MIDDLETON, Wis. -- U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold officially kicks off his re-election campaign today.

The Middleton Democrat is going after his third six-year term. He'll stop in Middleton, Milwaukee, Green Bay and Wausau. On Tuesday, he'll visit Superior, Eau Claire, Hudson and La Crosse.

Feingold said he'll use his campaign launch to talk about a proposal to move toward universal health care coverage for all Americans.

The incumbent senator said he's held 850 "listening sessions" in all 72 Wisconsin counties.

On the issue of war in Iraq, Feingold says he voted against it because he believed it was a distraction from the country's war on terrorism.