"The onetime poster boy of campaign finance reform" has officially eroded into the poster boy of campaign finance hypocrisy.
Mere hours after Senator Feingold’s failing campaign required a sudden appearance on the cryptic "Notes From the Executive Director" section on the DSCC’s website, Harry Reid’s super PAC announced that it must spend millions in Wisconsin for the first time this cycle – a "corrupt" practice that Mr. Clean likened to "dancing with the devil."
Just before he was fired in 2010, Senator Feingold said he would "absolutely" rather lose his race than see outside groups such as Senate Majority PAC air ads on his behalf.
It’s clear that Senator Feingold now would absolutely rather lose his principles than see his 34-year political career end in 2016.
As a reminder, here’s how the hypocrite used to feel about the very practices he is now relying on to save the ego project known as his eighth campaign for political office:
In 2012, Feingold Called On Obama To “Reject The Support” Of Super PACs
- FEINGOLD: “Two Years Ago, The President Was Right To Chastise The Supreme Court For Its Lawless Ruling In Citizens United. Now, He And His Campaign Need To Live Up To Those Principles And Reject The Support Of Any Super PACs.” (Jennifer Epstein, “Feingold Blasts Obama Super PAC Decision,” Politico, 2/7/12)
- Feingold Said “The President Is Wrong To Have Embraced The Corrupt Corporate Politics Of Citizens United And That’s What You’re Doing When You Start Using And Consorting With Super PACs.” (Sam Stein, “Russ Feingold: Obama Super PAC Reversal Will Lead To ‘A Legalized Abramoff System,’” The Huffington Post, 2/7/12)
- Feingold Said Democrats Who Embraced Super PACs Were “Dancing With The Devil.” (Sam Stein, “Russ Feingold: Obama Super PAC Reversal Will Lead To ‘A Legalized Abramoff System,’” The Huffington Post, 2/7/12)
- Feingold Said “I Hope The President Moves Away From This Approach. He Doesn’t Need It. He Can Win Without This Unlimited Money.” (MSNBC’s, “Hardball,” 2/29/12)
- Feingold Said “I Agree With The President On Ninety-Five Percent Of The Issues But I Surely Don’t Agree With The Super PAC.” (CBS’, “This Morning,” 2/22/12)
- Feingold Said He Didn’t Think Anybody Running For Office Should Be Involved With Super PACs “Because It Completely Cuts Out The Average Person From The Political Process.” (CNN’s, “Piers Morgan Tonight,” 2/20/12)
- Feingold Said The Obama Campaign’s Support Of Super PACs Would “Gut A Winning, Progressive Strategy.” (Ken Thomas, “Obama Campaign Urges Donors To Embrace Super PAC,” The Associated Press, 2/7/12)
- FEINGOLD: “When Democrats Play By Republican Rules, People See Our Party As Weak, And A False Alternative To The Power Of Rich Individual And Corporate Interests That Are Increasingly Dominating Our Government.” (Ken Thomas, “Obama Campaign Urges Donors To Embrace Super PAC,” The Associated Press, 2/7/12)
- Feingold Said Supporting Super PACs Was “A Dumb Approach.” (Sam Stein, “Russ Feingold: Obama Super PAC Reversal Will Lead To ‘A Legalized Abramoff System,’” The Huffington Post, 2/7/12)
In 2010, Feingold Said He Would “Absolutely” Rather Lose Than See Outside Ads
- In 2010, Feingold Wrote The DSCC Asking Them To Not Air Ads On His Behalf Saying “Wisconsinites Do Not Appreciate Outside Groups Coming In To Our State Running Negative Ads.” (Don Walker and Craig Gilbert, “Senate Candidates Spar On Role Of Campaign Outsiders,” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 10/18/10)
- Feingold’s Top Strategist Said They Also Asked Other Outside Groups To Stay Out Of The Race. (Don Walker and Craig Gilbert, “Senate Candidates Spar On Role Of Campaign Outsiders,” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 10/18/10)
- In 2010, Feingold Said He Would “Absolutely” Rather Lose Than See Outside Groups Airing Ads On His Behalf. (Ben Smith, “Russ Feingold’s Last Stand,” Politico, 10/31/10)
In 1998, Feingold Ordered The DSCC To “Get The Hell Out Of My State”
- In 1998, Feingold Ordered The DSCC To “Get The Hell Out Of My State” With Their Ads. (Eric Pianin, “A Candidate’s Costly Pledge On Donations,” The Washington Post, 10/31/98)
- Feingold Said Independent Expenditures Were A “Cancer” On The Political System, And “Somebody’s Got To Draw The Line.” (Eric Pianin, “A Candidate’s Costly Pledge On Donations,” The Washington Post, 10/31/98)
- Feingold Said “I Hamstrung Myself, Obviously On Purpose, Because I Want To Show That People Rather Than Money Should Run The System.” (Eric Pianin, “A Candidate’s Costly Pledge On Donations,” The Washington Post, 10/31/98)
- In 1998, Feingold Said “No Career, Including Mine, Is As Important As Breaking The Hold Of This System Of Legalized Bribery.” (R. W. Apple Jr. “Campaign Funds At Center Of Wisconsin Race,” The New York Times, 10/23/98)
- Feingold Said He’d “Rather Be Right Than Re-Elected. (R. W. Apple Jr. “Campaign Funds At Center Of Wisconsin Race,” The New York Times, 10/23/98)