The following is a story that appeared in the Platteville Journal on July 12, 2006 and was written by Emily Massingill:
People around Platteville can be seen wearing T-shirts that read "Russ Feingold for President." Although Feingold hasn't announced his candidacy, if Dennis de Nure has his way, he would soon. De Nure has recently opened a Feingold President Museum outside his Platteville home at 145 N. Hickory Street and hopes visitors will be interested in the array of his belongings and contribute to his crusade. He's hoping for Feingold to become our nation's leader.
A legal notice reads that Senator Feingold, nor any candidate's committee, is not affiliated with, nor approves, endorses, or even understands Dennis de Nure's museums, inventions and writings.
But that doesn't stop de Nure from campaigning for Feingold. The Platteville native said he began the museum and wants to promote more than just Feingold. He's also campaigning for a few personalized ideas, and says one in particular--what he calls Madison's Museum Mile--could change the highway between Madison and Dubuque, Iowa.
Madison's Museum Mile is what de Nure hopes the road is renamed, and along the way museums would punctuate the trip from Wisconsin to Iowa. Another theme he supports is the slogan, Make Sport Not War, a banner trademark under which he feels Feingold could get himself elected president. In the trademark, de Nure sees the creation of the Department of Sport to oversee implementations of using space for the function of sporting entertainment, and feels that Feingold is the man to give the world the greatest show in space. With the theory, de Nure has also created a new peace sign he hopes others will embrace, as well.
After he was released from prison for drunk driving in 2004, de Nure said he began his quest for Feingold and then began the T-shirt project. In the project, de Nure said he entered the world of labels, and soon after, he was introduced to the game, Apples to Apples. In the game, words are important, and de Nure refuses to get lost in them and hopes others won't either when they're considering Feingold for presidency. He instead hopes people will focus on feelings, and eventually he hopes to expand the world's consciousness to not get hung up on labels.
The museum offers items including photos of Platteville and Wisconsin history, a stamp collection, and some of de Nure's prison art.
The largest part of the museum is the Richard Rossetti Library, named for a friend that passed away.
Thousands of his old books are available to buy, with half of the proceeds going to Feingold for President, and the other half to de Nure's landlord.
All of de Nure's endeavors are aimed toward one goal: to ensure Russ Feingold eventually becomes president.
After living in Madison for 20 years and running Game Have on State Street for 12 years, de Nure said he met friend Rick Rossetti after he hired him to paint signs for his store.
The last signs before his death, de Nure said, were Feingold for President and Madison's Museum Mile. Because his store in Madison was where Rossetti died, de Nure said the Platteville museum today honors him as well.
Each Saturday, de Nure sets up at the Madison farmer's market to promote Feingold and the museum.
He regularly attends listening sessions and often shares the story of Feingold telling his third grade teacher one day he wanted to become president.
He's currently trying to sell the Madison's Museum Mile idea to Jerry Frautschi, the man who donated money to build the $205 million Overture Center for the Arts.
"I like to think that what I'm doing at this museum is working for Russ to be president," de Nure said.
For more information, Dennis de Nure can be contacted by calling (608) 330-0142 or by visiting his website at www.dennisdenure.com.