Russ Feingold

“Tea Party people know that I stood against the Wall Street scam from Day One, that I voted against TARP, that I voted against repealing Glass-Steagall Act that kept these guys under some control.”

“I was one of 14 senators to vote against the Defense of Marriage Act. I thought it was a harsh and unnecessary thing to do to people across this country who care enough about each other to want to be married.”

“Instead of taking a very high-paying type of law job or something that I might be able to do, I have been a legislator. That's what I do. I think it's an honorable profession - if you're honest and have integrity and work hard.”

“I believe in local control of education.”

“When you buy toothpaste or detergent or gas, that is now used for the first time in your lifetime or my lifetime to support candidates in so-called 'independent ads.' Same thing for unions.”

“I'm proud to be a Democrat.”

“I don't know how it could be more stark or clear: this entire society is being dominated by corporate power in a way that may exceed what happened in the late nineteenth century, early twentieth century.”

“We should not use special budget procedures to jam through legislation to drill in the Arctic Refuge. This topic is too important to the public to address it in such a back-door manner. We should be having a full, open discussion of the issue during an energy debate.”

“Money in politics is a huge issue.”

“I've been outspent by my opponents every time I've run for U.S. Senate.”

“Unfair trade agreements, passed by both Republicans and Democrats, have sent millions of jobs to other countries. We need to stop this hemorrhaging and find ways for American workers to compete in the new market.”

“The notion of American exceptionalism is effective in part because there is little on the face of it that is offensive.”

“This has not been a legislative process worthy of the Senate. Members of the Judiciary Committee, as I just said, were implored to save their amendments for the floor. Then, when we got here, we were told no amendments could be accepted.”

“Most of my town hall meetings had always been love fests, and some of my guys used to complain: 'I'd like for somebody to yell at you a bit.'”

“We need to get rid of the Federal Elections Commission. It's a joke. It doesn't enforce the law.”

“It is not patriotic to decide to destroy a new president who was duly elected by an overwhelming margin. It is un-patriotic to resolve to destroy that presidency.”

“Health care for all Americans is the most pressing domestic issue today. It's far past time for the President and Congress to deliver health care to everyone.”

“There is nothing more American than peaceful protest.”

“If a trip is worth taking, members of Congress should be prepared to justify paying for it out of their office accounts.”

“Well, my view is that the insurance companies have done awfully well and spent a lot of money on a lot of things that don't have anything to do with health care.”