Russell Feingold in Past and present Senate candidates from Wisconsin

On Abortion: Supports public funding for Planned Parenthood

Feingold: No

Johnson: Yes. Believes Roe v Wade "was a tragedy."[1]

Q: On Contraception: Should employers be able to withhold contraceptive coverage from employees if they disagree with it morally?

Feingold: Likely no, implied from positions on women's access to health care.

Johnson: Yes

Q: On Healthcare: Should Planned Parenthood be eligible to receive public funds for non-abortion health services?

Feingold: Yes

Johnson: No

On Foreign Policy: Supports Iran nuclear deal

Feingold: Yes

Johnson: No

Q: On Iraq: Should the US recommit significant additional ground troops to Iraq to combat the success of ISIS?

Johnson: Organize global military coalition, including as many as 25,000 US combat troops.

Feingold: Use all resources except boots on the ground. Attack leaders, cut off funding sources, use targeted military action. Was one of only 23 senators to vote against authorizing President Bush to go to war in Iraq to begin with.

On Energy & Oil: Climate change is real and we need to address it

Russ Feingold: Climate change is real and we need to address it. I am dedicated to protecting our air, water, and public lands, and to supporting efforts to address the reality of climate change. Wisconsin's tradition of conservation is not just about protecting our environment, it's also about protecting the health and well-being of current and future generations. This work will require our state to be an active partner with the federal government to make this a plan that truly serves the people of Wisconsin.

On Government Reform: Outraged by Shelby County v. Holder; enforce voting rights

Russ Feingold: Yes. I was proud to co-sponsor the Voting Rights Act reauthorization in 2006, and I was outraged by the decision in Shelby County v. Holder, which undid necessary protections for voters in areas with histories of discrimination. As soon as the decision was announced, a number of states enacted new laws to make it harder for ordinary people to vote, including Wisconsin. If elected I would absolutely support new legislation to reestablish the important protections of the Voting Rights Act.

On Gun Control: Universal background checks plus waiting periods

Russ Feingold: I believe in universal background checks as well as common-sense waiting periods and restrictions on high-capacity magazines. These measures will help address the gun violence crisis in our country. While I believe that the Second Amendment grants an individual right to own firearms, I also believe that it's time for us to unite to address gun violence.

On Free Trade: Opposes lousy trade deals

On Government Reform: Created "Progressives United" PAC as soon as he left office

Republicans say Feingold--whose claim to fame is the co-authorship of the sweeping campaign finance law that bears his name--created a campaign-in-waiting using the kind of outside group that he's spent his career railing against. "Mr. Campaign Finance Reform realizes that one of the first things he did when he left office was to set up a PAC," Johnson said.

On Health Care: 2010: I knew that over time, ObamaCare would work out

That race, like many others, turned on voter anger toward Washington, including the raw emotions over Obamacare, which Feingold voted to enact. "Oh no," Feingold said when asked whether he would have voted differently on the law looking back at it now. "I stood with my vote on the Affordable Care Act in 2010. I was one of the only candidates to do that," Feingold said. "I understand people have been lied to repeatedly [from Republicans] about what was in the bill. I regretted that, but it was fairly stated that over time that it would work out. That's exactly what's happened."

On Principles & Values: Badger Pledge: keep outside groups out of state race

On Energy & Oil: 2003 "4P": use Clean Air Act to reduce coal plant pollutants

By comparison, Feingold accepts the science and has consistently voted and spoken out for action. Feingold has said, "Climate change is real and we need to address it." In 2003 Feingold sponsored so-called "4P" legislation, which would have used the Clean Air Act to reduce four pollutants at coal-fired power plants, including carbon. Feingold opposed efforts that would have undone the EPA's endangerment finding and stopped efforts to address carbon pollution, explaining that "would have stalled our march toward energy independence through more efficient vehicles, alternative fuels and renewable energy, all of which can spur new American jobs."

On Environment: Clean Water Restoration Act to protect streams and wetlands

As a Great Lakes senator, Feingold showed particular leadership of water issues. Year after year, Feingold sponsored the Clean Water Restoration Act, to preserve Clean Water Act protections for millions of miles and acres of streams and wetlands. It's the same issue that President Obama addressed with a new clean-water rule just this week, a rule that the Senate will likely try to kill soon. So far, [Feingold's opponent] Sen. Ron Johnson hasn't added his name as a cosponsor, but he's expressed concerns about the rule, and this may soon provide a stark policy contrast between the two Wisconsin politicians.

On Health Care: Healthcare reform is a good compromise

"We didn't need a 2,600-page bill passed in the middle of the night to address the problems that do exist in our health care industry," Johnson fired back, arguing in favor of repealing a bill that he said amounts to a government takeover and will cost the average family $2,100.

On Jobs: $184B stimulus created jobs, especially highway construction