On Wednesday, PolitiFact said Senator Feingold made "…a complete reversal. And a Full Flop" on his promise to rely on Wisconsin citizens for most of his contributions.
Today, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel highlighted Senator Feingold’s donations from "hollywood types":
"What do uber-lefty billionaire George Soros, actor Michael Douglas, actress Blythe Danner, deep-pocketed environmentalist Tom Steyer and Hollywood bigwig David Geffen have in common?
OK, they’re all political liberals with money. But what else?
They all also are backing former U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold’s campaign…"
Looking at this past quarter alone, Senator Feingold received $8,500 in contributions from Stanford Professors and $33,850 from notable Hollywood figures.
After spending decades promising to raise most of his funds from Wisconsin donors, Senator Feingold has broken another promise and is cozying up with California donors.
FEINGOLD FLASHBACK:
Feingold Said “That’s A Pledge I’m Going To Keep. I’m Not Going To Get In There And Go, ‘OK, Where Are The PACs And Where Are The Out-Of-State Contributions?’ I’m Making A Pledge For The Future.” FEINGOLD: “And it’s not self-serving because I’m promising it for the future. I’m saying that’s a pledge I’m going to keep. I’m not going to get in there and go, ‘OK, where are the PACs and where are the out-of-state contributions?’ I’m making a pledge for the future.” (Russ Feingold, Democratic Senate Primary Debate, 8/28/92)
In A Famous 1992 Campaign Ad, Russ Feingold Pledged “I Will Rely On Wisconsin Citizens, Not Out-Of-Staters To Pay For This Campaign.” FEINGOLD AD: “I’m just the opposite. I visited Washington, DC, but I live right here in Middleton, Wisconsin. And if you elect me, I’ll continue to live right here. That’s one of the three pledges I made when I decided to run for the United States Senate. They’re all here in writing on my garage doors. The other two are that I will rely on Wisconsin citizens, not out-of-staters to pay for this campaign, and I’ll accept no pay raise during my six year term in office.” (Feingold “Home Movies” Ad, 1992)
Feingold Said One Of The Reasons For His Self-Imposed Spending Limit Was Fundraising “Made Me Sick.” “Another reason for the self-imposed limit, he said, was the disgust he felt at begging for money like some political panhandler. ‘It made me sick,’ he said. ‘You’re calling someone you don’t even know and asking them for money.’” (Dirk Johnson, “2 In A Wisconsin Race Put Limits On Coffers,” The New York Times, 9/23/98)