Tom Harkin: “with the close of the 111th Congress, the Senate will lose to retirement Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin--a proud…”

“with the close of the 111th Congress, the Senate will lose to retirement Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin--a proud progressive, a fearless reformer, and a genuine maverick in the very best sense of that much-abused term. During his three terms in this body, Senator Feingold has been a worthy successor to another great progressive reformer from Wisconsin, Senator Robert ``Fighting Bob'' LaFollette, whose desk I am proud to occupy, here on the Senate floor--and whose portrait is displayed prominently in Senator Feingold's office. Like Senator LaFollette, Russ Feingold knows that it is not enough to be on the side of the angels. It is not enough to have our hearts in the right place. Progressivism, by its very nature, is a fight against entrenched corporate interests, entrenched economic privilege, and entrenched political power. If we are going to succeed against these forces, we have to know how to fight, and we have to be willing to fight. And, as our colleagues here in the Senate know very well, Senator Feingold is equally skilled at building bridges across the aisle and tenaciously carrying the fight to those who oppose progressive change.”