Feingold Fights for His Life.

• Position: Russ Feingold

Here's a quick political quiz: Which candidate running for U.S. Senate has been attacking his opponent for waffling on citizens' Second Amendment rights? Hint: The same candidate frequently invokes the Constitution, has taken lone-wolf positions opposing government wiretapping and other forms of Big Brother-like overreaching, and has voted against the Obama Administration's financial reform legislation, saying it won't stop more bank bailouts.

Rand Paul? Sharron Angle?

Nope. Make that Senator Russ Feingold, Democrat of Wisconsin.

Feingold's campaign released a radio ad in August slamming Republican opponent Ron Johnson for his wishy-washy position on gun control. Johnson, an Oshkosh businessman who has the backing of tea party groups including Liberty Central in Alexandria, Virginia, was recorded answering a voter's question about what limits he would support on gun ownership:

"You know, like we license cars and stuff, I don't have a real problem in a minimal licensing and stuff," Johnson said.

"I'm not a gun owner," he added, sounding like a lot of Russ Feingold's liberal, Democratic supporters. Basically, he said, he supports the right to bear arms, but doesn't mind the idea of some government supervision.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Wrong answer, says Feingold. His radio ad mocks this position, and brings on an unnamed "lifelong hunter and proud gun owner" from Wisconsin. "Let me get this straight," says the hunter, "[Ron Johnson] supports licensing guns like cars?! Well, Ron, that ain't freedom."

Then Feingold chimes in: "I'm Russ Feingold, and I approved this message, because you shouldn't have to wait in line at the DMV to get a license for your constitutional rights and freedoms."

Wow!

That message will play well in northern Wisconsin, but it might come as a surprise to Feingold's national, progressive fan base.

A lot of people don't realize that Feingold has been a Second Amendment defender for longer than he's been in office. In fact, he says, he wrote his senior thesis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on the subject, after arguing with classmates about whether there is an individual, constitutional right to bear arms. Back in Janesville, Wisconsin, he was "brought up in an environment where many of my friends' families had guns in the living room, hanging right over the mantel. I was comfortable with that," he says. Although he is not a gun owner or a hunter himself, he passionately defends the rights of others, including "the older couple who live in the city," or the widow who lives alone on a farm, to keep guns.

Feingold's pro-gun stance includes voting to allow people to bring...