Full Name: Russell Dana Feingold

Current Office: U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, 1993-present (third term)

Born: Janesville, Wisconsin, on March 3, 1953.

Education: University of Wisconsin – Madison (1975); University of Oxford, Rhodes scholarship (1977); Harvard Law School (1979)

Religion: Jewish

Family: Married, but jointly seeking a divorce with Mary Speeschneider, who has two children from a previous marriage, Sam and Ted. Russ Feingold has two children from a previous marriage, Jessica and Ellen.

Quote:"Health care for all Americans is the most pressing domestic issue today. It's far past time for the President and Congress to deliver health care to everyone."

Significant Career Experience:

U.S. Senator, 1993-present
Wisconsin State Senator, 1983-1992
Attorney, 1979-1985


Russ Feingold could very well be the Gary Hart of 2008. He’s compiled a solidly Liberal voting record in the Senate, but challenged orthodoxy enough to earn a reputation as a political maverick. And just like Hart over 20 years before him, he’s young, smart, good-looking, and well-positioned to make a come-from-nowhere entrance into the presidential primaries.

From the moment he burst onto the national political scene with underdog wins in the primary and general elections for his Senate seat, Feingold has been a fiery Liberal populist with an independent streak that sometimes wins him as many enemies as friends. His most notable accomplishment was joining Senator John McCain in passing the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill, which was opposed by much of the leadership of both parties, but supported by the vast majority of the American people.

Campaign finance, coupled with his propensity to critique Republican leadership and question established ways of doing business in the Senate, established Feingold as an outsider, despite his belonging to the Senate since 1992. With consummate insider candidate John Kerry falling just short of winning the presidency in 2004, primary voters may choose to look for a candidate with more independence from Washington DC, a direction that could only benefit Feingold.

Few presidential hopefuls have equaled Feingold’s positive presence on the “netroots” -- the blog-driven network of Liberal activists who supported the candidacy of Howard Dean and other largely outsider Democrats who vocally fight for party principles. This is a natural constituency for Feingold, and he’s a constant presence within the larger blogs with diaries about his actions in the Senate and appeals for help. Feingold’s presence has been strongly welcomed, as evidenced by his recent strong showings in early blogger presidential straw polls, where he places at or near first place.

While many Liberal Democrats support him, Feingold is not a reliable voice for them. He joined only two other Democrats on the Judiciary Committee in approving the nomination of Chief Justice John Roberts, which caused many on the Left to realize the occasional disappointment that comes with supporting a true maverick of a politician. He was the only Senator to vote against the Patriot Act, but he voted for the confirmation of John Ashcroft. He voted against the Iraq war, but he was the only Senate Democrat to vote against a motion to dismiss the impeachment case against President Bill Clinton. Feingold can justify each vote, but in true maverick fashion his justifications do not fit neatly on the ideological spectrum.

Although Feingold self-imposed fundraising restrictions in his first two Senate races, in his third he proved he was no slouch, raising $11 million on the way to an easy re-election. With his newfound netroots support, look for Feingold to go dollar-for-dollar with much of the primary field, although to truly break through he’ll have to reach beyond the Internet and his home state of Wisconsin -- something that will be new for him.