Feingold challenges 'squishy middle'

At a time when high-profile Democratic Party warhorses such as Hillary Clinton are hewing aggressively to the middle, Wisconsin senator and possible presidential aspirant Russell Feingold is warning the party might be in need of more organ transplants than the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion combined. “Democrats need to stand up and say what we believe and show some guts,” said Feingold, 53, during a hurried phone interview ... “We need to stop listening so much to the paid consultants and start listening to the people.” Feingold warned that fellow Democrats risk failure by trying to play it safe. “I think it’s clear we can’t expect to win by default,” he said. “We’ve tried that approach and, as a result, we lost in 2000, 2002, and 2004.”

That's the intro to Nick Welsh's column in the Santa Barbara Independent. Feingold is there this weekend.