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USDA's Johanns criticizes Conrad

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Anonymous

Guest
I just heard on the radio this morning where a Republican Sate Senator, Sam Kitzenberg, came out endorsing Conrads opponent last night....Conrad should have retired and allowed Rehberg or someone with a little bit of integrity left run...

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Ag secretary says senator's attack on firefighters "unfair"

05:26 PM MDT on Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Associated Press


BOISE -- U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said today a verbal attack by Senator Conrad Burns of Montana against federal firefighters was unfair.

Burns, a Republican, had slammed the firefighters last month for doing what he called a "poor job" in quelling a Montana wildfire.

Johanns made the comments while at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise.

A Burns aide in Billings, Montana, says the senator has already apologized, and was merely expressing frustration of ranchers in his state over how the 143-square-mile blaze was extinguished.

In the July 23rd incident, Burns had also criticized the national fire agency, saying it shouldn't be in Boise.

Federal fire officials today said they're satisfied with the center's performance in Idaho's capital city.

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Political analyst downgrades Burns' re-election chances
By GWEN FLORIO
Tribune Capitol Bureau


HELENA — Political analyst Stuart Rothenberg changed his assessment of Montana's U.S. Senate race from a toss-up to one that leans toward a Democratic takeover Tuesday.

Rothenberg's downgrading of incumbent Republican Sen. Conrad Burns' chances in his race against Democrat Jon Tester followed a similar move by Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics. Sabato's judgment was more critical: His most recent evaluation views Burns' seat as a "probable" pickup for the Democrats in November.

"Conrad Burns just can't survive many more gaffes," Sabato said Tuesday. "He's already behind, he's already in trouble, and this just adds to the controversy surrounding him."

Sabato was referring to another recent foot-in-mouth incident involving Burns. The senator got in trouble last month for confronting a Virginia hotshot crew in the Billings airport and accusing them of not working hard enough. He later apologized. On Tuesday, Democrats released remarks by Burns that they taped during a June meeting in which he joshes about whether a maintenance worker is an illegal immigrant. Burns spokesman Jason Klindt said the worker in question is here legally.

Rothenberg, who writes the nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report, posted his new assessment of Montana's Senate race on his blog Tuesday. The print report won't be released until Friday.

"We became convinced he's trailing. The environment (for Republicans) is bad, and is likely to get worse nationally," Rothenberg said as to why he'd moved Montana's race out of "tossup" status, which is where most pundits had placed it.

Rothenberg said he was reluctant to give the edge to Democrats because of his experience in 2000, when he predicted Burns would lose to Brian Schweitzer.

But, as Rothenberg wrote in his blog Tuesday, despite Burns' narrow victories that year and in 1988, "polling this cycle strongly suggests that he is now fighting for his political life."

A Rasmussen poll taken earlier this month showed Burns and Tester tied at 47 percent each, an improvement for Burns over the July poll, which showed him trailing Tester by 7 percent.

"We've said from the beginning that this is going to be a close race. This isn't Conrad's first rodeo. He's always faced tough races, and always come through in the end," Klindt said.

Tester spokesman Matt McKenna said the campaign places little stock in punditry from afar, even when it's favorable.

"If we went and chased every poll and every pundit's opinion, it makes for pretty short days," he said.

Although the Democrats have worked relentlessly to discredit Burns for his ties to convicted Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff, Rothenberg said the sour political climate for Republicans is probably more damaging to Burns at this point.

"It's getting closer to Election Day. There's less time for an incumbent to turn things around," he said.

A number of polls conducted by the media this month show that those questioned said they would prefer Democrats to Republicans in the November election. Democrats are trying to wrest control of Congress and need 15 House seats, and six in the Senate, to do so. Burns' seat is viewed as one of the most vulnerable to Democratic takeover in the Senate.
 

Faster horses

Well-known member
We got a Democratic press release at the paper yesterday that was all about Conrad calling a meeting of Farmers and Ranchers up by Great Falls and then falling asleep. I'll bet that will be all over the news today.

He should realize that all eyes are on him.

I'm voting for him again, though. We need his seniority...
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Faster horses said:
We got a Democratic press release at the paper yesterday that was all about Conrad calling a meeting of Farmers and Ranchers up by Great Falls and then falling asleep. I'll bet that will be all over the news today.

He should realize that all eyes are on him.

I'm voting for him again, though. We need his seniority...

Actually it was all over the websites last week- I think the Billings Gazette posted a link to the website:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=conrad+burns&search=Search

Hope that works-- if not go to www.youtube.com and type Conrad Burns in the search query...

After watching this Conrad may be better off if he loses- he's aging badly, looks like he's 90 in this one.....
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Poor old Conrad has more problems again...Looks like everything around him is turning to cr*p.... Conrad better check out his campaign fund- looks like one crook working for another one..... :wink: :lol:


Davison is accused of securities violations
By JAN FALSTAD
Of The Gazette Staff
and CHUCK JOHNSON
Gazette State Bureau

Pat Davison, a Billings businessman, community leader and former Republican candidate for governor, was charged Friday with violating the Montana Securities Act and defrauding investors of $1.2 million.


Davison was serving as Montana finance chairman for Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., but resigned July 27.
When asked why Davison resigned, Burns campaign spokesman Jason Klindt said, "I think he said personal reasons."

http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/08/26/news/local/30-davison_x.txt
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Big Muddy rancher said:
I thought Burns campained on term limits for politicians?

He did- When he ran against Melcher his main argument was Melcher was too old, and had been in office too long...Said he would be a 2 term Senator...Now he's campaigning for his 4th term- must have alzheimers :wink: :lol: :lol:
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Top story on the radio this morning-- He was their big money buddy yesterday, but untouchable by an politicians now...These campaigns are going to have to hire sharp finance people to keep track of all this money they get- and then have to give back because the donator turned into a crook, like Abramoff...Comical thing is this crook was Conrads finance director.. :wink: :lol: :lol:
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Politicians, parties scramble to return Davison donations
GOP investment manager accused of cheating clients

By The Gazette State Bureau

HELENA - Montana politicians and political parties have wasted no time distancing themselves from thousands of dollars in campaign donations received from Pat Davison, a Billings investment manager and prominent Republican accused of cheating his clients.

Last Friday, as the Montana auditor's office confirmed that Davison is under investigation for securities fraud, Republican U.S. Sen. Conrad Burns returned $9,575 in campaign contributions received from Davison and Davison's wife, Vicki, over many years.

Until late July, Davison served as finance campaign chairman of Burns' 2006 re-election campaign.


Jason Klindt, a Burns spokesman, said the campaign returned all it had ever received from the Davisons. Klindt said the campaign returned the money to the couple. Republican Rep. Denny Rehberg, also up for re-election in November, returned $6,350 that Rehberg's campaigns have received from the Davisons, according to Dustin Frost, a spokesman for the congressman's campaign. Frost said the congressman returned to the Davisons all the money he had received from them.

On Monday, Democrat U.S. Sen. Max Baucus also gave away $1,028 he received from the Davisons. Baucus gave the money to the Family Tree Center, a Billings charity that helps families recover from child abuse, said Barrett Kaiser, a Baucus spokesman.

The Montana Republican Party will return $230 the group received from the Davisons in 2003 and 2004. The party received $750 from the family between 1993 and 1994, but Brock Lowrance, a spokesman for the party, said the group agreed that donations received up to 13 years ago, before Davison's alleged fraud, need not be returned.
 
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