Russ Feingold
(1953-)

American Politician, Social Change Activist
Founder, Progressives United
1999 Recipient of Profile In Courage Award
2011 Recipient of 4 Freedoms Award Freedom Medal

birthdate: March 2
birthplace: Janesville, Wisconsin

I know that working together, we can make great things possible again.

There is nothing more American than peaceful protest.

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.

The idea of allowing corporations to have unlimited influence on our democracy is very dangerous, obviously.

Health care for all Americans is the most pressing domestic issue today.

Cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security benefits are unacceptable, and they shouldn't be put on the table by Democrats for any reason.

Opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling is bad public policy

Of course, there is no doubt that if we lived in a police state, it would be easier to catch terrorists. If we lived in a country that allowed the police to search your home at any time for any reason; if we lived in a country that allowed the government to open your mail, eavesdrop on your phone conversations, or intercept your email communications; if we lived in a country that allowed the government to hold people in jail indefinitely based on what they write or think, or based on mere suspicion that they are up to no good, then the government would no doubt discover and arrest more terrorists. But that probably would not be a country in which we would want to live. And that would not be a country for which we could, in good conscience, ask our young people to fight and die. In short, that would not be America.

Americans want to defeat terrorism and they want the basic character of this country to survive and prosper. They want both security and liberty, and unless we give them both — and we can if we try — we have failed.

It's time to stand up - not to cheer, but to fight back.

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