Senate Democrats throughout the country are worried about losing their seats in Congress and many polls say they should be.
   
Even Wisconsin’s incumbent, Sen. Russ Feingold, doesn’t seem to be safe. Feingold has a history of being one of few senators willing to go against his own party. He has a history of voting on issues he believes in, rather than what the parties are saying. In 2001, Feingold was the only senator to vote against the Patriot Act. He also voted to confirm Bush nominees like John Roberts and John Ashcroft
   
Despite his reputation as an independent voice, Feingold is still struggling in the polls along with other Democrats. Talking Points Memo’s most recent election poll has Feingold trailing his challenger Ron Johnson by 7.4 percentage points. The poll shows Johnson at 52.3 percent and Feingold at 44.9 percent.
   
Some Wisconsin residents said despite all his efforts, Feingold just hasn’t done enough.

Business owner, Marlene Hansen, said Feingold’s good intentions have done nothing for the people. Hansen runs Wisconsin’s historic 1856 Octagon House.

The house was deemed the second most haunted house in Wisconsin on the History Channel. Hansen hosts tours and nighttime dinners for community members. She also makes Victorian costumes that guests of the house can rent out during their visit.

“I’m in charge of a house here that goes back to the Civil War and when I see politics from then and now, not a lot has changed,” Hansen said.

Hansen went on to say that she thinks other voters in Wisconsin would agree with her in saying that they’ve lost faith in Feingold.

“I’m 72 so I’ve lived here quite a few administrations; I’m disenchanted with our president; I’m disenchanted with our leaders,” Hansen said. “When Feingold campaigned he was going to set the world on fire and he realized and if he wanted to keep his job he couldn’t make much change.”

Though she said she doesn’t think Johnson will be much different as a senator, she said his position as a businessman might give him a new approach on decision-making.

“It’s money talking all the way through and frankly I don’t know if I want to vote for either one,” Hansen said. “I want to think that a business man who has a track record of keeping people in business might be able to do something because Feingold didn’t, he was full of hot hair.”

Hansen’s thoughts on Feingold mirrored what she had to say about the federal government as a whole. She said people think money is not being spent the way it should be.

“We’re a trillion dollars in debt. Do you think you and I could run our household being trillions of dollars in debt? We can’t,” Hansen said.

Though Hansen’s words on Feingold were tough, many American’s throughout the country have said that even with good intentions, Democrats aren’t cutting it.

Reach staff reporter Frances Vega here.

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