U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., made his case for re-election to UW-Madison students Friday afternoon with a rally at Library Mall. Speaking to hundreds of student supporters, Feingold emphasized the right choices he made during his career and his efforts to combat the wrong choices.
Cate Edwards, daughter of Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards, introduced Feingold. Edwards supported both her father and Feingold by comparing Feingold's efforts against the USA Patriot Act and war in Iraq to the goals of her father and John Kerry, which are to fix what Feingold fought against all along.
\He knows this administration is wrong, and he stood up,"" Edwards said of Feingold. ""He's been a fighter against poor choices.""
Feingold returned the favor by emphasizing the support Edwards' father has given him in the Senate. Edwards supported the bill for campaign finance reform put forth by Feingold and U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., as well as Feingold's Patients' Bill of Rights.
""When Edwards stood up and spoke [in the Senate] for the first time, I heard a few Republican senators go 'uh-oh',"" Feingold said, crediting Edwards as someone who could get the job done.
Feingold credited students as the ""backbone of his career"" for their help in electing him in 1992 and 1998-help he said he needs again.
Remembering his own time as a UW-Madison student, Feingold pledged to continue supporting student initiatives, such as raising the amount of tuition-cutting Pell grants and making them more accessible to students.
His speech also focused on Republican opponent Tim Michels. Feingold attacked his rival on several counts, including his potential health care cuts, inconsistencies with free trade support and his proposal to extend the Patriot Act in what Feingold called ""tweaking the Constitution.""
""It bothers him that in a democracy, votes can be 98-1,"" Feingold said, referring to his lone vote against the Patriot Act. ""Sometimes dissent is right, and that's exactly what I was trying to show.""
UW-Madison freshman Nina Beck praised Feingold's energy in drawing in attendees. ""He's very effective ... His coming here is a great way to get students involved and show his connections.""
