Wisconsin Senate candidate Russ Feingold chose his words carefully when asked about third-party money influencing the race for the seat.
"I believe that we shouldn’t have these super PACs," Feingold said. "I think they’re a horrible system. It corrupts our system, and I would hope there wouldn’t be any of them," Feingold said.
Feingold commented on his disdain for outside money groups that can raise unlimited amounts of money, but did not say whether he would refuse super PAC help in his own campaign.
This is a change from Feingold’s previous stance to refuse super PAC help. In 2010, Feingold requested that his own party committee not operate on his behalf.
"He wrote the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee again this year asking that it not intervene on his behalf and told Politico that he would "absolutely" rather lose than see outside groups airing ads on his behalf," Politico reported in 2010, days before Feingold lost to Ron Johnson.
Similarly, Feingold told the Milwaukee Journal that he has "no control over what they [super PACs] do."
"Now that the Supreme Court has ruled that these people have a constitutional right to do this, it’s deeply unfortunate, but that’s their right. So if a candidate takes the view, which I do, that there shouldn’t be any of these organizations, they don’t have to listen to me," Feingold said.
After losing five years ago, Feingold’s statements open the door for super PACs to help him politically.
The National Journal reported earlier this month many political operatives and campaign finance experts "are curious whether, in their view, he will stick to his principles or yield to political reality."
Republicans have already seized on Feingold’s wavering support of his top legislative accomplishment, the 2002 McCain-Feingold Act.
"He was a godfather of campaign finance reform, this was his No. 1 crusade in the Senate, and now he is so desperate to get back to Washington he's willing to throw out all of his previous convictions," Andrea Bozek, spokeswoman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said.
Feingold’s potential opponent in the general election, Sen. Ron Johnson accused Feingold of being a career politician "addicted" to politics.