Feingold Calls Partisan Attacks on McCain ‘a Joke’

Democratic Senator Russ Feingold (Wis.) strayed from Democratic talking points in a recent interview, praising John McCain as “maverick by nature” and calling partisan attacks against him “a joke.”

“I think the guy calls ’em as he sees ’em, and as president would call ’em as he sees ’em, and would make people mad all over the place because it wouldn’t fit anybody’s playbook,” Feingold told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

“The notion that somehow [McCain] is going to get in there and be some kind of ideological Newt Gingrich right-winger is a joke,” Feingold said. “There’s no way that he would do that.”

Feingold, who teamed up with McCain on campaign finance reform, said he supports Barack Obama over McCain for “many, many reasons,” but added that McCain is “a great guy to fight an uphill battle with legislatively.”

“I probably shouldn’t be saying this stuff,” Feingold admitted, “but to be honest about it, [working on McCain-Feingold] was one of the better professional experiences I’ve ever had in my life.”