Tag Archives: Jon Tester

Tester vs Rehberg: Who Works Harder?

by D Gregory Smith

While the question may seem inflammatory and derisive, it’s totally fair. And The Montana Democrats have done their homework:

Location map of Montana, USA

Image via Wikipedia

How did Jon Tester and Congressman Dennis Rehberg spend the month of January?  The difference couldn’t be more obvious.

Jon Tester traveled thousands of miles across the Treasure State, holding dozens of meetings and public events attended by more than 1,000 Montanans from across the political spectrum—discussing everything from online safety to consumer protection to job creation in Montana.

As for Dennis Rehberg?  Not counting plenty of interviews with newspapers, TV and radio stations, Rehberg’s only public event was a political news conference announcing his Senate bid—surrounded Republican legislators known for comparing women to cattle and birther bills.

“Unlike Jon Tester, Congressman Dennis Rehberg thought January was vacation time,” said Ted Dick, Executive Director of the Montana Democratic Party.  “After 35 years in politics, Congressman Rehberg has he’s lost touch with Montana, and his decisions are so irresponsible he apparently doesn’t want to face the music at home.”

Not including press interviews, political events, or “work” in Washington, here’s what Congressman Dennis Rehberg did in January:

January 12

  • Addressed Sentinel Kiwanis Club (Missoula)
  • (Rehberg also held political press conference in Helena during which he filed for U.S. Senate surrounded by Montana lawmakers)
January 19
  • Addressed Montana Chamber of Commerce (Helena)
Not including press interviews, political events, or work in Washington, here’s what Jon Tester did in January:

January 2:

  • Visited U.S. Government class at Harlem High School (Harlem)
  • Hosted Economic Development Roundtable (Harlem)
  • Met with Fort Belknap Tribal Council (Fort Belknap)
  • Visited U.S. Government class at Rocky Boy High School (Box Elder)
  • Held Veterans Roundtable (Box Elder)
January 4:
  • Visited Black Coffee Roasters (Missoula)
  • Met with local realtors (Missoula)
  • Met with Ravalli and Missoula Counties Suicide Task Force (Missoula)
  • Held roundtable with Missoula Head Start (Missoula)
  • Visited U.S. Government class at Sentinel High School (Missoula)
  • Met with Lance Corporal Tomy Parker, U.S. Marine Corps (Ronan)
January 5:
  • Addressed Daybreak Rotary (Kalispell)
  • Met with Mayor John Muhlfeld and City Council (Whitefish)
  • Toured Whitefish Care and Rehabilitation Center (Whitefish)
  • Met with Sheriff Chuck Curry (Kalispell)
  • Hosted online safety forum with Facebook (Kalispell)
  • Hosted online safety forum with Facebook (Billings)
January 6:
  • Visited Social Studies class at Skyview High School (Billings)
  • Met with Rocky Mountain College President Michael Mace and Greg Kohn (Billings)
  • Met with regional tribal leaders to discuss Indian health care (Billings)
  • Hosted roundtable discussion with Billings Chamber of Commerce on energy (Billings)
  • Met with Central Labor Council (Billings)
January 9
  • Met with the School Administrators of Montana (Helena)
  • Met with the Montana Rural Education Association (Helena)
  • Met with the Montana School Board Association (Helena)
  • Met with the Independent Insurance Agents of Montana (Helena)
January 10
  • Met with the National Federation of Independent Businesses (Helena)
  • Met with the Montana Bankers Association (Helena)
  • Met with the Montana Realtors Association (Helena)
January 11
  • Hosted roundtable discussion with Holly Petraeus Helena community leaders (Helena)
  • Visited Montana Department of Labor training session (Helena)
  • Hosted roundtable discussion with Holly Petraeus and National Guard members (Helena)
  • Hosted Roundtable discussion with Holly Petraeus and Great Falls community leaders (Great Falls)
  • Hosted roundtable discussion with Holly Petraeus and officers at Malmstrom Air Force Base (Great Falls)
  • Hosted town hall meeting with Holly Petraeus and airmen at Malmstrom Air Force Base (Great Falls)
January 12
  • Addressed the Montana Contractors’ Association (Big Sky)
  • Visited Bozeman Head Start (Bozeman)

January 13

  • Visited seniors at Lame Deer High School (Lame Deer)
  • Hosted veterans listening session (Lame Deer)
  • Toured Little Big Horn College (Crow Agency)
  • Hosted veterans listening session (Crow Agency)

January 20

  • Addressed Montana Chamber of Commerce (Helena)
  • Visited Helena Middle School (Helena)
  • Met with SeaCast Montana (Butte)
  • Met with Montana State Sheet Metal Workers (Butte)

Hmmm. Looks like Tester wins this round. If you count being industrious, that is.

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A Rehberg Tax Reminder

by D Gregory Smith

…from The Montana Democrats:

Rep. Denny Rehberg (MT)

Image by republicanconference via Flickr

Congressman Dennis Rehberg again turned to his trusted talking points, telling Montana businesses (yesterday) what they want to hear.  But Rehberg’s record as a 11-year Congressman tells a much different story.

In a speech to the Montana Chamber of Commerce, Rehberg said businesses need more certainty and fewer regulations. Yet less than a month ago, Rehberg voted for more uncertainty when he voted against a payroll tax extension and against the Keystone XL Pipeline.

“In just the last year, Dennis Rehberg voted to raise taxes on middle-class families, he voted to shut down our government twice, and he voted to default our nation’s economy,” said Montana Democratic Party Executive Director Ted Dick.  “That’s one of the worst things that could have happened for business certainty.  Congressman Rehberg ought to know that Montana businesses want real solutions, not partisanship in Congress.”

Rehberg criticized regulations that hurt small businesses, but in 2010, he voted against the Food Safety Modernization Act.  Senator Jon Tester, a Montana farmer, successfully amended the law to ensure that family farmers and food producers were protected from federal regulations they don’t need and can’t afford.

“Congressman Dennis Rehberg has a long record of irresponsible decisions that have hurt Montana businesses and helped his fellow millionaires,” Dick said.  “After a career in politics that stretches back to 1977, Dennis Rehberg has lost touch with Montana.”

Here’s a quick look at Rehberg’s record of hurting Montana’s businesses and helping himself:

  • In his first year in Congress, Rehberg squandered a $236 billion surplus
  • During his 11 years in Congress, Rehberg has given himself FIVE pay raises while voting to raise the debt ceiling TEN times.
  • Rehberg was named the Tea Party Caucus‘ top earmarker
  • Rehberg voted against an extension of the payroll tax holiday and against the Keystone XL pipeline
  • Rehberg voted for a three-percent tax on contractors
In December 2010, Rehberg voted for the largest tax increase in history on Montana families and businesses.
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“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.

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Rehberg Supports Raising Medicare Premiums

by D Gregory Smith

Millionaire Congressman Dennis Rehberg is throwing his support behind a controversial proposal that will raise Medicare premiums for one out of four seniors.

Denny Rehberg - Caricature

Image by DonkeyHotey via Flickr

After voting twice this year to force major cuts to Medicare, Rehberg falsely claimed he was the “only member of Montana’s delegation who has consistently voted to protect Medicare and Social Security.” [Lee Newspapers, 12/4/2011]

Now he’s poised to hurt Medicare again by supporting the controversial House payroll tax holiday.

According to the Associated Press, Rehberg’s plan will be paid for by raising Medicare premiums on seniors, a proposal that would “expand over time to include the highest-earning one-fourth of seniors.”

Both Senators Jon Tester and Max Baucus have voted for alternative plans to extend the payroll tax holiday for middle class families, through higher taxes on only millionaires.

According to the Associated Press:

“Raising taxes on millionaires may be a non-starter for Republicans, but they seem to have no problem hiking Medicare premiums for retirees making a lot less.” [Associated Press, 12/13/2011]

“This couldn’t be a more clear example of Dennis Rehberg sticking up for his fellow multimillionaires while sticking it to middle-class Montana seniors,” said Ted Dick, Executive Director of the Montana Democratic Party.  “Dennis Rehberg has forgotten who he’s working for, and it’s clear whose side he’s on: the special interests who have bankrolled his 35-year career in politics.”

Rehberg recently touted the controversial House payroll tax plan after he inserted a rider in the legislation, despite his promise last year to abandon the practice of inserting irrelevant riders to bills.

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MT Dems: Rehberg’s Concern for Foreclosed Homeowners a New Development

by D Gregory Smith

Millionaire Congressman Dennis Rehberg says home mortgage lenders “should have been left to fail”, according to a report in Lee Newspapers.

A record number of Americans lost their homes during the subprime mortgage crisis, but Congressman Rehberg’s comments reveal he was never concerned about stemming the tide of foreclosures.

“Congressman Rehberg has no solutions because—as a second generation millionaire—he never had to worry about struggling with a mortgage,” said Ted Dick, Executive Director of the Montana Democratic Party. “Congressman Rehberg needs to explain why he would allow more Montanans to have lost their homes during the mortgage crisis.”

Congressman Rehberg signed on to a bill to hold Fannie and Freddie accountable for extreme bonuses seven months after the bill was introduced, and just hours after Jon Tester spoke out against the bonuses during a Senate hearing.

“Apparently Congressman Rehberg will try to steal someone else’s ideas when thinks he can gain politically,” continued Dick.

Congressman Rehberg’s comments about letting home mortgage lenders fail come as GOP Presidential Candidate Newt Gingrich

is forced to answer questions about his consulting contract with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

“We’ll give the Congressman another opportunity,” Dick said.  “He should join with his campaign partner Michele Bachmann and denounce Newt Gingrich for enriching himself with a questionable $1.6 million contract with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.” 


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Rehberg’s (allegedly) Poor Polling Numbers

by D Gregory Smith

 Cowgirl has them:

Tester’s job approval is 50-26 whereas Dennis Rehberg’s is 41-34. There is a large swath of voters who say they have not decided. Strangely, Obama, in this same poll, is at 42-48, numbers that comport with polls we’ve seen in the press the last year or so. But it means that while Obama’s negatives are high in Montana (predictably so), his positive job approval is higher is than Rehberg’s. This is somewhat surprising. (emphasis mine)

I have never figured out what Montanans see in Rehberg- he’s not a leader, he’s never out in front of an issue- the exact opposite of Tester. Cowgirl again:

Rehberg doesn’t seem to really do anything in his job. He provides nothing beyond criticism of democrats in the form of regurgitated FoxNews talking points, whereas Tester is visibly active, always, and active on issues that resonate within important sectors of the electorate.

Exactly. Full story here.

The Cowardly Lions That Refuse To Roar

by D Gregory Smith

Wow.

It’s not even Halloween and Montana’s political leaders are scared shitless.

Our political leadership has been strangely silent on the subject of the recently discovered homophobic/murderous rants by a leader and members of the Montana Tea Party.

Dennis Rehberg, who is a member of the US House of Representatives Tea Party Caucus should be particularly enthusiastic about these revelations.

And yet, surprisingly, given his homophobic history – silence. Which is probably to be expected given his non-response to the Montana Republican Party’s platform plank calling for the criminalization of homosexual acts. Self-serving at it’s very best- which represents his entire political career, basically.

However, more deeply disappointing  and disturbing is the non-response of Max Baucus, a man whose national campaign for the health of all Americans doesn’t seem to give two shits about the safety of his constituents back home. Or maybe he is too frightened to upset a homophobic voter in Central Montana. Or a lobbyist in Manhattan (not the Montana town, that other one on the East Coast). Being politically correct pays the bills – being morally couragous. Not so much.

Maybe Denny and Max are afraid for their safety. But they’re not alone.

Take it from me, some of those constituents are definitely scared. In Montana, apparently, being gay means being the target of violent words advocating the displaying of your tortured body as a decoration or sport for everyone else. That’s scary. One of the most beautiful places in the world, and suddenly I’m not admiring the mountains or the scenery as I’m driving. I’m looking at people in the cars around me wondering, “If they knew me would they would want to kill me and hang my body on a tree like a piece of strange fruit?”

And it’s not okay.

Whose fear is more relevant here? Whose safety is more important? A political leader who has lost touch with his constituents, or the constituents themselves?

If someone targeted any other group of human beings – say, Native Americans, women, children, the handicapped, etc., the cries to heaven and the media would be deafening. The voices would be politicians, clergy, parents, doctors, bankers, rodeo cowboys, hunters and car dealers.

But it’s The Gays. They’re not people- they’re a political liability. Fuck them.

It’s not okay.

And someone who’s been elected as a leader in this state should say so. Brian Schweitzer? Jon Tester?

Who’s the Wizard going to give courage to?

Anyone?