FactCheck.org: Feingold's Misleading Ad

FactCheck.org, the allegedly nonpartisan group, examined ads released by Russ Feingold and Ron Johnson.

Read "Mud and Oil Don’t Mix in Wisconsin Senate Race."

Here's a statement from the Republican Party of Wisconsin:

MADISON, WI -- Russ Feingold, 18-year incumbent and former clean elections maverick, kicked off his campaign with a negative attack ad against businessman Ron Johnson. Now that ad has been de-bunked as “misleading” by the non-partisan, nonprofit FactCheck.org.

“Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold’s ad, ‘Just Say No,’ accuses his GOP opponent Ron Johnson of being ‘willing to hand over the Great Lakes to the oil companies.’ That is misleading, and goes beyond the facts.”

In 2004, when his odds of re-election looked more promising, Feingold promised a clean campaign, saying, “The people of Wisconsin are not best served by negative campaigns. Let’s agree to conduct positive campaigns, based on the issues.” (September 16, 2004: Feingold Campaign Press Release: "Feingold Issues Challenge to Michels to Pledge Clean Campaign and Accept Debates")

“But this time, now that Feingold faces a challenge, apparently the mud and the lies are just fine,” said Republican Party of Wisconsin Chairman Reince Priebus. “For someone who tries so hard to define himself as a maverick, we’re sure seeing the same old Washington campaign out of Russ Feingold.”

This week, even Feingold’s staff admitted that this campaign is different than in years past. As reported in the Wall Street Journal, “Vicki Burke, who chairs the La Crosse County Democrats, said that 'in talking to people who work in [Mr. Feingold's] campaign, they think, given the atmosphere, that this could be the first time where he could possibly lose a race.'"

“Russ Feingold tries so hard to call himself a ‘maverick,’ and a ‘different kind of politician,’” Priebus said. “But the second he fears for his career in Washington, the lies and the mud start to fly. I guess that’s just what we should expect out of an 18-year Washington insider, and I’m guessing this won’t be the last time Russ Feingold lies about Ron Johnson this year.”

FactCheck.org has a liberal slant but it deserves credit for calling out Feingold for his mudslinging and misleading ad.