Tag Archives: Congressman Rehberg

Rehberg Leads Efforts To Defend Cylon, er, Corporate ‘Personhood’

by D Gregory Smith
, member of the United States House of Represe...

, member of the United States House of Representatives. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I’ve been watching Battlestar Galactica (Yeah, I know, I’m a little behind- but I’m a busy guy) and it occurred to me that the Cylon’s (machines masquerading as people) war with human beings is the perfect model for the Citizens United decision. Both Cylons and Citizens United were created by people- and both threaten to wipe out civilization as we know it. And for those of you who aren’t geeks (like me)- think Frankenstein.

From the Montana Democrats:

Congressman Dennis Rehberg is leading efforts in Montana to defend the notion that corporations have the same constitutional rights as people, calling efforts to undo the Citizens United decision “theater.”

Senator Jon Tester has been a leading opponent of Citizens United and the corrupting influence it brings to Montana’s elections.  Tester also supports Senator Max Baucus’ constitutional amendment, which would provide a permanent fix to the Citizens United decision by putting elections back in the hands of Montanans and preventing corporations from drowning out the voices of voters.

According to news reports, Congressman Rehberg, who agrees that corporations are people, is dismissing efforts to undo Citizens United, saying they have “no chance of passing.”

Rehberg is no stranger to campaign secrecy.

Earlier this week he got caught failing to disclose one in seven donors in his most recent fundraising report.  Earlier this year, he got caught hiding $25,000 he took from lobbyists in 2011. Rehberg also called measures to improve transparency in political campaigns  “unnecessarily difficult.”

Opposition to Citizens United in Montana has been widespread.  Montanans in November will vote on a ballot measure (I-166) to state that corporations are not people.  As expected, Rehberg won’t say whether he supports the initiative.

“Congressman Rehberg refuses to make our elections more transparent because he refuses to hold himself accountable to Montanans,” said Ted Dick, Executive Director of the Montana Democratic Party.  “After 12 long years in DC, Congressman Rehberg is now leading efforts to defend the broken system that lets special interests buy elections, because he knows they want to buy an election for him.”

Scar

Scar (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Last year, Congressman Rehberg earned an endorsement, and a $10,00 check, from the organization Citizens United.  Karl Rove’s secretive special interest group Crossroads GPS recently announced a major television ad buy in Montna to help Congressman Rehberg, and they can spend every penny with no transparency thanks to Rehberg’s Citizens United decision.

Yep, the metaphor works. And for those of you not up to speed, Battlestar Galactica is available streaming on Netflix…

Related articles

Tester’s Working. Rehberg’s On “Vacation”.

by D Gregory Smith

Where is Dennis Rehberg? Jon Tester’s been seen all over Montana- and heard all over tv and radio. Dennis Rehberg has yet- to my limited knowledge- to even appear off the cuff in an ad for himself. I find that suspicious. Where is he?

From The Montana Democrats:

Two maps* of the same state represented by two members of Congress tell a very different tale about their respective commitments to Montana:

Jon Tester’s 94 Events in 2012

Congressman Dennis Rehberg’s 14 Public Meetings in 2012

Montana Democratic Party Executive Director Ted Dick says Congressman Rehberg simply can’t live up to the standard of transparency and accountability Jon Tester has set in the U.S. Senate.

“The longer Congressman Rehberg stays in Washington, the more he forgets about his responsibility to Montana,” said Dick. “Congressman Rehberg won’t meet with Montanans in public because, after decades in politics, he is incabable of holding himself accountable to the people he’s supposed to serve.”

Tester’s meetings with Montanans focused on making college more affordable, creating small business jobs, and protecting clean air and water — all issues Tester has championed in the U.S. Senate.

Meanwhile, Congressman Rehberg has been at the center of a number of controversies in Congress — his Homeland Security land grab, a vote to raise middle class taxes, and attempts to end funding for Planned Parenthood.  He has held public listening sessions on NONE of these issues.

* These maps indicate Tester’s busy 2012 schedule in Montana, not including press interviews or political events, contrasted with Congressman Dennis Rehberg’s not-so-busy schedule.

Related articles

Rehberg Taking Heat For Big Spending- From A Republican

by D Gregory Smith

From The Montana Democrats:

Multimillionaire Congressman Dennis Rehberg’s GOP primary opponent is raising some legitimate questions about the 11-year Congressman’s history of irresponsible government spending and power grabs.

According to the Lee Newspapers, Dennis Teske is frustrated that,

“Rehberg has voted for unconstitutional expansions of government power, like the Patriot Act in 2001, and plenty of government spending.”

Mr. Teske is right — Congressman Rehberg not only supported the Patriot Act twice, he co-sponsored his own controversial bill to give Homeland Security total “operational control” over the 100 northernmost miles of Montana.  Named the number one earmarker in the Tea Party Caucus, Congressman Rehberg also voted to raise the debt ceiling 10 times.

“Congressman Rehberg has been of part the problem in Washington for 11 long years,” said Ted Dick, Executive Director of the Montana Democratic Party.  “Montanans of all stripes are right to be upset with Congressman Rehberg’s support for the Patriot Act and his hypocrisy on the debt.  Unfortunately, playing games with our freedoms and tax dollars is part of the culture in Washington, and Congressman Rehberg is too out of touch to put Montana first.”

Here’s more:

HOMELAND SECURITY LAND GRAB:  Congressman Rehberg is sponsoring a bill that “would give the secretary of homeland security total operational authority over all federal lands within 100 miles of the U.S. international and maritime borders” [Great Falls Tribune, 9/21/11].  Critics said the bill was “exactly the kind of big government Montanans don’t tolerate” [Missoulian, 9/28/11].

REAL ID:  In 2005 Congressman Rehberg praised a plan to force all Montanans to get government ID cards saying, “something states should have been doing all along”  [Rehberg Press Release,5/6/05].

PATRIOT ACT:  Congressman Rehberg has long supported the controversial Patriot Act, something Jon Tester has consistently opposed  [HR 2975, Vote 386, 10/12/01; HR 3162, Vote 398, 10/24/01; HR 3199, Vote 414, 07/21/05; HR 3199, Vote 627, 12/14/05; S 2271, Vote 20, 03/07/06, HR 514, House Roll Call Vote 29, 2/10/11].

TEA PARTY’S TOP EARMARKER:  According to the watchdog group Citizens Against Government Waste, Congressman Rehberg  “takes the prize as the Tea Partier with his name on the most earmarks” [National Journal, 12/2/10].

10 VOTES TO RAISE THE DEBT CEILING:  

  1. [S. 627, House Roll Call Vote #677, 7/29/2011]
  2. [HR 2560, House Roll Call Vote #606, 7/19/2011]
  3. [HCR376, Vote #158, 5/18/06]
  4. [HR 4297, Vote 67, 3/16/06; CQ, 3/16/06]
  5. [CRS, The Debt Limit: History and Recent Increases, 1/10; HCR95, Vote #149, 214-211, 4/28/05]
  6. [HRS 683, Vote 280, 6/22/04; CQ Today, 6/23/04; AP, 6/22/04]
  7. [SCR 95, Vote #198, 5/19/04]
  8. [S 2986, Vote 536, 11/18/04; Washington Post, 11/19/04]
  9. [CRS, The Debt Limit: History and Recent Increases, 1/10; HCR95, Vote #141, 216-211,4/11/03]
  10. [Congressional Research Service; S 2578, Vote 279, 06/27/02]
Related articles

“Top 10 GOP Attacks On Women’s Health”

by D Gregory Smith

Want some facts regarding women’s health issues and the GOP? The Montana  Democrats break it down:

One of the symbols of German Women's movement ...

One of the symbols of German Women's movement (from the 1970s) Deutsch: Ein Logo der deutschen Frauenbewegung (aus den 70er Jahren) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

National political observers have coined the term “War on Women” to describe Republican attacks on women’s health, ranging from plans to block access to contraception to massive cuts to cancer screening services.

But here in Montana, Republicans’ War on Women is far from a recent development.  In Congress, Dennis Rehberg has a long record irresponsible decisions on women’s health, and Republicans in the state legislature have been with him every step of the way, even going so far as to compare women to animals.  (Yes, really.)

To bring the story home, here are Montana Republicans’ Top Ten most extreme attacks on women’s health:  

10.  In Washington, Congressman Rick Hill voted multiple times to gut funding for access to contraception [Roll Call 290, HR4101, July 16, 1998 + Roll Call 493, HR4104, October 7, 1998 + Roll Call 494, HR4104, October 7, 1998].

9. Congressman Rehberg has earned the support of Foster Fries, the billionaire donor who said women use “asprin between their knees” as birth control.

8. Republican legislators pushed a bill to force women to view ultrasounds. Women’s health advocates called the measure an “offensive intrusion.”

7. Congressman Rehberg has been exposed by women’s health advocates for not understanding how funding for women’s health services works .

6.  Congressman Rehberg has voted against the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which aims to make sure women are paid equally with men.  [Vote 768, 7/31/07; Vote 37, 1/27/09; CQ Votes]

5.  State Rep. Keith Regier compared pregnant women to “preg-tested” cattle during a discussion about family planning.

4.  In his first campaign for Congress, Hill attacked his opponent Nancy Keenan for being a single woman without children, though Keenan was unable to have children due to health reasons.

3.  Congressman Rehberg wrote two bills in the last year that would have completely ended funding for Title X, which helps women access preventative care like cancer screenings.

2.  When law student Sandra Fluke testified in opposition to plans to block access to contraception, state Rep. Krayon Kerns compared her to to a breeding dog.

1. Congressman Hill and Congressman Rehberg both want to let women pay higher health insurance premiums than men.

(For his part, Congressman Rehberg voted to overturn the law in the state legislature in the 1980s. [3r, HB 519, 2/18/87, House Final Status; and 1987 Women’s Lobbyist Fund News]  Congressman Hill used to profit off insurance premiums as an insurance company executive.)

Rehberg Didn’t Listen As “Promised”

by D Gregory Smith

You’d think he’d be more careful in an election year- or maybe he just thinks we’re not paying attention. From The Montana Democrats:

Multimillionaire Congressman Dennis Rehberg said earlier this month that he needed to “talk to Montanans” before making a decision on his party boss’s latest attack on Medicare.

That was one week ago.  The House is expected to vote today on its plan to cut hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicare while giving tax breaks to millionaires.
And despite his promise, Congressman Rehberg still has not met with Montanans about Rep. Paul Ryan’s plan to attack Medicare.

“No matter how Congressman Rehberg votes on this bill, there can be no doubt that he’s serving his own interests, not Montana’s best interests,” said Dick.  “Congressman Rehberg can’t erase his record of voting against Medicare.  And let’s be clear:  Congressman Rehberg’s own political career is the only thing that will influence his vote on this bill.”

Congressman Rehberg has consistently supported the Ryan budget’s basic goals:  Giving huge tax breaks to corporations that ship jobs overseas, while gutting health care and education. Last July, Rehberg voted for the House’s “Cap, Cut and Balance” bill which, like the current proposal, would have forced huge cuts to Medicare in order to protect tax loopholes for millionaires.

The last time Rep. Ryan’s plan to attack Medicare came before Congress, Rehberg admitted he hadn’t read the bill just days before it came up for a vote [Rehberg conference call, 4/8/11; The Hill,4/6/11].

Related articles

Rehberg Defends Controversial Bill

by D Gregory Smith

From The Montana Democrats:

Already under heat from Montana sportsmen for supporting an anti-hunting bill, mutimillionaire Congressman Dennis Rehberg today doubled down on his defense of H.R. 1505, his unpopular federal land grab bill.

 H.R. 1505 allows the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to override at least 36 existing laws and seize public land within 100 miles of Montana northern border in order to gain “operational control.”  The legislation has been panned by critics on the right and the left.  Montana sportsmen also criticized the bill because it gives the Department of Homeland Security “complete control over millions of acres of Montana public lands.”
But Rehberg defied Montana’s opposition to the bill on KECI-TV this morning:
“It has nothing to do with any kind of a land grab. It’s federal properties only and it’s just saying ‘let the border patrol and the customs agents have access to federal property you shouldn’t lock them out’.”
Rehberg is wrong.  H.R. 1505 gives unprecedented authority to the federal government lock up land in Montana, and to lock Montanans out.
“Congressman Rehberg’s 35-year political career is defined by irresponsible decisions like his Homeland Security land grab and his votes for the Patriot Act and REAL ID,” said  Montana Democratic Party Executive Director Ted Dick . “If Congressman Rehberg still thinks Montanans will stand for his attacks on our rights and freedoms, then he’s clearly lost touch with Montana values.  And he refuses to admit when he’s wrong.”
Earlier this week, Montana hunters began running TV ads in Montana questioning Rehberg’s support of the Roadless Release Act.  Rehberg’s bill (H.R. 1581) would  open  up millions of acres of land in Montana to roads and development, impacting some of Montana’s most prized hunting habitat.  The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the Montana Wildilfe Federation oppose Rehberg’s bill.
HOMELAND SECURITY LAND GRAB:  Congressman Rehberg is sponsoring a bill that “would give the secretary of homeland security total operational authority over all federal lands within 100 miles of the U.S. international and maritime borders” [Great Falls Tribune,9/21/11].  Critics said the bill was “exactly the kind of big government Montanans don’t tolerate” [Missoulian, 9/28/11].
REAL ID:  In 2005 Congressman Rehberg praised a plan to force all Montanans to get government ID cards saying,  “something states should have been doing all along”  [Rehberg Press Release, 5/6/05].
PATRIOT ACT:  Congressman Rehberg has voted over and over again to re-authorize the controversial Patriot Act, something Jon Tester has consistently opposed  [HR 2975, Vote 386, 10/12/01; HR 3162, Vote 398, 10/24/01; HR 3199, Vote 414, 07/21/05; HR 3199, Vote 627, 12/14/05; S 2271, Vote 20, 03/07/06, HR 514, House Roll Call Vote 29, 2/10/11].
Related articles

Tester Meets with Constituents, Rehberg Continues Invisibility Plan

by D Gregory Smith

From The Montana Democrats:

While multimillionaire Congressman Dennis Rehberg continues to hide from the public (see ‘Related Articles’ below), Jon Tester  hosted his 10th public small business workshop, following months of meetings with Montanans across the state.

Denny Rehberg - Caricature

Denny Rehberg - Caricature (Photo credit: DonkeyHotey)

As for Congressman Rehberg?  He cancelled his latest scheduled appearance–at a Republican Party fundraiser he was supposed to headline Sunday in Havre.  And Congressman Rehberg has held virtually no public meetings with Montanans since November.

“After 35 years in politics, Congressman Rehberg no longer thinks he’s accountable to Montana,” said Ted Dick, executive director of the Montana Democratic Party. “Congressman Rehberg gave himself five pay raises in Congress, but he votes to cut funding for our public schools, cut Pell grants, and cut health care for our veterans.  His 35-year career in politics is marked by irresponsible decisions like tax breaks for fellow millionaires and corporations that ship jobs overseas—at the expense of Montana families, education, Medicare and Social Security.”

Congressman Rehberg has avoided accountability for the last year, hiding the donations he takes from lobbyists, refusing to meet with Montanans, and giving his full endorsement to the Citizens United ruling that allows big corporations to spend unlimited money on dishonest political attack ads.  Here’s more:

Hiding Campaign Cash from Lobbyists:  An investigation by the Associated Press found Congressman Rehberg refused to disclose the identities of 189 lobbyists on his financial disclosure reports. Rehberg hid more than $20,000 he took from Washington lobbyists.

Dodging Public Meetings with Constituents:  Congressman Rehberg went 6 months without holding a public townhall meeting, and when he finally scheduled one, he watched a Sheriff removed someone from the meeting.

Siding with Anonymous Corporate Cash in Elections:  Following his endorsement by Citizens United, Congressman Rehberg gave his full endorsement to the secretive organization’s Supreme Court Ruling, which allows big corporations to spend unlimited to buy elections.

Related articles

“Aspirin” Billionaire To Bankroll Rehberg

by D Gregory Smith

From the Montana Democrats:

via Wikipedia

Foster Friess–the billionaire donor who said women should use aspirin “between their knees” as birth control–is considering a massive contribution to Crossroads GPS, Karl Rove’s secretive front group that has already spent over $600,000 to support multimillionaire Congressman Dennis Rehberg.

According to the New Republic, Rehberg is one of Friess’ “favored candidates.”  Friess is also considering “a six- or seven-figure donation to the conservative Super PAC American Crossroads or its sister organization, Crossroads GPS.”

Crossroads recently aired an ad attacking Jon Tester that was so false, a Montana cable company pulled it off the air.

“Congressman Rehberg has earned support from Wall Street billionaire Foster Friess because they share an out-of-touch, extreme agenda,” said Ted Dick, Executive Director of the Montana Democratic Party.  “Thanks to the Citizens United decision, Friess can spend whatever he wants trying to buy votes for Dennis Rehberg.  That’s because Congressman Rehberg supports tax loopholes that benefit millionaires–even when it means cutting Medicare, Social Security and education.”

Crossroads GPS has already spent hundreds of thousands to pay for false attack ads in Montana, following the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling.

Congressman Rehberg supports secret financing of elections. The organization Citizens United endorsed Rehberg in September, giving him a $10,000 contribution. And earlier this month, Rehberg was caught hiding more than $20,000 he took from Washington lobbyists.

Related articles

“Where Are You?”

by D Gregory Smith
Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? (album)

Trying to find Carmen Sandiego was at least fun and educational….

As Jon Tester continues his travels across the state, Montanans are wondering, “Where in the world is Congressman Dennis Rehberg?”

Rehberg’s last public event was two months ago, in Whitefish.  Since then, Rehberg has granted press interviews, but he has refused to meet publicly with the Montanans he’s supposed to serve.

Tester last week hosted two widely attended public forums to discuss online safety with executives from Facebook, and he held a public roundtable with the Billings Chamber of Commerce on the future of energy production in Montana.

Rehberg, however, had no public events.  In fact, Rehberg’s online schedule only lists one day last week, and that day consisted of only three press interviews.

“Following orders from his party bosses in Washington, Congressman Rehberg in December irresponsibly voted against tax relief for middle-class families and against the Keystone Pipeline,” said Ted Dick, Executive Director of the Montana Democratic Party. “No wonder he’s hiding from the public.  After voting against Montana’s best interest, he doesn’t want to be held accountable to the Montanans he’s supposed to serve.  We call on Congressman Rehberg to end his vacation and get to work creating jobs.”

Against overwhelming public opinion to the contrary, Congressman Rehberg recently told the Bozeman Chronicle that the U.S. House was functioning well, despite his vote against extending a payroll tax holiday for the middle class families.

“Congressman Rehberg might think playing political games with Keystone jobs and middle class tax cuts is business as usual for Congress, but he would hear something very different from Montanans, if he was willing to meet them face to face,” added Dick. “Thank goodness we have Jon Tester serving us in Congress, working hard every day on Montana’s behalf.”

Last year, Congressman Rehberg also abandoned public meetings after releasing his key appropriations bill weeks late and without public input.  The same day Rehberg was questioned by the press about his lack of public meetings, Congressman Rehberg scheduled two meetings.  Then he watched as a uniformed sheriff removed a Montanan from his event in Jordan.

Related articles

Rehberg Says Congress Is Just As Functional As Lindsay Lohan

by D Gregory Smith

After 35 years in politics, Congressman Dennis Rehberg is now telling Montanans that Congress is functional–even after his historic vote against middle-class tax relief and Montana Keystone Pipeline jobs–and despite historically low  job approval ratings.

“Montanans are unhappy with Congressman Rehberg and his party bosses because their out of touch partisanship is on fully display,” Said Ted Dick, Executive Director of the Montana Democratic Party.  “Congressman Rehberg doesn’t want Montanans to know what he’s doing in Congress because he’s only serving himself, not Montana.  To a career politician like Dennis Rehberg raising taxes on the middle class for political gain is business as usual – he just doesn’t want anyone to notice.”

Congressman Rehberg recently told the Bozeman Chronicle editorial board that Congress is functioning well: “I just hope that we don’t destroy our government, or our trust in government, because of the constant, constant, constant

Speak (Lindsay Lohan album)

Image via Wikipedia

observation of the sausage being made.”

Here is a complete transcript of Congressman Rehberg’s response:

Bozeman Chronicle Question:  “The perception outside of Washington is that Congress is essentially dysfunctional, that it’s deadlocked on almost any issue and it can’t really accomplish anything.  Is that perception, amongst you and your colleagues — that it’s ceased to function?”

Rehberg Answer: “Not necessarily, again I go back to the earlier conversation about people seeing the sausage made more than they’ve ever seen before.  It bothers me when I see Rasmussen or somebody else put out a poll saying that we have 5 percent approval and Lindsay Lohan is held in higher esteem than us.”

“Well, I would suggest that if Fox News and CNN and everybody else focused as much on a 24 hour basis, 7 days a week on Lindsay, she’d be right down there with us or you.  I mean, it’s the close scrutiny that’s occurring and that’s a good thing, I just hope that we don’t destroy our government or our trust in government because of the constant, constant, constant observation of the sausage being made.”

Right. Because unobserved government is healthy, trustworthy and sane… Just like Lindsay.

Related articles