Feingold: I Look Forward To "Great Race" Against Ex-Gov. Thompson

MADISON, Wis. (WTAQ) - U.S. Senator Russ Feingold says he looks forward to a “great race” this fall against Republican Tommy Thompson – even though the former governor has not announced if he’ll run yet. At a fundraiser in Madison Sunday, the Democrat Feingold said he fights the special interests, while Thompson takes them on as clients in his Washington law office. Feingold said Thompson left Wisconsin with serious budget problems when he quit as governor in 2001 to become the health secretary in the Bush administration. And he said the Bush people made Wisconsin’s fiscal troubles “look like nothing.”

Meanwhile, former Thompson aide Bill McCoshen went on Mike Gousha’s TV show in Milwaukee Sunday, and said pretty much what he told a Washington Web site recently – that Thompson’s getting closer to deciding if he’ll run. McCoshen said there’s a couple more hurdles, but he expects an exploratory committee to be formed in the next couple weeks. And he said the May 20th – the date of the Republican state convention – would be the latest Thompson would decide for sure. McCoshen said Thompson would be the only Republican who could win the Senate seat, which Feingold has held for 18 years. McCoshen effectively dismissed the current 2 GOP hopefuls, Terrence Wall and Dave Westlake.