RUSS FEINGOLD'S BACK!

It's a rematch. Russ Feingold against Ron Johnson.

Dear MoveOn member,

Great news: Russ Feingold is running for the Senate again!

If you already know about him, click here to donate to his campaign now.

Here's who he is—and why this race is very, very important. 

• Russ Feingold was the only U.S. Senator to vote against the Patriot Act in 2001. 
• He was one of the first and most outspoken opponents of the Iraq war. 
• He's one of the greatest champions against money in politics in American history.

That last point earned him some very powerful enemies: the Koch brothers. In 2010, they poured millions into the campaign of a Republican plastics magnate, Ron Johnson, and managed to narrowly defeat Feingold in the midst of that year's Tea Party landslide. 

Now, Russ is back. 

It's a rematch. Russ Feingold against Ron Johnson. And it's not just about a Senate seat, or even control of the Senate majority. This might be the year's single most crucial battle in the most fundamental political fight of our time: democracy versus plutocracy. People power versus Citizens United-style corruption.

Everyone in Washington will be watching with eagle eyes to see how much money Feingold raises on the first days after his announcement, and he's depending on regular Americans to contribute what we can. Can you pitch in $3 for Russ Feingold's campaign now?

Yes, I'll chip in.

This race is a national bellwether, a key test for whether the progressive movement has what it takes to go up against the Koch brothers and their secretive network of mega-donors.

But for me, it's also personal. 

In the summer of 2001, I was lucky enough to serve as an intern for Russ Feingold in his Senate office in D.C. A lot of Congressional interns end their summers disillusioned. For me, it was the opposite: I left brimming with idealism. 

There was one detail I'll never forget. 

On our first day, Russ sat down with all of us interns and told us that we were there to serve the people of Wisconsin—not ourselves. From that moment forward, we had to follow the same rule he set for his staff, and for himself: we couldn't accept any gifts that were given to us because we worked for him. 

No exceptions. No free t-shirts. No free drinks. If we attended an interest group's briefing for Hill staffers that offered free lunch, and we wolfed down a sandwich, then we had to write a check for the sandwich's value to the U.S. Treasury, where it would pay down the federal deficit. 

I'll be honest—it was kind of a pain. Most D.C. interns basically live on free food. But Russ's point was crystal clear: he couldn't be bought. If we wanted to work for him, neither could we. And that point of pride was worth a hell of a lot more than a few turkey sandwiches.

On election night 2010, as I watched Russ give his concession speech, I cried. But yesterday, he stepped forward to say that the fight isn't over. And it's our time to step forward with him. 

Will you chip in $3 today to help send Russ Feingold back to the U.S. Senate?

Yes, I'll chip in.

Getting elected takes money. To raise money, most candidates have to make a lot of promises. 

Russ makes only one promise: he'll do what he thinks is right. 

Today, let's prove that, even in this day and age, there's no promise more valuable than integrity.

Thanks for all you do.

–Ben W., Jadzia, Ilya, Matt, and the rest of the team

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PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. This email was sent to eddie alfaro on May 16, 2015. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.