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Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) speaks at a rally for Wisconsin Democratic candidates and presidential candidate Barack Obama (D-Ill.) on Tuesday in Hibbard Hall.

Feingold stumps for Dems

U.S. Senator says youth vote will make a big impact on Nov. 4

By: Janie Boschma

Posted: 10/30/08

With just eight days left before Election Day, U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) and U.S. Rep. Ron Kind (D-La Crosse) visited UW-Eau Claire Monday as part of a state-wide campus tour calling on students to vote fellow Democrat, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, for president.

Feingold and Kind encouraged Eau Claire students in Hibbard Hall to vote early to avoid lines on Nov. 4 and ask others to do the same.

Senior Ben Carolan said he also hopes everyone votes early, just to make Election Day go more smoothly.

"The lines are just so intense and it discourages voting," Carolan said. "We really don't want to discourage anyone from voting."

Feingold said the youth vote will have a "potentially decisive" significance on Tuesday's election.

"If for any reason young people don't turn out to vote, this whole thing could go sour," he said after the rally, "but I'm sure they will turn out."

The rally, sponsored by College Democrats, pointed out the key issues affecting students in the upcoming election. Feingold and Kind emphasized making education more accessible and affordable, as well as investing in health care and the environment, appointing responsible Supreme Court justices and officials, and ending the Iraq War.

"When I think of student loans and grants, I always think of Eau Claire," Feingold said, explaining that they remind him of stories his daughter, a former Blugold, told about her friends who struggled to pay tuition.

Feingold said Obama understands today's students because he also struggled with student loans and debt.

"He gets it when it comes to education," Feingold said. "If you want to have the help … put Barack Obama in the White House."

Kind also promised to prioritize education in his district, which he referred to as a "Mecca for higher education" for its five state universities, one state university and four technical colleges. He said investing in education enables students, the "incubators for change and economic development," to redefine the United States as a competitive innovator.

Though Feingold said Democrats have the best solutions for the nation's current problems, he said they wouldn't alienate Republicans. He pointed to Obama's involvement in U.S. Senate bipartisan initiatives to limit nuclear proliferation, require earmarks to be publicly identified and reform lobbying ethics as examples.

"Barack Obama is not the kind of person who's just going to cut out the Republicans," Feingold said. "He will work for everyone; I've seen him do it."

Though Carolan said he had expected the rally to be one-sided, he appreciated that Democrats clearly presented their stance on the issues and didn't resort to scare tactics to gain support over Republicans.

"Especially this close to the election, everything's going to be one-sided depending on the rally you go to," he said.

Kind said the "great miracle" in the United States is that voting equalizes all citizens and hears all voices, no matter what their background.

"When you cast that ballot and step into the voting booth, everyone is treated equally in this country," Kind said.

Feingold also promoted regional Democratic candidates Kind, incumbent Rep. Jeff Smith and Kristen Dexter, who is running against Rep. Terry Moulton (R-Chippewa Falls). All candidates will be on Tuesday's ballot. Smith could not attend because he was attending a debate the same evening, but Dexter and State Sen. Pat Kreitlow, who is currently not up for election, did attend the rally.

On Monday and Tuesday, Feingold visited UW-La Crosse, UW-River Falls, UW-Stout, UW-Stevens Point, UW-Green Bay, UW-Oshkosh and Lawrence University.