From Eric Dondero:

I am in Nashville. Earlier this afternoon I met with Dutch Parliamentarian and Party of Freedom leader Geert Wilders at the Williamson County Republican Headquarters in downtown Franklin. There were about 50 people there for an outdoor Welcome Geert BBQ in the parking lot. During the BBQ attendees got to meet privately with Geert inside for a photo shoot and some words, one at a time.

When it was my turn, I greeted him and welcomed him to the United States. I said "pleasure to meet you," in my broken Dutch. He was taken aback. I invited him to Texas for his next trip to the States. He joked, maybe I can drive back with you to Houston. He said he had never been to the Lone Star State and was anxious for a visit.

He's a very pleasant man in person. Tall, and thinner than I expected. He's constantly smiling. He seemed genuinely excited to be in Nashville.

Security was tight. There were about 20 protesters across the street. They were well-dressed, and looked to be Democrat political operatives. They were holding sings, "Stop Islamophobia." I walked across the street, and snapped a few photos of them. One protester, confirmed to me he was a Democrat. They weren't particularly nasty.

I also met a small group of Jewish supports for Geert at the BBQ, one a Rabbi from Boston, who claimed to be one of the very first people ever, to support Geert in the United States way back in the early 2000s.

Tonight is the big event. Geert Wilders will be addressing a crowd at a very large church on the northside of Nashville. It is sposnored by the Tennessee Freedom Coalition. (tennesseefreedomcoalition.org).

I hope to be able to Live Blog the event. If not, I will bring you all full news of his speech sometime tomorrow.

Note - Obviously, posts to LR today and tomorrow will be less than usual, due to my trip. We should return back to normal format on Saturday.

From Eric Dondero:

Our Host - Blogger, owned by Google has been down for the past 24 hours. We are sorry for the inconvenience. Blogger has informed us they have been doing maintanence on the system. This happens about once or twice a year. Usually, it's only a few hours. This time it was quite a long scheduled maintanence.

All websites using blogger were done - internet-wide.

Everything seems fine now. Comments are back up.

We appreciate our Google hosts, and understand their need to do this on occasion. We will be back up to full speed here at LR with new articles in a few hours.

Thanks Canadians for helping to Liberate the Netherlands from the Nazis

Hopes North Americans will now help Europe defend itself from Islamism

Radio Netherlands:

In his first speech in Canada, Mr Wilders talked about the liberation of the Netherlands in 1945. He paid tribute to the major role played by Canadian forces in freeing the Dutch from the Nazis. That’s the reason, he said, that he wants to help prevent Canada from falling under the yoke of Islam.

He acknowledged that Canada is an immigrant country, which has become home to people from many countries including the Netherlands. The difference is that, in the past, immigrants integrated, whereas the present generation of Muslim newcomers, according to Mr Wilders, refuse to do this. He warned they are intent on ‘Islamising’ the countries where they settle, including Canada.

Continuing from Radio Netherlands:

Alia Hogben chairs the Canadian Council of Muslim Women: “Wilders has been brought here by the Christian right, people who take the Bible literally...

Mr Wilders is a staunch supporter of gay rights. Ms Hogben presumes his association with the Christian right is the result of a common anti-Islam stance... she hopes people will remain alert:

“I hope people have enough sense to realise that he is associating with people who are narrow-minded, who are racists, who are bigots, who see the world in a very intolerant, narrow manner...

Ontario Libertarian Ezra Levant - Wilders "bravest man in Europe"

From the Calgary Herald:

“Multiculturalism, I’m afraid, has been a disaster, but only because it is being used as a tool to promote Islam,” he said Tuesday evening in a private reception at the National Arts Centre.

The reception, which saw more than 200 people pack the Fountain Room at the NAC, was jointly sponsored by the International Free Press Society and Ottawa-based Free Thinking Film Society. It was part of Wilders’ three-city tour of Canada that also included stops in London and Toronto. Maverick political activist and media commentator Ezra Levant introduced Wilders as “the bravest man in Europe.”

Wilders, 47, insists he is not anti-Muslim. Indeed, he has travelled extensively in Muslim countries... He sums up his attitude, saying “I don’t hate Muslims, I hate Islam.”

Arabs [need to] “liberate themselves from Islam (and) reject this evil book, the Koran.”

Canadians, too, need to liberate themselves from notions of cultural relativism that regard all cultures to be of equal worth. How, he said, can a religious culture that allows honour killing, the genital mutilation of women and the stoning of adulterers be considered as anything other than barbaric... Wilder said, Islam is a totalitarian religion.

Notes - Ezra Levant, a nationally-acclaimed free speech advocate, is active with the Canadian Libertarian Party. (libertarian.on.ca)

Canadian Troops (photo above) were the first to enter Amsterdam to liberate the Dutch from the Nazis in 1945.

From the Editor:

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From Cliff Thies:

They say nature abhors a vacuum. Well, what else do you call a thoroughly beatable incumbent Democratic President and an incredibly weak Republican field?

First, it's Newt throwing his hat into the race and now, according to the website "prayforhuckabee.com" ... former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee is "prayerfully considering" an important decision regarding running for President and asks people to pray for him as he seeks to discern God's will for his life. Well, let's be clear, the site is not authorized by Huckabee and comes across as so amateurish as to possibly be a prank.

But, we here at LR never underestimate pandering to the social conservatives.

From George Blumel:

Help Sen. DeMint get public support for his proposed Amendment to the US Constitution by signing our petition at http://www.termlimits.org --we have 42,999 petitions so far. We need a million.

There is no better, more effective, reform of our political system than term limits. The president is limited, most governors are limited and many state legislatures are term limited. But the US Congress runs amok spending like crazy, indenturing our children to their $trillion vote -buying schemes of today -- just to insure their incumbency. They just recently approved an increase in FedGov’s borrowing limit by $1.9 trillion, enough to enable the Treasury to pay its bills only through this month. Soon, they’ll approve an even larger borrowing. Our grandchildren are being burdened with that debt. That is generational theft on a grand scale.

To the professional politicians in Congress getting reelected is Job #1 --to hell with the country, our children and anything else –their incumbency comes first.

For some examples - http://www.posterchildrenfortermlimits.com

Co-sponsors to S.J. Res. 11 are: NH Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte, OK Republican Sen. Tom Coburn, TX Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson, UT Republican Sen. Mike Lee, KY Republican Sen. Rand Paul, FL Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, PA Republican Sen. Pat Toomey, and LA Republican Sen. David Vitter.

Editor's note - I recommend you click on that posterchild link for a nice surprise.

George, from Palm Beachs, FL, is a longtime Republican Liberty Caucus member. He was a Florida Taxpayer Rights activist, before being a Taxpayer Rights activist was cool. But his biggest claim to fame of course, is that he is, Phil's dad (and a proud Grandad of Phil and Julie's two children). Phil serves as President of US Term Limits.

Chris Cristie vows, over my dead body

From Forbes "NJ Gov. Christie vows to reject gas tax increase" May 11:

Legislation proposed by Democratic Assemblyman Albert Coutinho of Newark would raise the gas tax by 8 cents a gallon a year for three years, then increase the levy annually based on the rate of inflation.

The Governor is instead proposing using funds from the abandoned commuter rail tunnel to Manhattan, to replace the shortfall. And he's letting lawmakers know that he would fight like hell to halt any gas tax increase.

From the CourierPostonline.com May 11:

"When they say they only want to raise taxes on some people, keep your hand on your wallet, because they're coming for you next," the Republican governor warned a friendly audience of 350 at the Blue Barn in Evesham.

Continuing from Forbes:

Assembly spokesman Tom Hester Jr. said the governor's comments amounted to "inaccurate fear-mongering."

From Eric Dondero:

One of the men who tackled Muslim Terrorist Rageh al-Murisi on the San Francisco-bound American Airlines flight last Friday, held a press conference with reporters.

Larry Wright is a retired police officer. He described how he and 4 other men subdued al-Murisi, tied his hands, and held him down before the cockpit door.

For the remainder of the flight, approximately 10 minutes, al-Murisi was screaming.

From NBCBayArea.com:

Wright said al-Murisi never spoke to him directly but said "Allahu akbar" some more 30 times during the duration of the flight.

The mainstream media is still searching for a motive.

Photo credit - freewebs.com

Being ugly, and unappealing to males is "liberating"

From Eric Dondero:

Latest Video from the Ayaan Hirsi Ali Foundation (theAHAfoundation.org), exposes the sheer idiocy of Islamist view on beauty and women's rights.

[4 minute mark] There's a kind of control in the way we're expected to groom ourselves now. We're expected to show ourselves and have this glossy hair. So, when a woman chooses to opt out of that system people are shocked.

I met a couple of women in the Midlands, last couple weeks, young female women, Muslims. One of these women was studying advanced engineering, and had gone from her hair, you know, loosely down, and tight t-shirts and jeans, to a burqa, and I said, Wow, why have you done this, this is really radical. And she said, my lecturer wasn't listening to me, the other male students were looking at me, and not paying attention to my work. Now they really listen to my words.

(Ayaan Hirsi Ali - photo right, Author, Human Rights acvtivist, fmr. Dutch MP, and friend of Dutch Party of Freedom leader Geert Wilders).

Editor's comment - strikingly similar to arguments from unattractive feminists like Andrea Dworkin in the 1970s and 80s. A possible explanation for the Left's alliance with Islam? Photo of American leftwing feminist and anti-pornography crusader Dworkin courtesy - GuardianUK.

From Eric Dondero:

Back in 2009, we lauded the local election victory of Ed Mangano, for County Executive of Nassau County. LR, "Another Big '09 Election Victory for Republicans!! Ed Mangano Wins Nassau County Executive - GOP also takes control of County Assembly":

The Recount was finished late Friday. Ed Mangano, Republican candidate for County Executive, grew his lead after absentees to an insurmountable 497 vote margin. Long Island's Newsday reports that "virtually all votes have been counted." Newsday...

Well now the fiscal conservative has proven to have a libertarian streak on social liberties, as well.

From KFOR:

New York's Nassau County, whose rickety finances were taken over by the state, is considering boosting its revenue with a new casino, County Executive Edward Mangano said on Tuesday.

The Republican official said he will unveil plans for luring the new Native American casino and building a "world-class sports-entertainment destination center" on Wednesday.

Any new gambling venue would compete directly with the so-called racino being built at Aqueduct, a racetrack located just west of Nassau County, in the New York City borough of Queens.

LR FOLLOW-UP!

From Eric Dondero, (FSU Grad.):

At TampaBay.com, the St. Pete Times editorial board blasts the idea of Charles Koch's "Libertarian" money going to FSU. This morning, "Koch gift too costly for Florida State":

Florida State University's economics department needs to reconsider its relationship with billionaire Charles G. Koch, who pledged $1.5 million to the school as long as professors hired with the money hew to Koch's Libertarian philosophy. The arrangement reeks of pandering and undermines academic freedom, the cornerstone of American higher education.

The eds go on to decry the lack of vigorous debate in the classroom, if such a policy becomes the norm.

students also have to know their professor is engaged in intellectually honest discourse without fear that if they happen to deviate from their benefactor's ideologically guidelines they could lose their jobs. And students need be confident their grades are not predicated on becoming acolytes of a donor's political beliefs.

But of course, that doesn't apply to state entities pushing a pro-statist agenda.

For Islamic countries, the IMF is "here to help"

From Eric Dondero:

Dominique Strauss-Kahn, head of the International Monetary Fund, was arrested Saturday night for sexual assault on an African-American chamber maid at a posh NYC hotel.

As Morocco News explains (MacroMorocco.com), there had been rumors of his "imprudence" on lifestyle manners:

Apparently taking Greece up the behind wasnt enough for battyboy StraussKahn who was just hauled off a plane in New York after an alleged sexual assault on a hotel maid. IMF Director Dominique StraussKahn was arrested Saturday evening in New York on sexual assault charges...

Three Port Authority detectives pulled Dominique StraussKahn from the planes firstclass cabin just two minutes before it was due to depart for Paris the sources said.

He was widely considered the front runner in replacing French President Nicholas Sarkozy in 2012.

Backer of Islamist causes across North Africa

A bio for Dominique Strauss-Kahn notes that the IMF chief grew up in Morocco. His family moved there when he was 5. The family lived there for 8 years.

A diehard Socialist, Strauss-Kahn is an Economics professor by trade. But in 1997, he won election as Mayor to the "melting pot" city of Sarcelles, just north of Paris. The suburb is known as one of the main areas of Muslim Youth riots starting in 2005. It's also been the site of numerous attacks by Muslim Youth on local French citizens.

Strauss-Kahn has long been viewed as an Arabist, and has pushed for more taxpayer-funded bail-outs by northern European nations for Middle Eastern nations.

Helped to fund Islamist Revolutions in Egypt, Tunisia?

From Yahoo News, April 15:

The head of the International Monetary Fund, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, said Friday that the lender stood ready to offer financial support to Arab countries like Egypt and Tunisia if they ask for it.

"We're here to help," Strauss-Kahn said at a conference on the Middle East and North Africa at IMF headquarters in Washington.

"we have to go beyond" looking at the macroeconomic picture and find ways to help build healthy economies.

"We will be on the side of the people who tried to have things go forward."

Still, he said, economic growth is vital in the battle for social justice...

Later in the article:

"For a democratic revolution, wherever it is, in Africa, in the Middle East... we're going to spend a lot of money, we're going to subsidize a lot of people," he said.

"If Arab revolutions are to be milestones in history, and I believe it can be the case, then I believe the success relies on building democratic institutions, and also labor organizations," he added.

See related LR article from 2009, "France Burns - Muslim Riots" Photo - IMF.org

Polls had him in 2nd place over Sarkozy for French Prez

From Eric Dondero:

By some polls head of the International Monetary Fund Dominique Strauss-Kahn was getting as much as 17% of the French vote in second place behind Marine Le Pen but ahead of Nicolas Sarkozy. He was the expected Socialist Party candidate for president in next year's election.

Now he has been busted in New York for repeatedly assaulting an African-American maid at a posh French-owned hotel. He allegedly forced her to perform sex acts on him. He was pulled off a jet plane on its way to Paris by NYC PD moments before take-off.

From the NY Post "IMF head Strauss-Kahn charged with attempted rape of hotel maid":

The trouble began around noon today, when a housekeeper entered Strauss-Kahn’s room at the Sofitel on West 44th Street.

Strauss-Kahn was in his bathroom, said sources. He emerged from the bathroom naked, said the sources, and grabbed her.

Then, Strauss-Kahn allegedly threw the housekeeper on the room’s bed and forced her to perform oral sex on him, said the sources.

Strauss-Kahn let the maid leave — and soon afterward, headed off to Kennedy Airport for his flight to Paris.

Scheduled to have a private meeting with Germany's Angela Merkel

Somewhat bizarrely, Strauss-Kahn was scheduled to meet with Germany's Angela Merkel today.

From the WSJ "Germany's Merkel To Meet IMF's Strauss-Kahn Sunday":

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will meet Sunday with Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, to discuss a number of key issues including the European debt crisis.

As well as the problems of the euro zone, the two will discuss the upcoming summit of the Group of Eight industrialized nations, the group of 20 most industrialized and emerging economies, Merkel spokesman Steffen Seibert said at a regular government press conference Friday.

Merkel hopes to get to know Strauss-Kahn's opinion on Greece, Portugal and Ireland, Seibert said.

Strauss was an advocate for greater dependency on the European Union and away from sovereignty for Euro nations. He clammored for a much larger IMF central budget with larger contributions from rich nations like Germany.

"It is time to create a level playing field for European workers, especially in the area of labour taxation, social benefits systems and portability, and employment protection legislation.”

Strauss-Kahn according to the London Guardian, had steered the IMF in recent years away from laissez-faire, towards an aggressively interventionist course.

The IMF suffered from three big problems in the period before the former French finance minister took over in the autumn of 2007: it had been ideologically wedded to the free-market philosophy of financial liberalisation that caused the world's banking system to implode; it had suffered from weak leadershipp; and it was short of money.

Strauss-Kahn moved the fund in a more progressive direction...

Now talk is emerging that his logical replacement would be former UK Labor Party leader Gordon Brown.

Brown would be the obvious European choice to continue Strauss-Kahn's work. Brown chaired the IMF's keep policy committee for almost a decade when he was chancellor and believes the fund should actively intervene to tackle poverty and make the global economy less unstable.

Though, the Guardian notes UK Prime Minister and Tory Party leader David Cameron is likely to oppose such a move.

Santorum to benefit?

From Eric Dondero:

Breaking news this morning...

Mike Huckabee announced on his Fox News Show last night that he will not be a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination for 2012.

He said he prayed over the decision, and as various media are reporting his heart just wasn't into it.

Interestingly, the AP talks of Huckabee's decision to pull out as a blow to social conservatives, leaving them with no candidate.

Huckabee is a prominent conservative who would have been a serious contender for the party nod with instant support among Christian evangelicals who dominate the Iowa caucuses and the early South Carolina primary. And with him out of the race, there is no clear candidate out there to for them to rally around.

But they completely leave out former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum.

Object to hatred of Muslim Terrorists

by Susie Robbins & Eric Dondero

On Thursday, Dutch Parliamentarian and Party of Freedom leader Geert Wilders was the guest speaker at two events in Nashville, Tennessee. He came to the US to speak on the dangers of increasing Islamization, open immigration, and Radical Muslim violence against the West.

In the evening, over 2,000 attended his speech at the Cornerstrone Church, north of Nashville. It was organized by the Tennessee Freedom Coalition. But a smaller, more intimate event was sponsored by the Williamson County Republican Party earlier in the day. About 50 attended for outdoor BBQ, and a chance to meet Wilders in person inside, one on one.

The events were not without controversy. The alternative weekly Nashville Scene called the Cornerstone gathering a "hate fest."

"Be Nice or Leave"

At the GOP event, a handful of protesters on the 'other side' of Main Street from the Willamson County Republican Party Headquarters held placards and signs - "No outside agitators here - photos of Osama Bin Laden and Bible Scriptures - Geert Wilders take your hate back home - SHAME - I object." They were respectful and calm yet convinced Geert Wilders is filled with hate and they stand for love.

One protester even held a sign suggesting that the killing of Bin Laden by US forces was not justified; rather, we ought to show love for our enemies.

They confirmed to us, that they were members of the Williamson County Democrat Party.

Peter Burr, Chairman of the Williamson County Democrat Party in a column in the Tennsseean earlier that day, called Wilder's visit a "blatant incitement of hatred."

The Tennesseean also reported:

The Council on American-Islamic Relations issued a statement condemning Wilders’ visit to Tennessee and asking state and local Republican officials to repudiate the decision to “honor one of the world’s leading Islam-haters.”

In a personal interview during the GOP sponsored event, Wilders was asked what he thought of the protestors outside. He said, "I am very happy they are standing there."

He went on to say that in the Netherlands, there is no Freedom of Speech amendment and he is jealous of that right we have in the US. He was glad the protestors were there, peacefully having their say. His wish was that they would engage him in debate, however, and not hold an uniformed protest.

Susie Robbins is a pro-liberty/anti-Islamist blogger at http://www.christiansunitedforamerica.com She was in Nashville for both Wilders events, and snapped the photos above.

2nd time in Twenty Years

From Eric Dondero:

No, it's not Waco. A little further West.

From Reuters - San Antonio, "Texas county official says "stupid" feds sparked fire" May 14:

A county official in the Texas Panhandle is now blaming a federal agency for starting one of the fires through carelessness.

Tom Edwards, the county attorney in rural Motley County east of Lubbock, said on Friday that the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives was responsible on Tuesday for sparking a fire that consumed 150 acres.

"You can quote me on it: That bunch has a real corner on stupid," Edwards told Reuters.

Tom Crowley, a spokesman with the federal agency, said bureau officials were assisting four local bomb squads -- at their request -- to destroy some explosives. Firefighters were on hand, he said. The wind picked up, but the explosives were too dangerous to move, so the officials went ahead and destroyed the explosives.

"Unfortunately, a fragment ignited some grass,” Crowley said.

Jim Hoft at Gateway Pundit notes dryly:

The Obama Administration sent aid to Mexico to battle a 386 square mile fire but refused to consider the 2.5 million acre fire in Texas a disaster area.

Just yesterday, Governor Perry issued another statewide emergency declaration.

White House caves on off-shore oil drilling in Alaska

Just breaking...

From TheHill "Under pressure on gas prices, Obama shifts on domestic drilling"

President Obama announced Saturday the government would hold annual onshore lease sales in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve; extend the life of leases in the Gulf of Mexico and in some areas off the coast of Alaska for one year; speed up ongoing Interior Department testing in the mid- and south-Atlantic to gauge the level of resources; and establish an interagency task force to coordinate permitting for offshore drilling in Alaska.

From Ed Morrissey at HotAir.com:

After five months of escalating political heat, Obama finally decided that we could drill our way out of our problems — or at least his problems...

the fact that Obama had to protect himself in this manner shows how politically damaging his refusal to expand American production has become, and how damaging it will continue to be.

Photo credit - LA Times 2009

UNBELIEVABLE!!

4 AntiWar Democrats vote against Resolution honoring those involved in the Misson

Houston-area Democrat Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a longtime champion of Veterans and active duty Military, joined with libertarian-leaning Michigan Republican Cong. Thaddeus McCotter to initiate a legislative process honoring those associated with the killing of Bin Laden. The Senate side already unanimously "passed a resolution congratulating the military and President Obama for the mission."

What resulted on the House side was an amendment sponsored by Reps. Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.) and Tom Reed (R-N.Y.) It passed near-unanimously with virtually all Democrats joining in with Republicans for the amendment. However, there were four Democrats who voted only "Present."

From The Hill "Four Dems vote 'present' on honoring Bin Laden mission":

After more than a week of deliberation, the House overwhelmingly approved a measure honoring the intelligence community for the mission that killed Osama bin Laden.

The vote wasn’t unanimous, however. Four liberal Democrats – Reps. Dennis Kucinich (Ohio), Barbara Lee (Calif.), Pete Stark (Calif.) and Lynn Woolsey (Calif.) – voted “present” on the measure, which was offered as an amendment to an intelligence authorization bill.

Lee, who opposes the ongoing U.S. military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq, took issue with language in the amendment that reaffirmed congressional support for anti-terrorism missions in Afghanistan and Pakistan...

The other three Democrats did not explain their vote and did not return multiple requests for comment Friday afternoon.

The Hill goes on to note that "All four have long opposed most U.S. military operations and intelligence-gathering methods in the war on terrorism..."

Interestingly, 3 of the 4 are from California.

The broader Lee-McCotter resolution may be voted on this week.

SPECIAL ELECTION!

From Eric Dondero:

Republican State Rep. Sally Faith was recently elected Mayor of St. Charles. She had to resign from the Legislature, which has created an opening for her seat. Representatives from the local Democrat and Republican councils will choose candidates to run in a special election.

Among 5 Republicans vying for the seat is Bill Slantz.

From StLToday.com "Five want to succeed Sally Faith in House":

Bill Slantz, the unsuccessful Libertarian Party nominee against Faith last year. Slantz, 55, now wants to run as a Republican. He says there are "an awful lot of similarities" in the views of Libertarians and conservative Republicans.

But he said his main reason for switching parties is to have a "realistic" chance at actually winning an election and serving the public. Slantz is a consultant in broadcast music rights.

Slantz's priorities?

Repeal the state income tax provision of the Missouri Constitution.
All state and local government functions should, where possible, be funded by user fees.

Up Against a leading Socialist?

From Eric Dondero:

Is it possible? Another Ayn Randian from Wisconsin in the United States Senate? Ron Johnson, newly-elected Senator is a self-described Ayn Rand devotee.

Now news of an un-expected retirement from a senior Democrat Senator has opened up the possibility.

From The Hill:

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said in a statement that he was "surprised" by Sen. Herb Kohl's (D) announcement, and that he will "take some time over the next few days to discuss the news with my family and supporters before making any decision."

Ryan, the chairman of the House Budget Committee, has become a focal point for national Democrats, who have slammed his proposed budget as the "end of Medicare." Democrats are already framing the 2012 elections as a referendum on Ryan's budget plan, a debate that would be further fueled by Ryan's entry into the Senate race.

Ryan's potential challenger on the Dem side? Stridently Anti-Capitalist former Senator Russ Feingold whom Johnson defeated last November.

Given all the rancor over Governor Scott Walker and the State Budget, this promises to be the toughest fought race in the Nation for 2012.