I'm now sorting out all of the scattered bits of my weekend. It certainly was full, and with the gorgeous weather that we had, it really was golden.

As I mentioned, Friday night was Gallery night. I always have a blast wandering through the Winnebago studios, and watching the glass blowing over at Studio Paran. The Gallery Night activities ended at 9, so I then headed down to the Civic Center to catch a bit of the Isthmus Jazz Festival. I was able to listen to Tony Castañeda Latin Jazz Quintet (rather than the usual Quartet) in the Crossroads area of the civic center. Discovered that it is physically impossible not to dance to well-played latin jazz.

Saturday found me back at the Farmer's Market, tying helium balloons as usual. Weather-wise it was such an improvement from the last market. The sun was out and the wind was light; very Indian Summer. Everyone seemed to be in a wonderful mood.

Headed over to the Russ Feingold campaign office to do data entry and collate letters for awhile. I'm starting to get the politcal buzz. In case you need a reminder as to why Russ rock:

PROMISES MADE, PROMISES KEPT

When first running for U.S. Senate in 1992, Russ made a contract with the people of the state, which he painted on his garage doors in Middleton:

Contract Between RUSS FEINGOLD and the PEOPLE of WISCONSIN

1. I will rely on Wisconsin citizens for most of my contributions.

2. I will live in Middleton, Wisconsin. My children will go to school here and I will spend most of my time here in Wisconsin.

3. I will accept no pay raise during my six-year term in office.

Russell D. Feingold
November 3, 1991

Russ later made two additional promises:

4. I will hold a "Listening Session" in each of Wisconsin's 72 counties each year of my six-year term in office.

5. I will hire the majority of my Senate staff from individuals who are from Wisconsin or have Wisconsin backgrounds.

Russ has kept every one of these promises:

- Russ' 1992 and 1998 re-election campaigns raised the majority of their funds from Wisconsin individuals. In 1998, almost 15,000 Wisconsinites contributed to Russ for his historic re-election campaign, in which he did not accept any soft money from his party and restricted his campaign expenditures to $1 per voter. Russ is also raising the majority of his funds for his 2004 re-election campaign from Wisconsin individuals. For more information, read a recent article from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Campaign filings show Feingold keeping promise on contributions."

- Russ has kept his promise to maintain his home in Middleton, Wisconsin, with his wife, Mary, and their four children. Mary operates her own business communications service called Write Now. They have four college-age children, Jessica and Ellen Feingold, and Sam and Ted Speerschneider. Russ is proud that his children are, like himself, products of the Wisconsin public education system.

- Russ does not accept pay raises during each term in office. When Congress votes to raise its pay or when it is scheduled to receive a cost of living increase, Russ sends his share back to the U.S. Treasury. As part of his efforts to reform government, Russ has introduced legislation that would end these automatic cost-of-living increases, so that Congress would be accountable to the public in deciding when to raise its pay.

-Russ visits each one of Wisconsin's 72 counties every year and holds a listening session that is free and open to the public- that's over 675 listening sessions so far. These listening sessions have given Russ the opportunity to hear the concerns of Wisconsinites first-hand. Russ has met with thousands of Wisconsinites during these listening sessions, and has taken thousands of their comments and suggestions with him to Washington D.C. Nobody knows Wisconsin better than Senator Feingold.

- Russ is proud that the majority of staff people in his Senate office are from Wisconsin or have Wisconsin backgrounds.

We cannot afford to lose this man from the Senate.

On Sunday, Howard Dean came to Madison, and spoke outside of the Kohl center. It was a very rousing speech, really got the crowd fired up. Although I did have to mock the young woman from NOW who introduced Dean, for her super-ennunciation and over-dramatic delivery. It sounded like a high school commencement speech, and was very silly.

I'm not completely sold on Dean yet, and do plan to see the rest of the Dems if possible if and when they hit Madison. Anyone but Lieberman, that's all I'm saying.