Hi, this is Senator Russ Feingold. Once again, as my opponents attempt to distort and mislead people about my record, I am using "Truthwatch" to set the record straight.

For my opponents to suggest that campaign finance reform doesn't have an impact on the people of Wisconsin is ridiculous. In fact, Wisconsinites are the ones that told me repeatedly at listening sessions and events all over the state that this was an issue they cared about.

This attack is also another example of the old political tactic of trying to turn a person's strength into a weakness. Well, I'm not going to stand for that. I'm proud of my work, along with Republican Senator John McCain, to pass campaign finance reform precisely because it's had such an impact on the people of Wisconsin.

The large unregulated contributions to the political parties, also known as soft money, which are now banned because of our efforts, gave us the unfair trade agreements, which shipped our jobs overseas. Unfair trade agreements, I would add, that my opponents fully supported.

Soft money is the reason we are still dependent on foreign oil.

And, soft money is the reason the health care legislation that was debated in the early 90's failed to pass Congress.

Before we passed this bill, the most significant overhaul of the campaign finance system in a generation, the only people sitting at the legislation-making table were the people that had unlimited money to contribute to federal candidates - people like my millionaire opponents, not the average person here in Wisconsin.

Now that McCain-Feingold is law, we have a fighting chance to get fair trade agreements to keep jobs here in Wisconsin and America, to get affordable health care for every American, and so much more. All of this has been neglected for too long because of big money interests.

Thanks for listening, and check back again as my campaign's Truthwatch sets the record straight.