The latest edition of US News & World Report’s Washington Whispers (01/10) speculates that Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold might be considering a Presidential campaign in 2008.

Keep a lookout for Sen. Russ Feingold , the second half of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance duo, who just won a third term from Wisconsin voters. He’s on a nationwide mission to test out his progressive message that’s liberal on some issues, like universal healthcare, and conservative on others, like the deficit. Fans think he can bridge the blue-state-red-state divide, making him not just a voice for a changing Democratic Party but a possible ‘08 presidential candidate. He’s not the only one: Republicans are keeping an eye on Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney , who’s on his own message tour.

A link to this tidbit was posted on Daily Kos and has generated quite a bit of discussion. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a huge fan of Feingold. Take, for instance, this excerpt from a speech on the Senate Floor:

Of course, there is no doubt that if we lived in a police state, it would be easier to catch terrorists. If we lived in a country that allowed the police to search your home at any time for any reason; if we lived in a country that allowed the government to open your mail, eavesdrop on your phone conversations, or intercept your email communications; if we lived in a country that allowed the government to hold people in jail indefinitely based on what they write or think, or based on mere suspicion that they are up to no good, then the government would no doubt discover and arrest more terrorists.

But that probably would not be a country in which we would want to live. And that would not be a country for which we could, in good conscience, ask our young people to fight and die. In short, that would not be America.

Preserving our freedom is one of the main reasons that we are now engaged in this new war on terrorism. We will lose that war without firing a shot if we sacrifice the liberties of the American people.

That statement was made on October 25th of 2001 and is representative of the man who cast the sole dissenting vote against the USA PATRIOT Act. He’s awesome. I hope he runs.