For those of you in Montana, this is important

[Faster horses]

Keith Bales sent this to a friend of ours, who sent it to me.
Makes a good point, IMO.

I think that Taylor is right on with his comments. I served in the Senate
with Jon Tester and I know that he will not represent Agriculture like
Conrad has.
Keith


From: Taylor Brown [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Saturday, August 12, 2006 3:10 PM
Subject: Montana Agriculture Support Letter

Hi!

As you may already know, I am devoting quite a bit of personal time this
summer as a volunteer to help re-elect Conrad Burns to the U.S. Senate.
One area that we are working on is to activate a statewide coalition of
support, among those of us who are involved in Agriculture.

Conrad is such an amazing Champion for the Montana Ag
industry! Not only does he finally have a ton of POWER for us now, (after
18 years he is Number 33 in seniority in the U.S. Senate) but just think
about how many other Senators, ever in history, have had these
qualifications:

worked as the Field Rep for a major cattle breed association
a professional livestock auctioneer
a lifetime of supporting 4-H and FFA youth
owns two saddles, and knows how to work a set of cows on horseback
served as the first Manager of the NILE Stock Show
has served as the Official Judge for purebred cattle and steer shows
invented the Montana Agri-Trade Exposition (MATE Show)
founded the Northern Ag Network
managed and worked the sorting alleys for Livestock Auction Markets,
like Riverton and Billings Live
has taken delivery on thousands of Montana calves and yearlings

Frankly, it does not matter which political party you support,
if you or your customers are involved in Montana Agriculture, then you have
never had a stronger champion. Yet Conrads opponents are making a huge
effort to mislead farmers and ranchers into thinking that Conrad is somehow
not the same guy that used to bring us the Ag News on the radio each
morning, or referee our High School Football games, or enjoy a game of
pitch with the Livestock Order Buyers and the Brand Inspectors in the
stockyards caf.

The truth is, that even though he is in a position now to do so
much for this industry, Conrad is still just one of us. You and I know
that money doesnt matter that much to Conrad. It never has. Around
Washington he drives a used 1996 Chevy pickup. When in Montana, he and
Phyllis live in a tiny little condo in Billings Heights. She shops at the
nearby Target store. I have known him for 40 years, and the very idea that
he would vote a certain way because of a campaign contribution, is just
flat ludicrous. Nobody, not even his political enemies, believes that.

No, what has always mattered to Conrad, are the principles that got him
elected in the first place. His goals are to lower taxes, reduce
government, open up economic opportunities, sustain our nations defenses
and our freedom, innovate for energy independence, work for sound
agricultural policy and open markets, enact sound telecommunications
regulations and sustain our countrys moral laws. He has already done a
lot in each of these areas, but now, finally after 18 years, he has the
power to REALLY make some progress in all eight of these. His strong moral
convictions, and the fact that he is one of the most fiscally conservative
Senators ever, have made him a National Target for the left. Assisted by
the liberal media, they mean to pour enough money and misinformation into
this state in the next three months, to take your Senator away.

Did you know that in two years Conrad is in line to be the
Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee? Wow! Can you even IMAGINE what
that will do for Montana? No wonder the leaders of the liberal left, like
Chuck Schumer, and Hillary Clinton, and Ted Kennedy hate him so much!

We in agriculture know that we are outnumbered. Today, more so
than ever. But we do know how to get involved. If each of us just takes
time over the next two months to spread this message to everybody we visit
with,and buy from,and sell to,and go to Church with,and see at the
ballgames,or at the sales,or the cattle toursthen we can make a huge
difference. I urge you to bring Conrads name up in EVERY conversation,
and just tell your neighbors the truth about the man you have known for
decades.

My main reason for sending this email note to you today was to
have you see its Attachment. This is a one-page letter signed by 47 of
our states most respected ag leaders, to leave no doubt as to Montana
Agricultures support of Conrad Burns. Please click on the attachment to
this email and read it. Then forward it to your friends and business
associates who are on your own email list. Also print out some copies of
it, and then hand them out, or tack them up on the local bulletin board.

If you need more details on any issue, please feel free to
contact me at any time. If you want to see a list of all the
accomplishments that Conrad has delivered, or his position on any key
issue, just click on his website at www.conradburns.com.

This is the most important Senate election ever for our
industry. We can do this. Please get involved.

Thank you.

Taylor

Taylor Brown
Northern Broadcasting System, Inc
P.O. Box 1742
Billings, MT 59103
ph: (406) 252-6661
fax: (406) 245-9755
[email protected]

(Note: I wanted to include the attachment, but it wouldn't copy and paste)

 

[Badlands]

Kind of odd, to have listened to Conrad when I was a kid.

We had him at our FFA banquet in Baker about '87 or '88, can't remember which one. He was running for the 1st time, then.

Still remember bouncing around fencing in the Breaks one time when he was still on the Northern Ag Network. He would really get to running fast. He bumbled a few times, and pops off with, "Sorry folks, today I can't even write my own readin'". I never knew if that was another bungle, or if he did that on purpose.

Went down to DC to lobby for the NBCEC efforts about 4 years ago. Got over in the Senate building where Conrad is housed. The guards there thought he was an OK cat, compared to most of them. They liked him, and his matter of fact manner when the anthrax threat broke out. He had left something for his wife in his office when they cleared out, and he was going back in to get it. The guards decided against stopping him. In the Senate Ag. appropriations committee room, you should know that there is a picture of Tom Mott at Ft. Keogh driving some L1 Hereford's down a draw. That picture is there courtesy of Conrad. If anyone asks, they can find out what it's about.

Sometimes, we can't get the whole picture in the media, and you never know if they are taking care of you or not.

What I do know is that when you have a representative that is a ranking member in the Senate, you don't pi$$ it away, even if you don't necessarily like every move that person has made. No person will perfectly serve every constituent every time.

Badlands

 

[Brad S]

problem with Montana is there are almost enough Californians to dictate congressional representation - the ranchers can go to hell. A senatoral election is as much about which party you want setting the agenda as it is about the individual candidate.

 

[Faster horses]

Well, that is why if we want Conrad we better turn out and vote.

The seniority he has garnered is real important to this state.

I don't like the Abrahamson connection at all, but I think he is the better of the two men. Montana doesn't care enough about agriculture as it is, so we need all the 'voice' we can get.

 

[mrj]

Some good points in most of the posts here.

One missed is that being a one or two issue voter often leaves the poorest choice as the favored candidate of such a voter, IMO.

Burns has been good for the state, as well as for the cattle industry.

If agriculture is a big income producer, employer, and source of LOTS of income to ag supplier companies in a state, you darn sure need your representatives to be good for agriculture.

Re. the Abrahamson 'scandal'.... there just may be more hot air than substance from many of the 'guilty by association' crowd over that. Not that opposing candidates or parties, or party promoting groups supported by wealthy individuals would ever use such an issue to harm a good man!!!!

MRJ