Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) and his likely Republican opponent, businessman Ron Johnson, each have some new ads out that explore different sides of the same theme. Feingold’s ad presents the Senator as a constant outsider who has irritated the special interests in Washington — while Johnson’s ad casts Feingold as a career politician with 18 years of experience.
The Feingold ad shows him meeting for lunches with various constituents back home in Wisconsin, compared to nobody wanting to sit with him in Washington. “Russ Feingold’s work to provide our soldiers with the support and health care they deserve has earned him the approval of Wisconsin veterans,” the announcer says. “Russ’s fight to protect local jobs from being shipped overseas and create jobs here has earned him the respect of Wisconsin families and small businesses.
“And his stand against wasteful spending and automatic pay raises for members of Congress — has earned him a lot of lonely lunches in Washington.”
On the other hand, Johnson’s ad features Wisconsinites who don’t like Feingold, making such as declarations as: “We pay the taxes, and people in Washington don’t seem to understand that we can only take so much”; “Russ Feingold is a career politician”; “He has not worked anywhere outside of politics”; “Russ Feingold normally, and almost always, votes on party lines”; and, “He’s right in the Reid-Pelosi-Obama camp.”
The TPM Poll Average currently gives Johnson a lead of 48.8%-46.9%.
