“Aspirin” Billionaire To Bankroll Rehberg

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.

MT Dems: Rehberg’s Concern for Foreclosed Homeowners a New Development (dgsma.wordpress.com)
Rehberg Invites Rumsfeld (dgsma.wordpress.com)
A Rehberg Tax Reminder (dgsma.wordpress.com)

Slide 4 Pride

Feb23 by D Gregory Smith

Tuesday Clippings

Feb21 by D Gregory Smith

A few links to stories I found interesting this week:

~Indiana Legislator Refuses To Honor “Radical” Girl Scouts.

~Rick Santorum Could Take Republicans Down With Him

~AIDS Research Being Done By 17 Year-olds

~Rehberg Should Try Some ‘Made In Montana’ Funding

~Female Elephants Need Not Apply

~Marriage: David Cameron Faces Church Backlash Over ‘Cultural Vandalism’

Happy Clicking!

Who Benefits Most From Federal Dollars? Red States

Feb19 by D Gregory Smith

Some of the memes of rural Republicans include: “the government is taxing us to death,” “we’re paying for other people’s programs” “where’s the benefit to the working ~~man~~ person?”. Tea Party protests against government are being held on sidewalks, streets and in parks designed, paid for, cleaned and lit by- you guessed it- the very taxes they’re protesting. Irony is begging for attention here.

Especially- according to the following article- in the red states:

It’s no secret: The federal budget is expanding faster than tax revenues, a trend that’s been fueled by the rapid growth of entitlement programs and exacerbated by the recession. As a recent New York Times article documents, even as fiscally conservative lawmakers complain about deficit spending, their constituents don’t want to give up the Social Security checks, Medicare

benefits, and earned income tax credits that provide a safety net for the struggling middle class…

States receiving the most federal funding per tax dollar paid:

Image via Wikipedia

1. New Mexico: $2.63
2. West Virginia: $2.57
3. Mississippi: $2.47
4. District of Colombia: $2.41
5. Hawaii: $2.38
6. Alabama: $2.03
7. Alaska: $1.93
8. Montana: $1.92
9. South Carolina: $1.92
10. Maine: $1.78

Read the full article (with interactive maps) here.

Political Hypocrisy: Taking it to the Bank (zwingliusredivivus.wordpress.com)
Who Benefits From Social Programs? (wcward57.wordpress.com)
Democrats need to build ways to turn blue-state subsidies into red-state votes (dailykos.com)
Abstract maps of the United States (flowingdata.com)

Baucus, Tester Congratulated For Tax Relief

Feb18 by D Gregory Smith

Montana Democratic Party Executive Director Ted Dick today released the following statement in recognition of the payroll tax relief just passed by Congress:

“We are incredibly proud of the hard work Jon Tester and Max Baucus have put in on this issue. Montanans shouldn’t have to lose out on a $1,000 tax break because of petty partisan games in Congress. Thankfully, Jon and Max worked together to get the job done for Montana families.”

“Senator Baucus did something you rarely see in Washington these days: He brought folks from both side of the aisle to the table to give tax relief to working families when they need it most. His work represents the spirit of working together that Montanans expect and deserve in their elected leaders.”

For me, the political races of 2012 come down to one thing: desire for fairness vs the desire to impose dogmatism.

I don’t think I need to tell you which party is for what- or that Denny Rehberg’s history of cooperation is pretty sketchy- and I’m being generous.

Rehberg Invites Rumsfeld (dgsma.wordpress.com)
A Rehberg Tax Reminder (dgsma.wordpress.com)

Watch Our Mardi Gras Interview On KBZK

Feb16 by D Gregory Smith

Here!

The event information:

Rehberg Invites Rumsfeld

Feb15 by D Gregory Smith

…presumably relying on Montanans’ short memories. From the Montana Democrats:

Image via Wikipedia

Failed Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is scheduled to be in Montana later this month to stump for multimillionaire Congressman Dennis Rehberg–a move that highlights Rehberg’s strong support of the failed policies of former President George W. Bush.

Rumsfeld, who resigned from office the day Jon Tester won his Senate seat, is known as the architect of one of the greatest misunderstandings of military intelligence in American history. Rumsfeld was also a key supporter the controversial Patriot Act, which Congressman Rehberg has supported repeatedly.

“Donald Rumsfeld is almost as out-of-touch as Congressman Dennis Rehberg when it comes to reckless decisions about our freedoms,” said Ted Dick, Executive Director of the Montana Democratic Party.

Rumsfeld is holding a February 25 fundraiser near Bozeman for Rehberg, who recently got caught hiding tens of thousands of dollars he’s taken from out-of-state lobbyists.

“Donald Rumsfeld was a key figure in an administration known for its secrecy and lack of facts and transparency,” Dick said. “After Congressman Rehberg tried to hide his lobbyist cash, it’s no surprise he’s now embracing Secretary Rumsfeld’s support.”

Yeah- a no-brainer.

Rehberg’s “Year Of Disaster” (dgsma.wordpress.com)
“Where Are You?” (dgsma.wordpress.com)
A Rehberg Tax Reminder (dgsma.wordpress.com)

Couple’s Love Inspires A More Equal Montana

Feb14 by D Gregory Smith

By Caitlin Copple

This Valentine’s Day season, many Montanans are blushing about their current crush or building a relationship with that special someone. For same-sex couples here, the butterflies and bliss of true love is often met with a cold, hard legal reality. Only six states and the District of Columbia offer equal marriage rights, and Montana is not one of them. Groups like ACLU of Montana, a recent grantee of The Advocacy Fund at Pride Foundation, are trying to change that by taking a relationship recognition lawsuit to the state Supreme Court.

Kellie, Denise and Morrgan

One of the couples in the ACLU case is Kellie and Denise. They live in Laurel, population roughly 7,000, about 20 miles west of Billings. They are one of six couples who are plaintiffs in the ACLU’s current Guggenheim v. Montana case currently before the state Supreme Court.

Kellie and Denise have been together for 11 years. They’ve raised Kellie’s two children from a previous marriage, and recently jointly adopted Kellie’s 5-year-old nephew, Morrgan. Denise, 47, is a middle school science teacher and a basketball coach. Kellie, 48, worked for many years at a juvenile detention center, but is now on disability because she suffers from a rare brain condition that has required 56 brain surgeries and over 300 spinal taps over the past decade.

Heterosexual married state employees automatically receive 10 days of bereavement leave when a family member or in-law dies, but Denise was denied bereavement leave by her employer when Kellie’s father died last April. This was despite the fact that the couple had a private commitment ceremony in 2001, witnessed by about 30 friends and family members present. They are just like most Montanans – they are active at church, and they love to travel, camp, and fish. Unlike most Montanans, their relationship doesn’t “count” according to state and federal law.

Kellie credits Denise standing by her for being able to make it through her health problems: “She never left me when I was so sick,” she says. “I endure her relentless love of sports and she endures my need for dogs. I love her to infinity and beyond!”

“Kellie and Denise have been incredibly helpful with their participation in Fair is Fair events,” said the ACLU’s LGBT organizer Liz Welch, who is based in Billings. “One of the most touching things to watch is the tenderness and protectiveness they have for each other while at these public events. I admire these two and their affectionate, playful relationship all the more because of the obstacles I know they have had to overcome.”

Guggenheim v. Montana is currently before the Montana Supreme Court. Both sides have submitted briefs and multiple amicus briefs have also been filed in support of both side of the case. Supporting amicus are 65 Montana Religious Leaders, American Psychological Association, Legal Voice, Montana Human Rights Network and Gary J. Gates and MV Lee Badgett. According to Welch, the ACLU expects a court date to be set in the very near future.

Here’s to hoping this is the last Valentine’s Day Montana’s same-sex couples spend being treated unfairly under the law.

To keep updated on the case, as well as other projects of the ACLU of Montana, please visit:www.fairisfairmontana.org or email lwelch@acluofmontana.org to volunteer or sign a petition in support of the lawsuit.

Caitlin Copple is the Montana Regional Development Organizer for the Pride Foundation. Feel free to email her at Caitlin@pridefoundation.org with blog ideas or to volunteer.This story first appeared in Pride Foundation’s Blog.

ACLU Asks Montana Supreme Court to Grant Legal Protection to Same Sex Couples (dgsma.wordpress.com)
More On Montana Domestic Partnerships Appeal (dgsma.wordpress.com)
Montana’s Last Best Chance (dgsma.wordpress.com)
Pride Foundation: Big Plans for Montana (dgsma.wordpress.com)
Domestic Partnerships: Montana Tries Another Door (bilerico.com)
Seven Gay Couples Sue State of Montana For Equal Protections (towleroad.com)

Pride Foundation: Big Plans for Montana

Feb10 by D Gregory Smith

By Caitlin Copple, Montana Regional Development Organizer, Pride Foundation

During new Executive Director Kris Hermanns’ inaugural visit to Montana, the state’s Leadership Action Team volunteers convened at a retreat center in Red Lodge January 28 to assess the first year of Pride Foundation’s regional expansion in Montana and to help set the course for 2012.

“The Montana retreat recognized, created and harnessed some of the most encouraging energy I’ve been a part of in a long time,” said volunteer and monthly donor Greg Smith of Bozeman. “There is a unity of purpose and vision among us that’s palpable, and we are absolutely committed to LGBTQ equality in Montana.”

Added volunteer and donor Mary Stranahan of Arlee: “It was a good whirlwind of networking and making connections across the state, and I am very glad to have met Kris.”

Among the highlights were the notable increase in the number of LGBTQ events around the state, feeling more connected as a statewide community, giving away more money than ever, and feeling like we are working to create a better world through social change. Wishes from team members included the need for more political and legal change, more visibility to reach people outside the “choir” of progressive and LGBTQ activists, and to diversify in fundraising strategies.

LAT Members with Pride Foundation's Amy White

The team, which functions much like a statewide board, decided to split into three subcommittees focusing on fundraising, visibility and communications, and leadership development. The fundraising committee, co-chaired by Aaron Browning of Billings and Ginny Furshong of Helena, will focus on major donor and monthly giving development and donor retention, as well as connecting with Montana’s many “expats” who have left the state for either coast but remaining committed to social justice here.

The communications committee will develop Montana-specific “talking points” about the impact of Pride Foundation and its grantees in Montana, and work to present to businesses and service clubs.

The leadership development committee will focus on power-building by providing capacity building and technical assistance to grantee organizations and allies, as well as providing greater volunteer support to grantees, especially those focused on advocacy and education.

“Volunteering with and donating to Pride Foundation means being a part of something bigger than myself without losing my individual identity – or my voice,” explains LAT member and monthly donor Greg Smith of Bozeman. “In fact, Pride Foundation amplifies my voice because it is the vehicle for change in the Pacific Northwest for all LGBTQ persons and our allies, urbanand rural. Pride Foundation’s investment in my home state of Montana couldn’t be clearer- it’s professional, it’s consistent and it’s becoming stronger every day.”

Moving forward, the Leadership Action Team plans to meet quarterly in person and monthly in subcommittees. If you have feedback or suggestions for how Pride Foundation can better serve your community, please contact Caitlin@pridefoundation.org or one of your local LAT members.