Russ Feingold: The Rich and Famous and Hollywood

Charlie Sykes points out that Russ Feingold is getting a little help from his friends.

Hollywood russ! For a mavericky, down home, regular kind of guy, Russ is hanging out with some glitzy folks these days.

Some of Hollywood’s most recognizable names are digging into their deep pockets to help Wisconsin Democrat Russ Feingold, one of the Senate’s most reliably liberal voices — and a top Republican target this fall.

Among Feingold's contributors are filmmakers Steven Spielberg and Harvey Weinstein, actors Michael Douglas and Edie Falco, as well as music executive David Geffen, and producer Jeffrey Katzenberg and his wife, Marilyn, according to CQMoneyLine.com.

Writer and producer Tom Fontana, creator of the television series “Homicide: Life on the Street” and “Oz,” also ponied up for Feingold, as did actress Kathryn Erbe, who has appeared in "Law and Order" and "Oz."

In fact, Weinstein, Douglas and Fontana all gave donations that were over the $5,000 legal limit per cycle and had to be reimbursed for the surplus.

When he's up for reelection, Hollywood Russ likes to present himself as a simple, regular guy. He doesn't focus on his connections with the very rich and very famous.

This time around, Feingold and his hacks in the Wisconsin media keep referring to Ron Johnson as a millionaire, emphasizing the contrast between little ol' Russ and the rich guy.

In a relatively new ad, "Garage Door," Feingold recalls, "I was just a Middleton guy running against multi-millionaires with lots of TV ads. Not much has changed today. I still live in the same house."



After 18 years in the Senate, Feingold is not an outsider, an average guy, a Wisconsin guy next door, a working stiff just like most of the people in the state. He may live in the same house, but a lot has changed.

Feingold should stop pretending that he hasn't reaped the many perks of his position, serving in the U.S. Senate for nearly two decades.

In 2006, GQ's Lisa DePaulo had a sit-down with Feingold, "The Real Maverick." He didn't come across as down-home, flannel shirt-wearing Russ.

This was GQ Russ, the liberal darling of the liberal elite.

Here are some excerpts from the exchange:

LISA DePAULO: You’re a big golf guy, right?

RUSS FEINGOLD: I like golf. But I don’t want anyone to be under the illusion that I’m good at it. I just really enjoy it.

DePAULO: Well, how good are you?

FEINGOLD: About an 18 handicap. That mean anything to you?

DePAULO: Nope.

FEINGOLD: It’s sort of okay. Not humiliating. It took me twenty years to get from humiliating to where other people don’t just kind of go, “Ugh.”

DePAULO: Do you watch golf?

FEINGOLD: Yes, I…I hate to admit.

DePAULO: Who’s your favorite golfer?

FEINGOLD: Tiger Woods. What an original answer. And so unlike me. I’ve always been the underdog kind of guy. But for whatever reason, I just cannot—I am so taken with his ability.

DePAULO: Have you ever met him?

FEINGOLD: No. I’d love to. He and Bob Dylan. Those are the two I’d love to meet.

It's kind of creepy, isn't it? It sounds like the kind of conversation that a lonely man and a lonely woman would have after the last call on Saturday night -- the "let's get to know each other FAST" sort of talk.

DePAULO: Have you been to Iraq?

FEINGOLD: Twice.

DePAULO: And the first time was with Hillary, right?

FEINGOLD: Yes. And both times with John McCain.

DePAULO: What was it like traveling with Hillary?

FEINGOLD: It was a blast.

DePAULO: Really?

FEINGOLD: It was a great group. First of all, to be able to sit there and watch Hillary Clinton and John McCain just shoot the breeze? I mean, I felt like, whatever I had to do to get here? It was worth it.

DePAULO: Did they like each other, Hillary and McCain?

FEINGOLD: I think so. Absolutely. She was fun. She’s got a great sense of humor.

DePAULO: Tell me how. Give me an example.

FEINGOLD: She likes to laugh. If somebody says something outrageous, she pursues it and makes them defend it. Or she can give them a hard time, which I really enjoy. I remember one night she said, “That’s enough work—let’s hear some good stories.” I can’t give you all the details. [smiles]

DePAULO: Did she pack more than everybody else?

FEINGOLD: What’s that?

DePAULO: Did she pack more than everybody else?

FEINGOLD: [laughs] That would be a dangerous area for me to get into, because I may pack a little more than I should.

DePAULO: So you pack like a girl?

FEINGOLD: There would be those who would say that. And it would not be the easiest thing to deny.

DePAULO: Okay, back to the wiretapping—

FEINGOLD: Back to the wiretapping? From packing like a girl! This is one of the more interesting interviews—

"You pack like a girl"? (Giggle, giggle.) Believe it or not, it gets worse.

DePAULO: Let’s talk about this twice-divorced thing.

FEINGOLD: Sure.

DePAULO: How much of a political liability do you think it will be?

FEINGOLD: I have no idea. If it is, so be it. That’s up to the people to decide.

DePAULO: What’s it like to be a single senator?

FEINGOLD: It’s new to me. You sort of end up working a whole lot. There’s a tendency to let the time get filled up. So I’ve been very careful—

DePAULO: So you’ve become less social?

FEINGOLD: No, probably more social, in the sense that because you don’t have a spouse—see, when you’re married, you really feel an obligation to spend all that available time with your spouse if you can. I’m able to spend more time with more people now. I’m reconnecting with a lot of people and old friends.

DePAULO: Dating?

FEINGOLD: Um, that’s, uh, classified?

DePAULO: Are there women throwing themselves at you?

FEINGOLD: I certainly wouldn’t say that. [smiles] I’m not gonna say that.

DePAULO: You know, there’ve been some legendary single senators.

FEINGOLD: Yeah, I know. I’m not aspiring to be in that hall of fame.

DePAULO: Okay. Real quick: Jennifer or Angelina?

FEINGOLD: Jennifer? Jennifer who?

DePAULO: Oh, come on, Senator! Jennifer or Angelina?

FEINGOLD: Jennifer who?

DePAULO: Aniston. [silence] Oh, God. You don’t read the tabloids, do you?

FEINGOLD: Can I have a third choice? Can I pick Sharon Stone?

What an embarrassment!

"Can I pick Sharon Stone?"

That thoroughly creeped me out.

Bottom line: Feingold needs to drop the regular guy BS. He may not get Sharon Stone but he is getting lots of cash from Hollywood bigwigs.

Cash is not enough, Russ.