The upcoming campaign by former Sen. Russ Feingold to challenge incumbent Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., will present a stark contrast on a number of issues, particularly on surveillance. Johnson defeated Feingold in 2010.

Feingold was the lone vote in the U.S. Senate against the Patriot Act in 2001, while Johnson has become a powerful champion of the National Security Agency. Johnson is pushing for full renewal of the Patriot Act and for additional new domestic surveillance legislation, including the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act.

Discussing the differences between him and Feingold on the Patriot Act on WTMJ in Milwaukee yesterday, Johnson touted his position as chair of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, telling host Charlie Sykes that he has the “advantage of talking to folks at the NSA, talking to FISA court judges,” whom Johnson said “do not want to snoop on Americans.”

Listen to the exchange here:

