GOP Senate candidate Michels loaned campaign $500,000 [WI-Feingold]

The Post-Crescent ^ | Jan. 11, 2004 | Associated Press

[JohnnyZ]

WASHINGTON — Senate GOP candidate Tim Michels said Friday that he raised a little over $1 million last year, including $500,000 in loans he made to his campaign.

Michels, a construction company owner, is one of three candidates in the Republican primary in Wisconsin, along with car dealer Russ Darrow and state Sen. Bob Welch. The winner will take on Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis.

Michels was the only candidate to release his 2003 fund-raising figures Friday. The deadline is Jan. 31.

But Darrow campaign manager Eric Schutt said his candidate’s fund-raising totals will exceed Michels’. Schutt declined to provide any numbers.

In a statement, Welch campaign manager Tim Fiocchi said Welch was on pace to raise the money he needed. He did not elaborate.

Michels and Darrow, the two millionaires in the race, have both invested hundreds of thousands into their respective campaigns.

Michels lent his campaign $250,000 in the third quarter of last year and another $250,000 in the fourth quarter.

Darrow contributed $455,000 in the third quarter, and that number could balloon when he releases his fourth quarter totals.

Michels said that of the $553,000 he raised outside his loans, 95 percent came in contributions of $200 or less, with an average contribution of $87.

He said he had $768,000 in the bank as of Dec. 31, the end of the last reporting period.

[JohnnyZ]

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[JohnnyZ]

Heya Badgers, Cheeseheads, whatever you call yerselves.

What do you think about "Russ" Feingold? Ever thought about replacing him? This thread's for you . . .

[Wally_Kalbacken]

I lived in Wisconsin for 37 years, and know Darrow and Welch.

Welch is not a particularly good campaigner (he ran a feeble campaign against Sen. Kohl in ’94), not good at strategy, and probably does not have the $ it would take to mount an effective challenge.

Darrow has loads of $, is known throughout much of the state due to his appearance on television commercials for his car dealerships. I know nothing of his positions - but he has the minimal requirements to challenge Feingold effectively.

In 1998 Mark Neumann came within a hair's breadth of taking out Feingold - he had a 40,000 vote margin in all of the state outside of Dane County (home of Madison). By the time that Dane County was added in Newman lost by roughly 40,000 votes. Bush lost Wisconsin by something like 5,000 votes in 2000 – so some think that it could be in play. I don’t know – the people who most rabidly hate Bush are in Dane County. Whether their hatred for Bush is motivation for increased turnout – or whether this is a preaching to the choir phenomenon (because all of the rabid Bush haters turned out and voted for Gore in 2000) – I’m not sure.

Feingold has very high integrity – along with all the wrong ideas. Republicans need to match the perception of integrity the voters have for Feingold in their nominee. Anyone with a whiff of scandal will be fighting an uphill battle on that element alone.

[jagrmeister]

>Republicans need to match the perception of integrity the voters have for Feingold in their nominee

Good point. Always takes a local to come up with the uniqe insight. This sounds like a key to anyone taking on Feingold and a necessity to Wisconsin voters. It's not in CA- we got along fine with Arnold (Arnold has integrity but there was plenty of scandal).

[Catspaw]

If you ask people in northeast Wisconsin (where I am) who Russ Darrow is, they'll look at you with a blank face. He's got little to none name recognition in this area. If he advertises in this area, I haven't seen it (I've lived in Green Bay for 30+ years). They also don't know who Michels is.

I agree with you about Welch. He's a weak campaigner.

Russ's strong point is his high integrity, even if I don't agree with his positions. And even if one doesn't agree with his positions, he'll explain to you why he voted the way he did. He's still holding listening sessions in every county, and he has great constituent services.

[Senator_Blutarski]

Russ's strong point is his high integrity...

Russ's strong point was his high integrity...

Feingold now votes the party line for the Democrats. He is a reliable Democrat vote on the Judiciary committee and follows Daschle wherever he goes.

[Catspaw]

Not always. On certain issues, he'll go his own way. Two examples: He voted to see the evidence during Clinton's trial. He voted against the Patriot Act.

I don't agree with him on the issues, but if Feingold is attacked on his integrity, it's a sure loser with the voters.

[ninenot]

Darrow's a Republican Establishment guy. Michels is not--and the difference is in pro-life beliefs and (interestingly) in Darrow's apparent no-holds-barred FreeTrade support.

Neumann's loss to Feinie was blamed, partially, on Thompson, who sat on his hands during the campaign. Neumann is an odd duck and wouldn't make proper obeisance to Tommy; Tommy's ego got in the way.

Feinie is a very slippery, very slick guy. Gonna be very tough to blow him out.

[ninenot]

Feingold AND Sensenbrenner were together in their opposition to certain portions of the Patriot Act (sneak-and-peek, for example.) Sensenbrenner caved after he was brought to the White House and beaten soundly by Cheney, Hastert, and GWB.

Feinie's opposition to the Act is perhaps the only issue on which I agree with him--but not because his opposition would limit the CURRENT Admin....it's the Hillary Clinton regime I fear.

[Catspaw]

Thanks--I had forgotten about Sensenbrenner's opposition to the Patriot Act. He still voted for it. Russ was the only senator to vote against the Patriot Act.

But there's a difference between voting like a Dem--which Russ does most of the time--and attacking him on his integrity. Voters in Wisconsin will perceive that as Feingold being accused of being corrupt (taking bribes for example, or lining his pockets with shady business deals). That's a loser with the voters. He can certainly be attacked on the issues.

He's going to be tough to beat.

[ninenot]

Agreed. Feinie certainly seems to be 'clean Gene,' although the Clinton impeachment vote smells.

The trick is to paint him as an extremist (not hard to do), not as an evil guy.

[Catspaw]

Agreed.

I can't remember what Neumann attacked Feingold on, but I do remember Russ making one of those "I'm going to talk directly to the voters" ads at the end of the race. Whatever is done to attack Feingold, it has to be very subtle, so as not to give him the opportunity to do that again.

[JohnnyZ]

Darrow's a Republican Establishment guy. Michels is not--and the difference is in pro-life beliefs

Is Darrow a pro-abort or just a different flavor of pro-life?

I agree that the media has canonized Saint Russ, but I suspect that image is largely mythical. Feingold is a calculating politician.

But the image is there and has to be ignored. Issues, issues, issues, taxes, military, homeland security.

[Pubbie]

I'm surprised the White House isn't trying to clear the field for Darrow, like they are trying to do for Martinez in Florida.

Darrow is our strongest candidate.

[Pubbie]

Another factor going in the GOPs favor is that WI and it's 10 EVs will be a major target of the Bush administration.

Bush can just spend part of his massive warchest running ads that attack both Feingold and Dean non-stop for 6 months and soften Russ up for the showdown with Darrow.

[AuH2ORepublican]

"Darrow is our strongest candidate."

---

Explanation? I was under the impression Michels was the Saxby Chambliss of 2004.

[Pubbie]

Michels has little if any Name ID in the state.

Darrow has tons of Name ID due his constant TV ads in the state and he is loaded with $$$.

Also Darrow is NOT a used car dealer - he is just a car dealer.

Michels would be better off running for Congress.

[JohnnyZ]

I'm surprised the White House isn't trying to clear the field for Darrow

Probably because they're trying to stay out of primaries (beyond encouraging good candidates to run), popular belief aside. And a good chunk of the Wisconsin GOP establishment has endorsed Welch. And some of us think Tim Michels is the strongest candidate.

Giving money to a politician and then running against him two years later, as Darrow is doing, is not the best idea.

[ninenot]

Maybe, Pubbie, you didn't read the news article at the top of the thread.

If you read it, you will find that Darrow is UNKNOWN outside Milwaukee area.

Frankly, I've seen his ads and driven past his dealerships for 20+ years and had NO idea he was a Pubbie, much less whether he's a conservative.

Michels IS a conservative.

Now, try again. Why is Darrow the "best" candidate?