Feingold Again Flees Obama Appearance

I'm noticing a trend here. Earlier this month endangered Democrat Russ Feingold conveniently slipped out of town when the deeply unpopular Barack Obama showed up in Wisconsin, ostensibly to campaign for him. Now Obama returns to Wisconsin with his typical bad timing and the three-term incumbent Feingold is nowhere to be found.

Democratic Party Chairman Timothy Kaine says he sees no slight in Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold skipping a campaign rally tonight where President Barack Obama is appearing on his behalf.

Kaine tells CBS's "The Early Show" that candidates "make their own decisions about these things." And Kaine, a former Virginia governor, says Feingold understands that Obama can energize the party's base.

So why is he not there? Might it be because Obama is radioactive?

Obama's standing in public opinion polls has been falling in recent months, and some Democratic candidates have been reluctant to appear with him.

Obama, meanwhile, is already questioning his own supporters.

Admonishing his own party, President Barack Obama says it would be "inexcusable" and "irresponsible" for unenthusiastic Democratic voters to sit out the midterm elections, warning that the consequences could be a squandered agenda for years.

"People need to shake off this lethargy. People need to buck up," Mr. Obama told Rolling Stone in an interview to be published Friday. The president told Democrats that making change happen is hard and "if people now want to take their ball and go home, that tells me folks weren't serious in the first place."