Senator Russell Feingold (D), like most U.S. Senators, has a fairly low level of name recognition on the national level. Eighteen percent (18%) of Americans have a favorable opinion of him and 41% hold an unfavorable view. Those figures include just 5% with a Very Favorable opinion and 16% with a Very Unfavorable view.

However, when survey respondents are told that Feingold “has called for the censure of President Bush,” both favorable and unfavorable opinions of the Senator jump dramatically. With that knowledge, 41% have a favorable opinion of Feingold. Not coincidentally, 41% also favor censuring the President.

Knowing his position on censure, 50% have an unfavorable opinion of Feingold. That’s close to the 47% who are opposed to censure.

Like the notion of censure itself, opinions of Feingold vary sharply on a partisan basis. Prior to knowing about censure, 21% of Democrats and 14% of Republicans have a favorable opinion of Feingold. After being informed of his view on censure, 62% of Democrats have a favorable view of Feingold. Only 15% of Republicans share that positive assessment. The number of Republicans with an unfavorable view of Feingold jumps from 47% to 80% when his advocacy of censure becomes known.

Rasmussen Reports continuously updates the favorability ratings of members of Congress along with Republican and Democratic Presidential candidates.

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