Democrat Russ Feingold with big lead over incumbent Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI)

By Richard K. Barry

Russ Feingold

A poll released yesterday by Marquette University Law School showed Wisconsin Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson significantly behind former Democratic U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold. Johnson had 38% and Feingold had 54%.

Johnson unseated Feingold in 2010. Feingold hasn't announced his plans but is widely expected to run again.

Johnson's lag behind Feingold is a sign "that (Feingold's) not been forgotten, nor has the public seemingly turned against him in his time away from the state," said Charles Franklin, director of the poll.

Jessie Opoien at The Cap Times writes that "while Democrats are aggressively targeting Johnson," considered by many one of the most vulnerable senators up for reelection, "Republicans have already started going after Feingold as the presumed challenger, painting him as an out-of-touch Washington insider."

Ah, yes, the out-of-touch-Washington-insider card. An oldie but goodie. 

You want out-of-touch?  Here's what Johnson said back in 2010 about climate change

A global warming skeptic, Johnson said extreme weather phenomena were better explained by sunspots than an overload of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, as many scientists believe.

"I absolutely do not believe in the science of man-caused climate change," Johnson said. "It's not proven by any stretch of the imagination."

Johnson, in an interview last month, described believers in manmade causes of climate change as "crazy" and the theory as "lunacy."

There are a number of other reasons to show this guy the door, but this is a good one.  

Senate Republicans will be playing a lot of defence in 2016

By Richard K. Barry

Of the 34 U.S. Senators up for reelection in 2016, 10 are Democrats and 24 are Republicans, which will provide a great opportunity for Democrats to take back the Senate.

One race worth considering in the early stages is Republican Ron Johnson's Wisconsin Senate seat, which Public Policy Polling finds to be very competitive should Russ Feingold jump in for the Democrats. PPP has Feingold at 50% to Johnson's 41% at this point in a hypothetical rematch of their 2010 contest.

Johnson hasn't proven to be very popular during his first term in the Senate. Only 32% of voters approve of the job he's doing to 40% who disapprove. 28% of voters with no opinion about him also suggests he hasn't made a terribly strong impression on people over the last 4 years. Meanwhile Feingold is still relatively popular despite his 2010 loss. 46% of voters see him favorably to 35% with an unfavorable opinion. That makes him more popular than any other politician in the state who we looked at on this poll.

After the disaster in 2014, it will be great fun to watch a bunch of Republican sweat it out. 

Early days, but I'm looking forward to it.