In the classic comedy "Anchorman," news Lothario Ron Burgundy introduces himself to prospective co-worker Veronica Corningstone at a pool party by declaring himself to be "kind of a big deal." Chest hair exposed, Burgundy further attempts to lure Corningstone in by telling her, "I have many leather bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany."

While he seems to share Burgundy's love of book bindings, Russ Feingold's 2016 Senate campaign appears to be taking on a completely different odor.

According to a report earlier this week by the Journal Sentinel's Dan Bice, Feingold's political action committee, Progressives United PAC, bought 100 leather-bound copies of the ex-senator's 2013 book, along with 1,000 hardcover copies. Feingold also received $77,000 in salary from both the PAC and its nonprofit companion.

Of course, Feingold's act for years has been not having an act. As a champion of campaign finance reform, he has consistently condemned the pernicious effects of money in politics. But evidently his distaste for campaign cash wasn't enough to keep him from bathing his cronies in greenbacks.

The PAC was created with the stated goal of "directly and indirectly supporting candidates who stand up for our progressive ideals." But instead, it appears it existed almost solely to support salaries for Feingold loyalists who lost their jobs after his 2010 loss to businessman Ron Johnson. Bice calculated that nearly 90% of the $7.1 million raised between January of 2011 and March of 2015 went to fundraising or staff salaries, including $317,823 to Feingold's former chief of staff, Mary Irvine. All told, Feingold, Irvine and eight former staffers drew salaries or consulting fees from the fund.

As if deliberately upping the comedy factor, Feingold on Monday used Bice's column to — wait for it —raise more money. Insinuating the column was a plant by Ron Johnson's campaign, Feingold actually sent an email to supporters asking for more cash. (Perhaps he needs to buy more copies of his own book — although several used copies are available on Amazon.com for one cent apiece, so he can probably afford more than a few.)

As many have pointed out, Feingold's anti-campaign finance windbaggery has been the thinnest of veneers all along. Through his 18-year Senate career, even as he was working on legislation to curtail special interest influence, Feingold was busy accepting 1,096 special interest contributions totaling nearly $1.9 million. Among those contributions were hefty checks from "little guys" like Goldman Sachs, the American Federation of Government Employees, AFSCME, NARAL and the National Education Association.

This lobbyist largesse helped Feingold shift glaciers of money into his campaigns. While Ron Johnson is often criticized for essentially self-funding his 2010 campaign, Feingold actually outspent Johnson that year, $10.9 million to $10.3 million. Of Johnson's spending, nearly 80% was his own money. Had Feingold won, by his own logic, he would have been indebted to his contributors, while Johnson has been answerable only to himself. (And often gets in trouble because of it.)

In fact, if anyone is undermining faith in campaigns, it's Feingold. During his 2010 race against Johnson, Feingold accused his challenger, of, among other things, essentially being a Communist sympathizer, opposing the Civil Rights Act, being in the pocket of big oil and being connected to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. By exposing himself as just another run-of-the-mill politician, Feingold has done a yeoman's job of undermining the Wisconsin public's faith in "honest" elections.

Ironically, the name of Feingold's book is "While America Sleeps." Unfortunately for him, Wisconsin residents might no longer be dozing when it comes to his hypocrisy. And for Russ Feingold, that's kind of a big deal.