The campaign of Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI), who is in a tough race for re-election, is in a bit of trouble with yet another new opponent: the National Football League.
Feingold has a new TV ad featuring video of football players engaging in garish dances in the end zone, with an infamous 2005 video of then-Minnesota Vikings player Randy Moss making mooning gestures to the crowd.
“In pro football, they call this excessive celebration. And they punish it with fines and 15-yard penalties. It’s exactly the kind of behavior that corporate special interests and Ron Johnson are engaging in,” Feingold says. “They’re dancing in the end zone because they think they’re going to take down the U.S. senator who has been named the No. 1 enemy of Washington lobbyists. Fortunately, the game isn’t over yet.”
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports that the NFL has asked the campaign to take down ad, on the grounds that they did not license the usage of their footage.
When asked for comment, the Feingold campaign sent TPMDC this statement from senior adviser John Kraus: “We are making an edit to the ad to accommodate the NFL’s concerns.”
The TPM Poll Average gives Republican businessman Ron Johnson a lead of 52.8%-43.5%.
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