Gore will have plenty of competition from the usual crowd of Washington Democrats - House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, U.S. Sen. John Kerry and 2000 Democratic challenger Bill Bradley are all making noises about possible runs. But he may also face an unexpected and unpredictable challenger from the party's progressive wing: Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold.

It is no secret that Feingold has been nosing around the edges of the 2004 presidential campaign. But there are signals that he might be getting more serious about a run. U.S. News & World Report upped the speculation ante last week, with a short feature suggesting that, while "it's still less than 50-50 that he'll run, Wisconsin Sen. Russell Feingold plans to hit college campuses this fall to lay out a progressive Democratic agenda that may turn into his presidential platform."

The U.S. News report suggests that Feingold is "being encouraged to run in 2004 by friends who like his pro-youth, pro-labor and campaign finance reform message." These "friends" reportedly "think he can energize voters without spending much money. His targets are Bill Bradley and Ralph Nader voters"

U.S. News has it about half right. While some Feingold friends are encouraging the senator to run, others are actively discouraging him. On one side is the camp that argues Feingold has what it takes to "pull a John McCain" - running a rebel campaign against politics as usual and the party establishment that might gain even more traction in Democratic primaries than Feingold's campaign finance reform comrade did in the 2000 Republican contest. On the other side is the camp that argues Feingold, whose record on labor, environmental and international affairs issues is arguably the best in the Senate, should not risk a run in a year when his seat is up for grabs.

Both camps make good points. While I have disagreed passionately with Feingold's votes on a handful of issues - most recently his support for the confirmations of Attorney General John Ashcroft and Interior Secretary Gail Norton - he is a rare progressive force in national politics. Behind the scenes in the Senate, there is simply no better player on issues of globalization, democracy, environmental protection and military oversight and human rights in African, Asia and Latin America. To lose his voice, and his ability to subtlely influence the process, in the Senate would be a tragedy.

At the same time, a presidential candidacy by Feingold is simply too intriguing a prospect to casually dismiss. If he can relax enough to let his humor, his compassion and his absolute mastery of the issues show, he has the potential to outshine any of the competitors. More importantly, his take on the issues - which is deeply rooted in the Wisconsin Progressive tradition of distrust of concentrated power and military adventurism - has a tremendous constituency, both within the Democratic Party and beyond it.

It is unsettling to imagine a Senate without Feingold, but it is invigorating to imagine a presidential campaign with him. Given a choice between caution and the bold gesture, Feingold should opt for the latter. Even if he decides finally against a presidential run, the senator should explore his options for the simple reason that the Democratic discourse would be dramatically energized by the prospect of a Feingold candidacy.

Copyright 2001 The Capital Times

###