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.