Democrat Russ Feingold is calling on his Republican opponent, U.S. Senator Ron Johnson, to join him in opposing the proposed Trans Pacific Partnership trade deal.
Feingold made the call Monday, while addressing a union group, the state Council of Machinists conference in Madison.
“This is a raw deal for American workers, and especially for Wisconsin workers,” said Feingold.
“All of a sudden, a guy who’s voted for every single trade agreement since he’s been in the Senate, is saying he either doesn’t have time or he needs more time. There’s no evidence that he’s even looked at it at all.”
A Johnson campaign spokesman said Feingold “decided months ago to try for cheap political points by condemning this deal before he’d even read it.”
Johnson spokesman Brian Reisinger said the GOP Senator is “closely examining what this complicated agreement would actually do before he makes a decision.”
“Senator Johnson has had the opportunity since November to review this agreement that I had already reviewed,” Feingold said. “I have no evidence that he looked at it.”
Feingold, who lost his Senate seat to Johnson in 2010, is leading the Senate race 49.1 percent to 37 percent, according to the latest Marquette Law School poll. Feingold said Monday that he thinks the race is much closer than that.