big sky democrats

Under the headline “Baucus' stats say he has out-delivered Burns,” the Billings Gazette today takes a hard look at Burns’ claim that only he can deliver for Montana.

Democratic Sen. Max Baucus says he has brought billions of dollars more in federal money to Montana in the past 10 years than Republican Sen. Conrad Burns, who has made his delivery of funds to the state a cornerstone of his re-election campaign.

Over the past 10 years, Baucus has helped deliver nearly $8.4 billion in appropriation requests and in funds coming to the state through bills he helped write, according to estimates provided by his Senate office.

Burns, meanwhile, has consistently said on the campaign trail that he has used his seat on the powerful Appropriations Committee to bring home more than $2 billion for specific projects all over Montana. He argues that if voters replaced him with Democrat Jon Tester, that money would stop flowing. Full story.

Please join The Big Sky Democrats in welcoming Jon Tester, Montana's next U.S. Senator to Missoula on Tuesday, October 24, 2006 from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Where: The Iron Horse Brew Pub's 501 Lounge, 501 N. Higgins Ave., 2nd Floor, Missoula

Suggested Donation: $25. Kindly RSVP to Deb at deb@testerforsenate.com or to Melanie at brock.melanie@gmail.com

The Wallstreet Journal has picked up on the latest flap in the Tester race. Looks like the Burns campaign has sunk to a new low in cozying up to Montana’s Senior Senator Max Baucus, in an effort to make folks think Baucus and Burns are tight.  

The Baucus folks lobbed a letter into Burns campaign manager (uh huh) Tom Bunnel today asking them to pull a radio spot that says “neighbors help neighbors and Max Baucus and Conrad Burns have been good neighbors….Senators Baucus and Burns secured funding through experience and seniority, making sure funding was earmarked for the things we needed.”  

Baucus Gets Commitment for Tester Seat on Appropriations Committee

Gov. Brian Schweitzer and U.S. Sen. Candidate Jon Tester joined Montana’s senior U.S. Senator Max Baucus at a press conference where Baucus released a statement from Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) saying if elected Tester will have Reid’s support for a seat on the Senate Appropriations Committee.   

Ed Tinsley is a rising star in the Democratic Party

Just as he’s done hundreds of times, Lewis and Clark County Commissioner Ed Tinsley grabbed the microphone as if it were an old friend. Click here to read more.

On the evening of Sunday, October 29th, from  6-9pm....the Big Sky Democrats are organizing phone bank parties around the state to help our targeted endorsed candidates.

At this point, parties are set for Billings and Missoula.....this is what it entails:
1. You bring your cell phone (because it's Sunday and you have free minutes that we are hoping you will so graciously donate a few to the cause of sending BSDs to Helena)
2.  We drink adult beverages and eat delicious food while calling people from 6-9pm more

And if you'll buy that......

There’s Sen. Burns in front of a banner that read, “Making the Web a Safer Place for Children” (above).   Sen. Conrad Burns sponsored the Senate version of sexual predator Rep. Mark Foley’s (R-Fl) House bill that ironically took aim at sexual predators online.  Was this an attempt to whitewash Foley’s behaviour?  Burns and Foley’s bill passed several months after Republican leaders were made aware of Foley’s preying on young pages in the House of Representatives. 

His initials may be BJ (I have no idea what that means), but let's not ignore the man behind the curtain, Mr. Brad Johnson, Secretary of State of Montana, Mr. Blind Eye to the funky signature gathering effors of out of state Inititative backers.

He's got himself a mouthpiece.  Hmmm - wonder what's next for Brad? 

Before I wade into the sludge that is the Republican Party's attempt at a Senatorial campaign, I want to say THANK YOU to all those who made last night's Late Night Shimmy for Change Party a success. We packed the Silver Dollar and shimmied to the wee hours. A new friend from Washington state won the silent auction (Hiya, Kathy!), and little yellow papers telling people about Burns' big plan for a national sales tax littered the bar. I hope to recover soon...

Now to the meat. Many of the bloggers have posted on the STELLAR job done by Montana Farmer Jon Tester, but can I just add to the cheers? HE MOPPED THE FLOOR. At one point, I almost felt sorry for Sen. Burns, but stopped just short when I remembered that despite looking old and weak, he is a racist, classist, sexist, ageist bigot. After that, I just sort of smiled when he "giddyap"ed over the questions asked, and sputted when zinger after zinger went right over his head.