Free from any concerns about getting reelected, Russ Feingold is completely candid. Here’s a snippet from his interview with John Nichols of The Nation.

THE NATION: What do you mean when you refer to “the broader struggle”? What should progressives do now?

RUSS FEINGOLD: I don’t know how it could be more stark or clear: this entire society is being dominated by corporate power in a way that may exceed what happened in the late nineteenth century, early twentieth century. The incredible power these institutions now have over the average person is just overwhelming: the way they can make these trade deals to ship people’s jobs overseas, the way consumers are just brutalized and consumer protection laws are marginalized, the way this town here—Washington—has become a corporate playground. Since I’ve been here, this place has gone from a government town to a giant corporate headquarters.

To me, the whole face of the country—whether it be the government, the media, agriculture, what happens on Main Street—has become so corporatized that the progressive movement is as relevant as it was one hundred years ago, maybe more so. It’s the same issues. It’s just that [corporate] power, because of money, international arrangements and communications, is so overwhelming that the average person is nearly helpless unless we develop a movement that can counter that power. I know we’ve all tried over the years, but this is a critical moment. We need to regenerate progressivism and make it relevant to what’s happening right now. But there’s no lack of historical comparison to a hundred years ago. It’s so similar; the only real difference is that corporate power is even more extended. It’s the Gilded Age on steroids.

Feingold also sounds like a man itching to get back in the game. If Sen. Herb Kohl retires, as many expect, I think Feingold could be back in the Senate after a mere two year break. But his point is an important one. Progressives need to find a new way out of this box. But, at the same time, we have to protect what we have.

THE NATION: You’ve never been cautious about suggesting that this president has missed the mark, not just on trade but on a host of economic issues. Yet you reject talk of a Democratic primary challenge that might press Obama on some of these issues. Why?

RUSS FEINGOLD: I’m going to be supporting President Obama. I don’t see it as productive to go after, and basically make it very difficult for, somebody to be re-elected who I think has, at least in a number of areas, some progressive instincts. I think there’s still great opportunity for him. So I’m not one who believes that a primary challenge that would weaken him in a serious way is a good idea. Now, I understand some people are of the opinion that a challenge would strengthen him; but I’m a little bit skeptical. I look at these Republican candidates [laughs] and I know pretty well who I want to be president. You know, this is serious business, when you see what these people [Republicans] want to do. You give them a president, and we are really in trouble.

That’s about exactly where I am (and have been) in relation to this administration. I am probably a little less sure than Feingold that new free trade agreements are going to do the kind of job-exporting damage that we saw with NAFTA. A trade agreement with South Korea could be mutually beneficial, or even more beneficial to our side. I think we should be careful of seeing red anytime we hear the words “free trade.” I think we’re going to continue to lose jobs because our labor is comparatively expensive and we want to keep it that way. NAFTA was harmful because Mexico borders our country. Lowering trade barriers with places like South Korea and Peru will have consequences, some of which are negative, but it won’t result in a mass exodus of U.S. factories. With that difference of opinion, I’m with Feingold. When corporate interests can turn the GOP from Cap & Traders (it was in McCain and Palin’s platform) into climate change deniers in a mere two years, and shift public opinion about it dramatically as well, then we have no chance. These people are going to destroy everything if they are not stopped. For now, that means we need a strong president. He’s our bulwark while we figure out how the hell to fix this structural problem with our politics.