Montana Farmer with Montana Values

Montana’s election for the U.S. Senate will help determine whether the U.S. Senate is controlled by citizen legislators or bought by wealthy corporations.

That’s why Jon Tester believes:

“Montana needs a Montana farmer with Montana values in the United States Senate.”

To make this point on Saturday night Jon Tester asked an overflow crowd of 1,100 Montanans at the annual Mansfield-Metcalf Dinner in Helena, “Who in this room believes corporations are people?”

The question was met with silence — not a single hand was raised.

That’s because the election for Montana’s U.S. Senate seat should be decided by Montanans, not out-of-state corporations who stand with Congressman Dennis Rehberg.

Montana voters sent this message a century ago at the ballot box when passed the Corrupt Practices Act of 1912—in response to election-buying by the Copper Kings of Butte and Anaconda.

Congressman Rehberg and his allies are ready to distort and twist anything and anyone to win this election. But as a farmer, Jon knows that hard work pays off.

That’s why he’s proud of his record where he’s “stood with small businesses, seniors, family farmers and ranchers, sportsmen and women, Montana’s first people, and our nation’s heroes – our active-duty troops and veterans.”

If you couldn’t make it to Helena you can see coverage of Jon’s speech online here, from KXLH of Helena.

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Here’s some excerpts from the speech:

Jon addressed his record in the Senate (exceprts):

“When Thomas Jefferson said ‘cultivators of the earth are the most valuable citizens,’ he wasn’t talking about subdivision developers. He was talking about the men and women who built this country with their hands and in the dirt… and their minds on the future. For a farmer, success is defined by responsible decisions. Livelihood is defined by independence and liberty. And opportunities come with hard work. And as any farmer will tell you, hard work pays off.”

“In Montana, we believe elections are decided by people and their ideas, not corporations and their money. We believe corporations do not have the right to spend unlimited money buying power and influence, with no transparency or accountability.”

“I stood up to special interests and wealthy corporations that ship jobs overseas. And I stood with small businesses, seniors, family farmers and ranchers, sportsmen and women, Montana’s first people, and our nation’s heroes – our active-duty troops and veterans.”

Jon addressed the beliefs of his opponent, Congressman Rehberg (excerpts):

“Remind all Montanans that none of us can afford what Dennis Rehberg stands for. Remind them instead of creating jobs, Congressman Rehberg has spent the last year trying to wipe out Planned Parenthood, and senior volunteer programs, and Head Start, and Pell Grants. Instead of creating jobs, Dennis Rehberg killed Montana jobs.”

“You’ll hear Dennis Rehberg say ‘Congress is taking away our freedoms.’ But you won’t hear him tout his support for the Patriot Act and REAL ID, or his federal land grab bill. Or that he wants to take women’s rights back to the 1950s. You’ll hear Dennis Rehberg say, ‘I am a fiscal conservative.’ You won’t hear him talk about his 10 votes to increase the debt ceiling. Or his five votes to give himself a pay raise.”

“Congressman Rehberg’s allies have already dumped one-and-a-half million dollars into ads attacking me and my record. With no regard for the truth… Congressman Rehberg was endorsed by Citizens United – the organization responsible for this decision.”

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