Feingold takes
                       campaign finance
                      reform message to
                                  L.A. 


                  By Melanie Fonder
                  For The News-Chronicle
                  WASHINGTON - Though much of the Democratic
                  National Convention in Los Angeles last week seemed
                  to be all about the Hollywood parties and glitz, not
                  every politician was buying into the seemingly endless
                  string of corporate-sponsored events. 

                  Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Janesville, strongly berated both
                  his party and the Republican party for their
                  conventions, calling them "corporate trade shows." 

                  Speaking to a crowd at the "Shadow Convention" in
                  L.A., Feingold spoke on his signature issue, campaign
                  finance reform. The gathering was organized by Arianna
                  Huffington to highlight issues not addressed by the two
                  major parties at their conventions. At the Republican
                  National Convention in Philadelphia, Sen. John McCain,
                  R-Ariz., addressed the same topic. 

                  "The Democratic Party is supposed to be the party of
                  the people ... not the party of big money," Feingold
                  said. 

                  Feingold caused a ruckus Wednesday when he
                  released a list of 25 events he said he and other
                  senators were given and told to attend nine of those
                  gatherings throughout the week. 

                  "I think it's wrong to attend events that involve access
                  only for those who give amounts of money that I think
                  should be illegal," Feingold told ABC's Peter Jennings. 

                  Feingold also spoke, for a much shorter period, from
                  the real convention floor on Tuesday and said Vice
                  President Al Gore is supportive of campaign finance
                  reform, while GOP presidential candidate Gov. George
                  W. Bush is not. 

                  WISCONSIN GOVERNOR 2002
                  Among the heavily-discussed topics at the convention
                  for the state's 93 delegates was who is lining up to
                  succeed GOP Gov. Tommy Thompson in 2002.
                  Thompson, the longest serving governor of Wisconsin,
                  has said he will not run for a fifth term, though some
                  pundits speculate he could change his mind. 

                  Attorney General James Doyle announced his
                  candidacy for the post earlier this year at the state
                  Democratic convention. Other possibilities include U.S.
                  Sen. Herb Kohl, Milwaukee Mayor John Norquist and
                  sophomore Rep. Ron Kind of La Crosse. 

                  PLANES, TRAINS AND BOATS
                  Democratic presidential nominee Al Gore and his vice
                  presidential nominee, Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn.,
                  didn't rest following their convention in L.A., but headed
                  straight for the battleground Midwest. 

                  Arriving in La Crosse around 6 a.m. Friday, Gore and
                  Lieberman with their wives, Tipper and Hadassah,
                  greeted supporters and the media as they began their
                  post-convention trip via the Mark Twain riverboat. The
                  four-day trip down the Mississippi River, from La
                  Crosse to Hannibal, Mo., Mark Twain's hometown, is
                  expected to end today. 

                  Much like Texas Gov. George Bush did via train
                  following his convention in Philadelphia two weeks ago,
                  Gore hopes to use any bounce he may have received in
                  L.A. to woo swing voters in the Midwest. 

                  Overnight stops included Dubuque, Iowa, Moline, Ill.
                  and Keokuk, Iowa, with several daytime stops during
                  the 400-mile trip. The Liebermans stopped in Genoa to
                  to observe the Jewish Sabbath, which began at
                  sundown Friday, and later rejoined the Gores. 

                  NEXT WEEK
                  Watch for an updated election preview of Wisconsin's
                  congressional delegation, including new details on their
                  well-stocked war chests. All nine representatives are
                  up for reelection along with Kohl. 

                  This column by Fonder, a staff writer for The Hill, a
                  Washington-based weekly newspaper that covers
                  Congress, appears every Monday in the
                  News-Chronicle. You can send her e-mail with
                  comments at melfonder@yahoo.com.