Conservative favorite Paul Ryan and progressive standard bearer Russ Feingold don’t have much in common politically, but they do share a hometown.
Russ Feingold, the former Democratic senator — who was unseated by Wisconsin voters during the Republican surge in 2010 — and Rep. Paul Ryan both hail from the southern Wisconsin city of Janesville, where the congressman still lives.
Feingold has previously expressed respect for Ryan’s intellect, calling him "brilliant," even as the two have disagreed politically.
Feingold issued a statement on congratulating Ryan on his selection and noting that the two men had worked together as member’s of Wisconsin’s congressional delegation and "share a great hometown."
And then came the criticism:
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It is clear that the Romney-Ryan ticket is fundamentally wrong for our nation,” he said. “From reining in the excesses of Wall Street, to reforming our disastrous job-killing trade policy, and especially with respect to budget and tax policies, the Republican ticket is the wrong choice. Romney-Ryan will continue to push policies that place the burden on working families and seek to destroy Medicare and Social Security as we know them.
Janesville residents are buzzing over the Ryan news.
Feingold’s sister, Rabbi Dena Feingold, has discussed growing up in Janesville and the city’s small Jewish community, which she said consisted largely of her extended family.
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