Feingold and Johnson Debate 2

I'm watching a stream of the debate between Russ Feingold and Ron Johnson.

The first two questions have been extremely biased toward Feingold.

I bet those panelists have Feingold bumper stickers on their cars.

Feingold seems to know that he's being tossed softballs. He appears comfortable.

Very biased.

Nonetheless, Johnson is strong.

Feingold's remarks on health care have been particularly annoying.

HEY RUSS! ARE YOU LISTENING? WISCONSIN DOESN'T WANT OBAMACARE!

We want it repealed. Why is that so hard for Feingold to understand?

And the stimulus has been an absolute disaster. Feingold disagrees.

Show me the jobs, Russ. Where are they?

Feingold is getting snippy, saying Johnson has no ideas, no plans, no answers.

Johnson is firing back.

Does Robert Mentzer of the Wausau Daily Herald work for the Feingold campaign?

The guy's questions are unbelievable.

Feingold is becoming very combative and angry and whiny.

Johnson is maintaining a more likable demeanor. Obviously, Johnson isn't a slick politician. He's just giving honest answers. Excellent answers.

Feingold keeps ripping Johnson for failing to offer solutions but that's just odd. Johnson was offering solutions. I guess Feingold just wasn't listening -- AGAIN.

Feingold really went on the attack tonight. He was mocking and condescending.

On campaign ads and free speech--

That was a rather heated exchange.

Feingold was complaining that Johnson is benefiting from out-of-state money. He said there may be foreign money involved.

(Read: SEIU Solicited Contributions from 'Foreign Nationals')

He called on Johnson to tell the organizations to stop running ads.

Johnson said he believed they have the right to be heard. Feingold retorted that Johnson should use his free speech to condemn them.

Then, Feingold said he should call on the organizations to disclose the source of their funding.

Johnson said he had no problem with calling on them to disclose and being transparent.

The audience cheered. I'm not sure why. It was definitely packed with Feingold supporters. I guess it's possible that they thought Feingold scored a victory by getting Johnson to call on the groups to disclose. I fail to see that as a victory.

More likely, I think the cheering was in response to Johnson's straightforward answer to Feingold: "Disclose." You could tell Feingold knew he lost that point.

When Feingold put on the holier-than-thou mantle and said that's not the way Wisconsin politics is run, home-based campaigns, I just about gagged.

Feingold is steeped in out-of-state cash.

Fellow Democrat Jim Doyle received tons of donations from out of Wisconsin.

Feingold isn't fooling anyone.

Naturally, the Feingold camp is busy spinning the debate.

Tonight Ron Johnson refused to take on the corporate special interests that are running negative and misleading TV ads trying to buy a Senate seat for Ron Johnson. Johnson didn’t have the guts to tell them to stay out of Wisconsin and let the voters of Wisconsin decide this election.

That is such a load!

Johnson believes in free speech and is against the assault on our rights by McCain-Feingold.

Feingold is such a hypocrite. Think of how he's benefiting from MoveOn.org money and George Soros.

Is Soros a Wisconsin voter?

What about Steven Spielberg, Harvey Weinstein, Michael Douglas, Edie Falco, David Geffen, Jeffrey Katzenberg and his wife, Marilyn, Tom Fontana, and Kathryn Erbe?

Are they Wisconsin voters?

Are they Wisconsin voters, Russ? Russ? Are you listening?

Think of the unions pouring cash into his campaign. They aren't all Wisconsin voters, though I'm sure plenty of out-of-state "volunteers" have managed to vote in our elections.

Bottom line: Feingold stepped up his attacks tonight because he knows he has to do something to keep Johnson from running away with the race.

Unfortunately for Feingold, his negative approach and his "misrepresentations of the truth" aren't going to help him.

Feingold can huff and puff but that won't alter reality, and the truth is not on Feingold's side.

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Here's video of the debate.