Tester rolls up his sleeves to keep farm running

Source: Billings Gazette

Published on Monday, April 09, 2007.
Last modified on 4/9/2007 at 9:13 am

Tester rolls up his sleeves to keep farm running
By The Associated Press

BIG SANDY -
(snip)
Tester says he doesn't know why he has a different life view than most of his neighbors, but he does."

He's trying to understand why many of them remain supportive of the war in Iraq.

He's supportive of the troops, he says, but he's troubled by the Bush administration's lack of a plan, and the cost it has on American health and society.

"I don't think where the connection is made is that $2 billion a week is being spent on this war and what are we accomplishing? I don't know if people understand there's a proposal to take $18 billion out of the farm program and that's going to be money out of these folks pockets," he says. "And you know what? From a fiscal standpoint, we've got to get the money from somewhere to pay for this war."
(snip)

Read more: http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/04/09/news/state/20-tester.txt

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A facinating article on the political and personal life philosophy of Jon Tester, the freshman Democratic Senator from Montana.

Down inside the piece he gives his views on the occupation, life in DC, and his philosephy of politics.

I had a chance to talk with Jon during his primary in the run up to the general. He was not leading in the polls. I called his office to ask the staff a question about his position on choice and the staffer handed the phone to Jon. We talked for twenty minutes about education, music, farming, etc. But actually, he had me at hello.

I sent him a donation a few days later and received a personal thank you wherein he said - I enjoyed talking to you on the phone. I had not given him my name on the phone but I had mentioned in what state I was currently residing. He apparently put two and two together when he got my check. Because of the personal note I sent him two more donations during the general.

The article reminded me of the farmers I grew up with in a small town in the midwest. Mechanics, business men, farmers all in one and usually pretty smart about politics. Sounds like Jon's neighbors still don't get it.

1993, I was amazed at how open and accessible our leaders, from both parties, are compared to a number of other places in the country.

One night I was having a beer at the Union Club which is a low key working class bar, and this guy comes up and starts chatting and shooting the shit. After a while I introduced myself and told him I canvassed for Montana Peoples Action, and he introduced himself, and said he was John Melcher, our US Senator. We chatted some more then my friends came by and I left.

Another time, we were canvassing in Helena, the capitol, and one of our canvassers came back with a great door story. He knocked on what he thought might be apartments and a woman answered and he started into his rap, and the woman said, just a minute, I'll go get him.

The canvasser thought she meant her spouse because that's fairly typical. Instead the Republican Governor came to the door and talked with our canvasser for about 20-25 minutes. It turned out the canvasser had knocked at the back door of the Governor Mansion, and Mark Rasicot talked health care reform with our canvasser. He didn't make out a check, though, the bum. And Rasicot always talked a lot better game than he played.

real folks and a possible candidate for higher office.

On the story. Seems like some people in Montana are sore losers, doesn't it?

It's REALLY sad to see how many fervent Kool-aid drinkers there still are. Especially the one who regurgigated that mindless slogan about the grandson in Iraq "fighting for our freedom." "FIGHTING FOR OUR FREEDOM"???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? I'm just flabbergasted that people are even still saying that. "Fighting for our freedom"??? In IRAQ?????? Un-frickin'-believable how people actually do still believe that. Oh well, just goes to show you how thoroughly and obediently the talking points are absorbed. Sigh... What is with those people??? They really still believe this shit. AMAZING. I guess most of 'em still get their "news" from limbaugh and Pox Noise. Really distressing. Picking on their new senator for trying to juggle two demanding jobs - in Washington AND maintaining the family farm. Someone like that ought to be TREASURED. I would think the people of Montana would be most gratified to find a family farmer in the Senate - representing THEM and their fellow family farmers. Ingrates! All they can do is pick him apart and spew the talking points. Really distressing. I feel bad for him with closed-minded, backward-"thinking" constituents like those. I think I'll call his office tomorrow and try to buck them up a little.

"I didnt fully understand what kind of machine was against me out there. I didnt have a clue that existed," he explains. "You keep going.

The other part I though was brillent local politics was his comment on Conrad Burns at the end of the story, and contrasting that with his own feelings.

Proud to have Jon representing me.

Egalitarian
Kalispell, MT

:hi:

Just spectacular. How wonderful.