opposed dozens of constitutional amendments during my time in the Senate, particularly those that would have interfered with the Bill of Rights. The Constitution should not be treated like a rough draft. Constitutional amendments should be considered only when a statutory remedy to a problem is not available, and when the impact of the issue at hand on the structure of our government, the safety, welfare, or freedoms of our citizens, or the survival of our democratic republic is so significant that an amendment is warranted. This is such a case.

The fact that the people of four states, comprising over 12 percent of the entire population of the country, will be represented for the next two years by someone they did not elect is contrary to the purpose of the 17th Amendment, which provides for the direct election of Senators. That is not to say that people appointed to Senate seats are not capable of serving, or will not do so honorably. I have no reason to question the fitness for office of any of the most recent appointees, and I look forward to working with them. But people who want to be a U.S. Senator should have to make their case to the people whom they want to represent, not just the occupant of the governor's mansion. And the voters should choose them in the time-honored way that they choose the rest of the Congress of the United States.

Russ wanted me to let you know how much he appreciates all the support we've already seen from our online community. Stay tuned for more ways you can help.

I wanted to take a moment to share my thoughts on President Obama's plan for Afghanistan with you.  I do not support the president’s decision to send additional troops to fight a war in Afghanistan that is no longer in our national security interest.  It’s an expensive gamble to undertake armed nation-building on behalf of a corrupt government of questionable legitimacy.  Sending more troops could further destabilize Afghanistan and, more importantly, Pakistan, a nuclear-armed state where al Qaeda is headquartered. While I appreciate that the president made clear we won’t be in Afghanistan forever, I am disappointed by his decision not to offer a timetable for ending our military presence there.  I will work with members of both parties and both houses of Congress to push for a flexible timetable to reduce our troop levels in Afghanistan, as part of a comprehensive strategy to combat al Qaeda in the region and around the world.

I will continue to speak out in favor of a flexible timetable for withdrawal, and I’m counting on you to help spread the word.  If you haven't already done so, please take a moment and sign my petition supporting a flexible timetable for withdrawal.   I’ll keep you updated on the next steps, and what you can do to make sure our message is heard.

Recently Russ teamed up with Democracy for America to thank Senator Kennedy and his colleagues on the H.E.L.P. Committee for their commitment to passing health care reform, including a strong public option.  Over 35,000 of you signed the petition, standing with Russ in support of real reform, not a bill in name-only.  This week Russ recorded a video thanking everyone for their continued work and support.

On health care, and so many other important issues, we know that Russ will stand with us. He isn't going to waffle or back down. He's going to do everything he can to make sure Americans finally get the health care reform that our country so desperately needs.  Continue to show your support for Russ, and help us spread the word by following him on Facebook and Twitter.

Much of the focus in Washington has been on getting our country back on the road toward economic stability, and rightfully so.  The problems we face in this area are enormous and it's going to take policymakers working together to ensure that we come out of this recession in a fundamentally better position than we were going into it.
 
However, before the week is over I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight again my commitment to a strong and stable America abroad as well.  I am pleased that President Obama has announced plans to significantly reduce the U.S. military presence in Iraq by August 2010.  What a world of difference from the previous administration, which refused to even discuss reasonable timelines.  I am concerned, however, that as many as 50,000 U.S. troops may remain in Iraq beyond that time, and question some of the purposes for which troops will be used and whether those purposes will further the stability of the region or our own national security.
 
After years of a failed foreign policy that distracted us from defeating al Qaeda and its affiliates, I am encouraged that President Obama and his administration have chosen to increase their focus on where the 9/11 attacks originated - Afghanistan.
 
However, a military escalation there, without an overall strategy in place that will actually work in Afghanistan, could alienate the Afghan people and make it more difficult to achieve our overall goal of defeating al Qaeda, which has a safe haven along the Afghan-Pakistan border.
 
In light of the administration's decision to increase our country's troop presence in Afghanistan, I wanted to share with you once again a piece I wrote in October regarding this very issue.
 
http://www.russfeingold.org/news/more-us-troops-to.html
 
After too long, we finally have the pieces in place to get our foreign policy right.  Now is the time.  

By now I’m sure you know that each year Russ visits all of Wisconsin’s 72 counties and holds open, town hall-style Listening Sessions.  So, with 72 weeks until Election Day 2010, we thought it would be fun to highlight every county on our campaign website - and have Russ share some of his memories and interesting facts about each one with you.  From now until November 2, 2010 we’ll feature a new county each week.  This week we’ll be highlighting Adams County.  

Facts of Interest

Local Links

• Adams County Chamber of Commerce
• Adams County Public Library
• Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune 
• Roche-a-Cri State Park

Right now we're at 3,836 citizen endorsements, well on our way to reaching 10,000.  If you haven't endorsed yet, our online form is here.  Tomorrow I'll post some of our favorites, but today I wanted to highlight video endorsements from supporters Jake Jacobson and Dolly Stokes, endorsing Russ from the Brewers home opener.

We still need 6,164 citizen endorsements to reach our goal of 10,000 Strong for Russ. 

In 2004 Russ’s campaign had a total of 7,364 citizen endorsements.  With your help we can beat that number 19 months before Election Day!  Help us demonstrate the grassroots strength of Russ’s campaign by adding your name to our growing list of citizen endorsers.  Endorse Russ for reelection in 2010.

When you endorse, don’t forget to tell us why you’re proud that Russ is your senator.  We’ll be highlighting your endorsements on our Campaign Blog this week.

Some great examples:

Senator Feingold works to represent the people of Wisconsin and reaches out across the aisle to enlist support for issues that are important to me: economic stimulus, health care, civil liberties.
-Donna Barnes-Hayesemeyer Shell Lake, WI

Senator Feingold is one of the few voices still speaking up for those that have no voice. He also has been vocal in restoring the rule of law, something that is neither left-nor-right, but truly American.
-Bryan Miller, Paddock Lake, WI

Our goal is to reach 10,000 citizen endorsements by Friday.  You can help us get there by endorsing, and encouraging your friends and family to do the same.  Thanks for all you do.