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U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, left, and Republican challenger Tim Michels debate in Wausau, Wis. Feingold, a two-term incumbent Democrat, and Michels, a millionaire construction executive, will take part in six debates before the Nov. 2 election. (AP Photo/Wausau Daily Herald, Butch McCartney)
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Senate and House Seats in Nov. Election
Wisconsin voters will pick
a United States Senator in the November 2 election. Democrat Russ Feingold
wants to be re-elected. He is running against Republican nominee Tim Michels
for the seat. The winner will serve a six-year term in the U.S. Senate.
Feingold is finishing his second term.
Wisconsin voters will also choose eight congressmen in the election. The
race for president also will be on the ballot that day.
Feingold and Michels: far apart on issues
Feingold and Michels say they are far apart in how they will vote if elected.
Michels says he supports Republican President George Bush. Feingold is
against most of Bush’s policies.
The two candidates agreed to hold six debates. They argued in the first
debate on October 1 over the war in Iraq. Feingold won the debate.
Michels said he supports the war in Iraq. He said the war is one of the
reasons there has not been a terrorist attack inside the United States
since September of 2001.
In many of his appearances, Michels said the major problem in Iraq was
the lack of favorable reporting by the news media. Michels also claimed
reporters had been told to avoid the good news about re-building Iraq.
Feingold says the Patriot Act takes away the rights of ordinary citizens
Feingold criticized Michels for blaming the news media. He also accused
Michels of not reading the USA Patriot Act. The Act was approved soon
after the terrorist attacks of 2001. Feingold was the only one of 99 senators
to vote against the Act.
Michels supports the Act. He has run television ads that criticize Feingold’s
vote.
In their first debate, Feingold said Michels has not shown he knows what
is in the bill. Feingold said he voted against the bill because it would
unfairly take away the rights of normal citizens. A recent Supreme Court
decision agrees with Feingold.
Michels is 42-years-old. He lives in Oconomowoc. This is the first time
Michels has run for statewide office.
Michels spent 12 years as an Army officer. He left the Army in 1996.
He works for the construction company that his family owns.
Feingold is 51-years-old. He served 10 years in the state Senate before going to Washington. Feingold is known for saving taxpayer money. He and Senator John McCain wrote a campaign finance reform bill that limits the amount of special interest money politicians can accept.