• If you are having problems logging in please use the Contact Us in the lower right hand corner of the forum page for assistance.

Burns Buying Montana

A

Anonymous

Guest
Conrad didn't attend the candidates debate yesterday- apparently he doesn't want to answer open forum questions--instead he plans to use all his Big Business and out of state money to buy Montana :???:


Who needs to debate when you can buy your own stage
By Gwen Florio Tribune Capitol Bureau


HELENA — Conrad Burns wasn't at Sunday's health care forum for U.S. Senate candidates. The Republican incumbent didn't have to be.

Candidates use debates as one way to get their message out to a lot of people, but Burns' message is already out there, on the airwaves, in mailings, on yard signs and bumper stickers.

In the first three months of this year, Burns spent about $660,000 on advertising, consulting and fund-raising, according to Federal Election Commission reports. That's about $7,300 a day.

Put another way, every four days, his campaign spent as much as the average Montanan earns in a year, just to make sure voters know what Conrad Burns wants them to know.

"He lit it up, and he's got plenty more coming," said Craig Wilson, pollster and political science professor at Montana State University-Billings.

Burns spentmore than either of his two main Democratic opponents — Senate President Jon Tester of Big Sandy and state Auditor Jon Morrison — raised in donations in the same time period.

Burns can afford to advertise like crazy: Even after dropping all that dough on advertising and fundraising (getting more dough so he can buy more advertising), he still has $3.3 million, compared to Morrison's $882,000 and Tester's $261,000, according to the FEC quarterly reports.

In January alone, the Burns campaign wrote checks for $354,133 to eight firms for ads, "blast" faxes and consulting.

January is when Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty to conspiracy and fraud. Abramoff is cooperating with the Justice Department in a congressional influence-peddling probe.


Burns received more in donations from Abramoff and his associates, about $150,000, than any other senator or representative. He has returned or otherwise donated the money. A handful of publications, including the Wall Street Journal, quoted unnamed sources close to the Abramoff investigation as saying Burns is a focus of the probe.

"Given the seriousness of the charges (that were made) early, that forced him to begin to spend more than he otherwise would have spent as an incumbent sitting Republican," Wilson said.

Morrison's fund-raising report wasn't accessible on the FEC website. But Tester — who has raised just a little more since the beginning of his campaign last year than Burns spent in 90 days this year — spent about $44,400 from January through March on similar expenses.

Tester tends to use Internet advertising, which is considerably cheaper than television or radio, but lacks a guaranteed audience. His campaign paid Google a total of $330 this year.

Although the Montana Republican Party recently ran an Internet ad criticizing Democrats' positions on national security, Burns is sticking to more traditional, big-ticket advertising, paying $301,615 for advertising in a single day, Jan. 20.

That's the kind of cash the other opponents in Montana's U.S. Senate race can only dream of. In addition to Tester and Morrison, only one other candidate, Democrat Paul Richards of Boulder, filed a quarterly report, which said he had only $199 on hand. Burns' main primary opponent, Senate Minority Leader Bob Keenan of Bigfork, recently entered the race and has said he'll only spend $100,000 on it.

Two spokespersons for Burns' campaign did not return calls seeking comment Sunday afternoon.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Keenan's public survey finds Burns weakened
By CHARLES S. JOHNSON
Gazette State Bureau

HELENA -- Republican U.S. Senate challenger Bob Keenan has "a significantly better chance" than Sen. Conrad Burns of retaining the GOP Senate seat, a pollster hired by Keenan said Monday after taking a recent public opinion survey.

"By any measure, Conrad Burns is in deep trouble in his efforts to win re-election," said Whit Ayres, president of the Alexandria, Va., polling company Ayres McHenry & Associates Inc., said in a memo Monday.

Only 29 percent of Montana voters believe Burns deserves to be re-elected, with 60 percent thinking it's time to give someone else a chance and 11 percent undecided, the poll found. Thirty-two percent of Republicans and 66 percent of independents favored giving someone else a shot at the job.

"That is among the lowest 'deserves re-election' percentages we have recorded for an incumbent in a quarter-century of polling," Ayres said. However, the poll showed Burns has mounted a wide 62 to 15 percent lead over Keenan in the June 6 Republican primary, with 19 percent undecided and two others dividing 4 percent. Keenan jumped into the Senate shortly before the filing deadline. The poll's margin of error for the GOP primary is plus or minus 6.98 percentage points.

Keenan, the state Senate minority leader from Bigfork, said he spent nearly $20,000 of the $50,000 he's raised so far on the poll to find out "whether I was a legitimate primary contender or whether I needed to be home mowing the law or coaching Little League baseball." Republican legislative candidates and likely GOP voters have told him for months that Burns has an "electability problem" because of his ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, Keenan said.

"I think that this survey confirms this perception," Keenan said.

In response, Burns campaign spokesman Jason Klindt said, "Bob Keenan got what he paid for -- a poll that shows him in the best possible light. Different polls show different results, but the only one that matters is taken on Election Day.

"The bottom line is Conrad Burns is going to win the primary, and the real general election campaign starts on June 7."

The telephone poll of 600 Montana voters taken April 25-27 showed Democrat John Morrison topping Burns, 50 to 40 percent, with 11 percent undecided. (Numbers may not add to 100 percent because of rounding.)

It found Democrat Jon Tester slightly ahead of Burns, 48 to 42 percent. The full poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

If the general election were held now, Morrison would lead Keenan, 43 to 33 percent, with 24 percent undecided. There was no Keenan-Tester matchup in the poll.

Without naming the candidates but describing their backgrounds in what the pollster called objective terms, Morrison topped Burns 50 to 37 percent, and Keenan had a 45 to 43 percent margin over Morrison, although it fell within the poll's margin. Tester was not included.

Ayres said voters "have made up their minds about Burns, and Keenan has far more potential to grow on the ballot test."

A Democratic primary matchup shows Morrison leading Tester 35 to 28 percent, with 31 percent undecided. Trailing are Robert Candee of Richey with 3 percent, Paul Richards of Boulder with 2 percent and Kenneth Marcure of Missoula with 1 percent. The Democratic poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 8.14 percent.

Keenan found it interesting that 41 percent of the voters polled identified themselves as independents, indicating they're frustrating with party politics and partisanship.

"I'm independent," he said. "They don't want to be associated with one side or the other. That plays well with me. I'm a Republican candidate, but I had the independence and the guts to file against a long-standing incumbent."
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Disagreeable said:
Thanks for the update. I didn't realize Burns had a Republican challenger.

He hadn't even been considered a legitimate challenger- but with the negative attitude toward Burns his support is growing-- altho I personally don't think he stands a chance....Was just at the Courthouse voting in the School elections and discussing this subject with 2 current or former Republican Commissioners and 3 current Republican officeholders- they all fit into the 60% of the poll that couldn't support Conrad for any reason anymore- but a couple of them have optimism Keenan can pull it out for the Republicans....The rest of us tho thought unless Conrad backs out- the Montana Senators will both be Democrats.....
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
I'm really wondering how much Burns is actually collecting in donations from Montana individuals? Or is it all coming from Big Business and out of state interests? This came to light the other day when I recieved a phone call from the Montana Republican Party....

Now I am an Independent- and I refuse to donate to a Party- but I have donated to some good candidates in the past (both parties) and usually do so every year...

Anyway this was a local fellow that calls me up soliciting funds for the Republican Party- and I informed him that I'd already donated to the Repulican Commissioner and Sheriff's candidates but there is no way I'll donate money that might be used to support Conrad Burns-- there was silence and then a little chuckle and he said "Dick, we're hearing that from everyone this year"...We then proceeded to have a pretty good conversation about how the Montana Republican party may be self destructing and going down the tubes over following one old crook for too long..... :roll:
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Disagreeable said:
Is the state Republican party trying to get Burns to drop out?

Nope- a lot more individuals are starting to show support for Keenan tho- altho personally I don't think he can beat Burns money machine...But I still think its going to end up very costly for Republicans in the state races in Montana.....

This is one time the Republican good old boys should have had a long backroom talk with Conrad before he filed.....
 

Latest posts

Top