Steve Daines has background to do what’s necessary
Weekly Clips from December 15, 2011 through December 29, 2011
U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-MT and Steve Daines for Montana
U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-MT
Tester: Extend employment protections to all Guardsmen and Reservists
December 15: Newsroom: U.S. Senator Tester: Senator Jon Tester is pushing to protect the jobs of National Guardsmen and Reservists who are called to military service while working for the Transportation Security Administration.
Tester this week introduced a bipartisan bill to force the TSA, which provides security at the nation’s airports, to comply with a federal law that protects the jobs of National Guardsmen and Reservists who are deployed overseas, ensuring their jobs are available upon their return. In the aftermath of 9/11, Congress exempted the newly formed TSA from the law in an effort to give the agency the flexibility it needed to quickly ramp up its workforce.
Tester’s bill removes the exemption, giving TSA employees who serve as Guardsmen and Reservists the same protections as other workers.
“We owe it to all Montanans who answer the call of duty to guarantee that their jobs will be there when they return, regardless of where they work,” Tester said. “It’s time for us to protect the jobs of Montana’s Guardsmen and Reservists who have been called upon to serve our nation in unprecedented numbers. It’s the right thing to do.” More…
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Senate passes Tester-Hutchison measure to reassess overseas bases
December 15: Newsroom: U.S. Senator Tester: The Senate today approved a bipartisan provision from Senators Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex.) to save taxpayers money by reassessing America’s overseas military bases. The Tester-Hutchison amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act calls for an independent organization to review the military’s overseas basing needs and their associated costs as a first step toward closing obsolete facilities.
Both Senators hailed amendment passage, calling the review an important, bipartisan step to cut spending and cut the deficit.
“Given our budget outlook, we have a responsibility to look for savings across our government,” Tester said. “We need to be smart, and we need to work together. Our time has come to look at overseas bases and do things that will enhance our opportunities to fight the War on Terror while saving taxpayer dollars over the short-term and the long haul.” More…
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Tester, Montana officials team up with Facebook to tackle online safety
December 15: Newsroom: U.S. Senator Tester: Senator Jon Tester and several Montana officials are teaming up with social media giant Facebook to address the risks of online social media for Montana’s students.
Tester will host community forums with Facebook on Thursday, January 5 in Kalispell and Billings to help educate parents and teachers about online safety for children.
Tester will be joined by Lieutenant Governor John Bohlinger, Attorney General Steve Bullock and Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau.
Joining Tester in Kalispell will be Mayor Tammi Fisher and Superintendent of Kalispell Public Schools Darlene Schottle.
Joining Tester in billings will be Mayor Tom Hanel and Superintendent of Billings Public Schools Jack Copps.
Facebook representatives will discuss how social media builds positive connections for young people and demonstrate the reporting tools available to report improper, threatening and dangerous behavior. More…
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Tester secures Montana priorities in bipartisan bill
December 16: Newsroom: U.S. Senator Tester: From new tools for Montana firefighters to education to improved access to public lands, Senator Jon Tester today highlighted provisions he secured for Montana in the bipartisan year-end funding bill.
The Senate is now expected to pass the legislation, which cuts $6 billion in government spending compared to last year.
“After some pretty extreme proposals by the House of Representatives over the past year, we’ve made this agreement better for Montana,” Tester said. “Now Congress needs to start getting to work on cutting our deficit over the long-term. That – not irresponsibly wiping out the things that create Montana jobs – is what this nation truly needs to rebuild our economy and strengthen it for the future.” More…
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Tester on Keystone XL: ‘Time to move this ball forward’
December 17: Newsroom: U.S. Senator Tester: “Montana needs the Keystone XL project to begin now because it will create jobs and energy security. With stronger protections for private property, it’s time to move this ball forward, and I will remain vigilant that the highest safety and environmental standards are respected. The President should not veto this bipartisan bill, and he should allow this pipeline to move forward.
“I support Keystone XL because I support Montana jobs. Whether in eastern Montana with the Keystone Pipeline or western Montana with the popular Forest Jobs and Recreation Act—Montana’s delegation should be united in pushing for guaranteed jobs. It’s the responsible thing to do.” More…
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Tester: Time for Civil Liberties Board to get to work
December 19: Newsroom: U.S. Senator Tester: “I’m pleased that concern for our civil liberties is finally being taken as seriously in Washington as it is in Montana. A functioning Civil Liberties Board will not only safeguard the rights of law-abiding Americans, but it will also strengthen privacy, transparency and our national security. I plan to give these nominees a close look to make sure they’re right for Montana and the country, so they can finally get to work.” More…
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BAUCUS, TESTER RALLY SENATORS IN CALL FOR PASSAGE OF KEYSTONE COMPROMISE
December 19: Newsroom: U.S. Senator Tester: “The Keystone XL project is critical to the nation’s energy security–it will reduce our dependence on oil from hostile regimes–and it will put thousands of Americans back to work.” More…
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Tester scores victory for military, veteran students
December 20: Newsroom: U.S. Senator Tester: “The [regulations] fail to address many of the key issues facing our military students,” Tester wrote Panetta. “It also fails to address many legitimate concerns that veterans and military service organizations have about the recruitment, enrollment, and support provided to member of the armed forces, their families and veterans.” More…
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Tester helping designate 2012 as ‘Year of the Girl’
December 21: Newsroom: U.S. Senator Tester: With the Girl Scouts celebrating 100 years of inspiring America’s girls, Senator Jon Tester is taking a moment to pay tribute to the ground-breaking organization.
Tester cosponsored a bipartisan resolution that designates 2012 as the ‘Year of the Girl’ and congratulates the Girl Scouts on their 100th anniversary.
In pushing for the recognition, Tester highlighted how Girl Scouts develops girls’ self-esteem and empowers future leaders.
“Today’s Girl Scouts focuses on helping girls learn critical skills that serve as strong foundation for building communities and the country’s next generation of leaders,” Tester said. “For an organization that’s been making a difference in girls’ lives for one hundred years, this is a special moment. It’s my pleasure to help celebrate this milestone marking a century of accomplishments.” More…
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Tester to Labor Dept.: Back off proposal to restrict family farms
December 21: Newsroom: U.S. Senator Tester: “The skills young people acquire from family agriculture translates into a healthy work ethic that will serve them their entire lives, whether they choose to stay in agriculture or not,” Tester wrote Labor Secretary Hilda Solis. “I strongly believe family agriculture is one of the foundations of America, and unfairly regulating the ability for young people to fully experience and grow from it will be detrimental to our future.”
Tester, who grew-up “picking rocks” on his grandfather’s farm that he now runs, believes that the farm instilled in him a deeper respect for safety than any regulation ever could. More…
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Tester: ‘Too bad it took public pressure’ to undo House’s unpopular tax hike
December 22: Newsroom: U.S. Senator Tester: “After yet another politics-as-usual week in Washington, the House of Representatives finally got the message that most Montanans have been demanding: We can’t afford a tax hike on middle-class families. It’s too bad it took public pressure to undo another irresponsible decision that should have never been made in the first place. I’m pleased the party bosses in the House are finally on board with our plan for supporting tax relief for middle-class families and the Montana jobs that will come with the Keystone XL pipeline.” More…
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Tester: Increasing air service to Bakken will create jobs
December 22: Newsroom: U.S. Senator Tester: With energy production and exploration booming in the Bakken oil shale formation in eastern Montana, Senator Jon Tester wants to increase the number of flights to the region.
Tester recently called on Gulfstream International Airlines, which already operates a limited number of flights to eastern Montana, to increase air service between Billings and communities like Glendive, Sidney, and Williston (N.D.), saying it’s the best way to fuel more economic growth.
“Hardworking folks throughout the Bakken region are making unprecedented oil discoveries, creating good-paying jobs, and helping to reduce our dependence on foreign oil,” Tester wrote Gulfstream Vice President Mickey Bowman. “Accordingly, I urge you to work with community leaders in Billings and along the Bakken to find ways to increase air service so that these interlinked communities can continue to grow and create jobs.” More…
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Baucus, Tester & Rehberg react to 2012 budget deal
KAJ18: December 16: Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) says he is pleased with the funding for land and water conservation and a gray wolf livestock loss program.
“The Senate made some great strides in making this bill something that will work a lot better for Montana. It’s certainly a lot better than what the House had been working on all year. That being said we need to continue to work to get our fiscal house in order, addressing the deficit and the debt in a major way in this country,” Tester says.
Tester added the bill funds veterans programs including tele-health and mobile clinics for rural veterans.
However, Tester’s Forest Jobs and Recreation Act isn’t in the budget. His campaign asserts Congressman Denny Rehberg (R-MT) blocked the bill for political reasons. Rehberg is challenging Tester to his seat in 2012.
Rehberg’s office denies the claim saying the bill wasn’t good for Montana and that’s why he worked to keep it out of the budget.
Rehberg chairs the subcommittee tasked with drafting one of the major spending bills. It includes the budget for education, health and human service and labor.
The bill was included in the omnibus package. More…
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Keystone XL Pipeline Agreement passes Senate
KXLH: December 17: Senator Jon Tester said, “Montana needs the Keystone XL project to begin now because it will create jobs and energy security. With stronger protections for private property, it’s time to move this ball forward. I will remain vigilant that the highest safety and environmental standards are respected.” More…
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PARTISAN DIFFERENCES DOOM WILDERNESS, LOGGING PLAN
ABC Montana: December 17: U.S. Sen. Jon Tester’s plan for more logging and wilderness areas in Montana is falling prey to partisan differences accentuated by his heated 2012 Senate race with U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg.
Tester, a Democrat, has been trying to attach his Forest Jobs and Recreation Act to the year-end congressional budget deal.
But Rehberg, a Republican, opposes the measure and says he is making sure House leaders won’t accept the measure.
Rehberg is challenging Tester in a race that is already among the most watched in the country as the parties vie for control of the Senate. Both sides have made Tester’s forest bill an issue.
The measure comes from loggers and environmentalists who agreed to a deal that mandates more logging in Montana while also creating more wilderness area.
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Tester hasn’t represented Montanans, made bad decisions
Billings Gazette: December 17: Jon Tester wrote me to tell me he supports having Medicare stay in its present form. Medicare is going broke in its present form. So I guess Tester wants Medicare to go broke.
In just five years he has been responsible for adding $6 trillion to our now $15 trillion debt by voting for just about every spending measure to come out of Congress, during that time including the “Stimulus” and Cash for Clunkers. But the worst is his lack of stewardship on the Senate Banking Committee which looked over the role of Fannie and Freddie.
Somehow he thinks you can spend more money than we have and everything will work out. You can’t promise healthcare to people without charging them more money. You can’t spend money on worthless government projects without expecting an increase in the debt. You can’t encourage people to destroy perfectly good used cars and expect that to be productive. You can’t lend money to people who can’t pay it back and expect there not to be a housing bubble and ultimately a severe recession.
Sen. Tester has made a lot of bad decisions. He has not represented us well.
Douglas M. Osborne
Billings
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Delegation must protect Internet freedom
Billings Gazette: December 19: I urge Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester and Rep. Denny Rehberg to oppose the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) legislation. This legislation is an infringement on free speech and legal due process.
SOPA supports a taxpayer-funded policy to restrict Internet technological investment and restrict innovation by the accusation of “piracy” through copyright infringement. This “accusation” of Internet piracy allows for equipment seizure, online advertisers labeled as co-conspirators and restricts online freedom of speech. An accusation of piracy with no finding of facts shuts the door on due process and allows the seizure of Internet equipment.
This back door-action allows federal control of the Internet and would severely limit the content and material posted to the Internet. Internet users would be at the mercy of each political administration and their SOPA interpretation. The SOPA would hamper Internet innovation, security, privacy, and freedom of expression/speech.
The fine line between intellectual property and free speech/thinking can be demonstrated by describing the magnificent aura of a spectacular sun set on the Internet and it becomes an intellectual copyright infringement issue. Certainly, protection of intellectual copyright is necessary in a free-market society; yet a balance needs to be struck between intellectual copyright infringement, freedom of speech and “due process” when dealing with the abstract concept of intellectual property and copyright infringement. A loss of anyone’s freedoms and liberties is a loss to all of us. I urge all to oppose this legislation.
Sam Miller
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Rehberg votes to reject 2-month payroll tax cut, calls for 12 months instead
Billings Gazette: December 20: Rehberg praised House and Senate leaders from both parties for continuing to support his Keystone XL legislation.
“The pipeline is safe, clean, respects private property rights and will create jobs,” he said. “And that’s why it’s got strong bipartisan support from Montana and around the country.”
Rehberg is giving up his seat to challenge Tester for the Senate in 2012.
Tester’s spokesman Aaron Murphy criticized Rehberg’s vote Tuesday.
“No wonder Montanans don’t think very highly of Dennis Rehberg’s record in Congress,” Murphy said. “Instead of standing up for the Keystone pipeline jobs and lower taxes for middle-class families, Congressman Rehberg followed orders from his party bosses to kill jobs and raise taxes on middle-class families. Dennis Rehberg’s irresponsible say-one-thing-and-do-another record won’t create Montana jobs.” More…
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Could 2012 be the most competitive Senate election in years?
Washington Post: December 16: 6. Montana (D): Democrats gleefully moved around a poll conducted by the Montana Chamber of Commerce that showed Sen. Jon Tester (D) leading Rep. Denny Rehberg(R) 42 percent to 37 percent. Other data suggests that the race is closer and, given the state’s Republican lean, it’s hard to imagine Tester winning by more than a point or two. But the very fact that Tester is in the game — given the anti-incumbent sentiment in the country — speaks to the fact that his personal brand may be able to weather the problems the national Democratic Party will have in the Last Best Place. (Previous ranking: 5)
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Tester: Congress could learn from supporters of defeated forest jobs bill
The Missoulian: December 21: Congress could learn a lot from supporters of the Forest Jobs and Recreation Act, Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., told a roomful of timber workers and environmentalists here Wednesday.
“The only folks who hate this bill are to the far right or the far left,” Tester told the people gathered at Pyramid Mountain Lumber Co. “Once we get this done, it puts a whole different model out there that can work in the forests. It can be replicated just about everywhere.”
Tester’s unusual wilderness and logging bill failed last week to remain part of the Senate version of the $1.2 trillion omnibus budget package. The bill combines a new timber management plan with provisions to create about 1 million acres of wilderness and recreation areas in Montana.
Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., who is challenging Tester for his Senate seat in next year’s election, took credit for keeping the bill out of the omnibus legislation. He argued last week that the legislation guaranteed wilderness but didn’t guarantee jobs, saying “it’s not a fair deal for Montanans.”
On Wednesday, Rehberg spokesman Jed Link said the congressman had co-sponsored a better way to create jobs in the timber industry through the Wilderness and Roadless Area Release Act, “which would open millions of acres across the West for multiple use, including a little responsible timber in appropriate areas.”
“The idea that the only way to put Montanans to work in our forest is to carve out a bunch of new wilderness is just not honest,” Link said. “Senator Tester seems to be under the mistaken notion that Denny Rehberg is the only person in Montana who opposes his legislation. The simple fact is, if he really wanted to generate broad support for his legislation, he’d be out listening to the folks in Montana who have honest concerns about his bill and be open to their common-sense improvements.” More…
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Tester understands defense program; Rehberg doesn’t
Great Falls Tribune: December 21: The New START builds on Reagan’s admonition to “trust, but verify.” That is why the New START was easily approved in a highly partisan Senate.
During the discussions over New START, Sen. Jon Tester worked closely with the Department of Defense to ensure the ICBM portion of our nuclear triad in general — and Malmstrom in particular — remain cornerstones of our national defense.
It is interesting that Rehberg felt it necessary to create a citizens advocacy group at a time when such a group already exists in the Central Montana Defense Alliance.
This Alliance is a group of retired military, business and community leaders who have long voiced support for maintaining and expanding missions at both MAFB and Montana Air National Guard. Tester worked closely on the New START Treaty with the Central Montana Defense Alliance; he kept the lines of communication open between the alliance and the Pentagon. The Air Force’s commitment to Malmstrom’s future is, to a large degree, a reflection of Tester’s — and the community’s — hard and consistent work.
Our nation’s defense is vital to every American. Great Falls and North Central Montana fill a critical role in that defense. Tester is simply head and shoulders above Rehberg in understanding these issues and Montana’s role in them. More…
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Tax deal looms large in Tester-Rehberg Senate race
Great Falls Tribune: December 21: Year-end congressional votes and wrangling over payroll taxes and an oil pipeline project through eastern Montana are stoking the heated Senate race between incumbent Jon Tester and U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg as it heads into 2012.
Rehberg, a Republican, pressed Tester last week to vote for legislation passed by the House to extend a middle class tax cut and force a quick decision on the Keystone XL pipeline — a provision Rehberg himself had helped get into the legislation.
But Tester is turning the tables after the House Republicans and Rehberg rejected a Senate compromise backed by Tester that also includes the Keystone project.
The Democrat called Rehberg’s vote “crazy” as he attacked on two issues that can loom large in Montana: tax cuts and resource development. Tester argued that House Republicans are missing a chance to reach a deal.
Iverson argued that Tester has not done as much as either Rehberg or U.S. Sen. Max Baucus in attaching the pipeline to the tax talks. Tester’s office, however, pointed out that the Democrat was engaged in the talks — and even successfully modified the provision to make sure private property rights along the route are preserved.
Baucus, among those in the Senate negotiating the bipartisan deal last week in that chamber, advocated for inclusion of the pipeline. The chairman of the Senate Finance Committee is now not happy that House Republicans spurned it.
“It’s the same pattern every time: The far right-wingers threaten to shut down the government, default on the full faith and credit of our country or raise taxes on the middle class, unless they get their way,” Baucus said in a Wednesday letter to supporters.
Tester said he doesn’t think the House Republicans will win anything with their current tactic after the dust settles.
“It doesn’t make sense to me at all, even from a political sense. I don’t see what they get out of it,” Tester said. More…
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Mining Companies Back Friend’s Bid for Senate
New York Times: The Champions: Eric Lipton: December 22: The violation notices keep coming in: broken safety equipment, underground roof collapses, dangerous levels of carbon monoxide — each a hint of the federal enforcement blitz set off more than a year ago by a series of deadly mining accidents across the nation.
Here in Montana, the penalties affect more than mine operators facing fines or shutdowns. The stepped-up oversight is also helping define one of the most competitive Senate races in the country, with Representative Denny Rehberg, a six-term Republican, trying to oust Senator Jon Tester, a first-term Democrat.
Mr. Tester and other Montana politicians often support legislation that would benefit the coal and minerals mining industry, a big employer here, or oppose federal mandates that mine owners find objectionable. But it is Mr. Rehberg who has been the most ardent advocate, presenting a case study in how a lawmaker can help build his national profile — and campaign war chest — by championing an industry with deep pockets and political clout.
He has repeatedly criticized federal mine safety officials over the past year, charging that many inspection complaints are job killers or ridiculing others as trivial. In justifying their crackdown, though, federal officials point to the October death of a worker here in Nye at the Stillwater Mine, which had accumulated a string of citations this year.
He has used his influence to push Washington to approve deals sought by mining companies, including land swaps the government questions as disadvantageous to taxpayers, or opening up copper mining in northwestern Montana, which environmentalists argue should be left pristine.
He has tried to block initiatives by the Obama administration, with his most recent victory earlier this month when Congress at least temporarily prohibited the Department of Labor from enforcing a new rule intended to combat black lung disease, blamed for 10,000 miners’ deaths in the past decade. And he is also trying to block proposed rules intended to help pay for the cleanup of toxic waste at abandoned mine sites or to prevent strip mines from contaminating streams. More…
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Helena Independent Record: December 25: I commend our congressional delegation, Rep. Denny Rehberg, Sen. Jon Tester and Sen. Max Baucus, for increasing funding in fiscal year 2012 for the federal early education program, Head Start. Montana is fortunate to have had all three of our delegation supporting investing in early learning, which isn’t just good for our kids — it’s also good for business.
As a member of the business leaders organization, America’s Edge, I’ve seen research that shows that investments in high-quality early education programs have a substantial and immediate impact on local businesses and the economy. In Montana, every $1 invested generates an additional $1.61 in spending of local goods and services, favorable when compared to other sectors like transportation, construction or farming, forestry, fishing and hunting.
Early learning also helps prepare a future skilled workforce. Children who participate in these programs are more likely to have higher graduation rates, earn more as adults and enter the workforce with the skills businesses seek, especially in our increasingly technology-driven world. In the long term, that means lower unemployment rates and higher contributions to the tax base.
To its credit, with the support of our three congressional leaders, Congress has taken steps to improve the quality of Head Start programs so children can fully realize the benefits of these programs. This is a win-win investment — good for children and good for our economy, now and in the future.
Thanks Denny, Jon and Max for a job well done.
Edward Mangis
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County commissioners support Public Lands Renewable Energy Act
Helena Independent Record: December 29: As you look around the state, it is hard to miss the obvious potential for renewable energy development in Montana.
With wide-ranging support from sportsmen to local governments, Sens. Jon Tester and Risch urge passage of a bipartisan bill they sponsored that streamlines permitting for renewable energy projects on public lands.
In introducing the bill, Tester said that Montana’s potential for renewable energy can make the Treasure State a worldwide leader in energy production, resulting in countless jobs and new opportunities. “With some of the best renewable energy development sites located on public lands, it is vital to expand this industry while protecting the natural resources that make our region famous,” Tester said. “Our bill is a common-sense way to create jobs and give renewable energy the same opportunities as oil and gas. And by responsibly developing our energy resources, we will also increase our energy security.”
We agree with the sponsors and look forward to opportunities for renewable energy production, job creation, conservation and local investment in Lewis and Clark County. More…
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Steve Daines for Montana
Daines makes switch to House race official
Steve Daines for Congress: December 15: Bozeman businessman Steve Daines, who dove into the Senate race in November, officially switched his effort to a House campaign Thursday.
The 2008 candidate for lieutenant governor made the decision ahead of Rep. Denny Rehberg’s expected entrance into the Senate race Saturday.
The Associated Press newsbreak quotes Daines:
“Now that it looks as if Denny is going to run for the U.S. Senate, we need to wait for his formal announcement that looks to be coming Saturday, that we are better served in uniting the party and continuing to reach out to all Montanans,” Daines said. “I think a divisive and contested primary is not in the best interest of Montana and our country, when we keep in mind the goal here is to make sure we have three seats that are occupied by common sense conservatives.” More…
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Daines has background to do what’s necessary
Billings Gazette: December 17: Everything that is coming out of the federal government is just counterintuitive to what needs to be done to get the nation back on track. The administration wants to tax and spend. The help we need is for the federal government to balance the budget, quit spending money we do not have and get us out of debt.
Businesses operate with incomes and expenditures. Why government can’t is beyond reason and logic. What if we cut government rather than increasing taxes at all? Perhaps instead of shifting the tax burden between employers and workers, we should cut the budgets of federal agencies and bureaus? We could accomplish both a balanced budget as well as put more money into people’s pockets which would stimulate economic growth and jobs.
Luckily, we are approaching another election season and Montanans have an opportunity to tell Washington D.C. that they need to cut their own budgets down to the necessities before they raise taxes for anyone.
Bozeman native Steve Daines has stepped up to be the experience messenger for Montana in the U.S. House of Representatives. We can trust Daines because of his experience in the real world of business where he had to balance revenues and expenditures.
He has signed the “No New Taxes Pledge” and, as a political outsider with real experience, he won’t’ be sucked into the good ol’ boys club spending spree in Washington.
State Sen. Ken Peterson
HD 46-Billings
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Important 2012 Race in Big Sky Country
Ammo Land: December 22: Dear Friend of the Second Amendment,
I hope you are enjoying this holiday season. Even as we reflect on the blessings of the past year, GOA is preparing for major battles in the crucial election year of 2012.
One of the most important elections is taking place in Montana, where Steve Daines is running for the state’s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Mr. Daines is a fifth generation Montanan, a successful businessman (an actual job creator) and an avid firearms enthusiast and sportsman.
I first interviewed Steve over the summer, after he had scored a perfect grade on the GOA survey. I’ve since spent time getting to know Steve and his wife of 24 years, Cindy, and I can tell you he’ll be a true warrior in the battle over the Second Amendment.
And based on what’s going on in Washington, we need people like him in Congress. Many members of Congress claim to support the right to keep and bear arms, but then go soft when they get pressured by their anti-gun colleagues, President Obama and the media. More…
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