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Dean, Feingold to pay Madison visit

In round two of the slew of political figures who have swept through the state this year, two more major Democratic figures will hit Madison this week.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean will headline a rally at the Majestic Theater Tuesday night, while U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., will address students tonight at Memorial Union.

“I don’t think anything is going to compare to craziness we saw in that week before primary in February, but this is going to be a great week,” said Oliver Kiefer, chair of the College Democrats of Madison. “This is going to be a great opportunity for progressive students to say our fight is not over.”

Dean, a former governor of Vermont and 2004 presidential candidate, will speak Tuesday as part of a Grassroots Rally highlighting Wisconsin’s important role in the presidential race.

Tickets for the event will be $15 for students, and doors at the Majestic on 115 King St. open at 5 p.m. for the 5:30 event.

Kiefer said the event, as part of the trend of attention on Wisconsin, shows the importance of Madison and its tradition of student voter turnout.

“It kind of makes sense that after the primaries — it’s a message to come together, start working together and beat John McCain in the fall,” Kiefer added.

Feingold will appear Monday as part of the Wisconsin Union’s Distinguished Lecture Series in the Great Hall at 7:30 p.m.

DLS Director Aaron McKean said the lecture is intended to cater to a student audience, and Feingold will discuss international volunteerism and its impact on the global community.

“The message that Feingold is bringing is about international service, and especially the importance of international service after 9/11,” McKean said.

McKean added Feingold will discuss how international service of young Americans affects international perceptions of the United States.

Feingold is a UW alumnus and has served in the Senate since 1993. His focuses largely on foreign relations, which Kiefer said will be key to his lecture.

Feingold is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the Judiciary Committee and the Select Committee on Intelligence, and he is widely known for his outspoken positions critical of the Bush administration and the Patriot Act.

According to Kiefer, the 10 wards surrounding the UW campus saw more than 14,000 voters in February’s presidential primary, and he expects more voters in the general election than in 2004, likely topping 30,000.

“That speaks really to the dedication of our student body to the civic process,” Kiefer said. He added visits from candidates to Madison this year “really paid dividends” by bringing out enthusiasm among younger voters.

Dean also visited Madison and packed the Majestic in 2004 in a stop for his own presidential campaign, just weeks before his defeat in the Wisconsin primary. He came in a distant third place in that vote, dropping out of the race the next day.