Tester sweeps all of Montana’s major newspaper endorsements
Billings, Missoula, Bozeman, Helena and Butte papers praise Montana farmer
No major newspaper has endorsed Rehberg
Oct. 29, 2012
BILLINGS, Mont. – Montana farmer Jon Tester is rounding into the final stretch of his U.S. Senate campaign having earned the endorsements of all of Montana’s major newspapers.
Tester received the enthusiastic endorsement of the Missoulian on Sunday—clinching a clean sweep among Montana newspapers that are endorsing candidates this year.
The Bozeman Daily Chronicle and Montana’s largest newspaper—the Billings Gazette—have also endorsed Tester. All newspapers endorsed both Republicans and Democrats.
Tester also earned praise from both the Helena Independent-Record and Butte’s Montana Standard, which congratulated Tester’s success in advancing his bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act in the U.S. Senate.
“We hope you will consider demonstrated deal-making skills along with everything else when casting your vote,” the papers wrote.
Lobbyist-turned Congressman Dennis Rehberg, criticized for suing firefighters for money and for protecting tax loopholes for millionaires, has earned no endorsements.
Daily newspapers in Great Falls and Kalispell are not endorsing candidates this year.
Below are key excerpts from Tester’s endorsements:
“In this year’s race for U.S. Senate, Montanans have a choice between the incumbent senator who is completing his first six-year term and the state’s sole U.S. representative who has been in that office for 12 years… A hard-working moderate, Sen. Jon Tester has accomplished more for Montana in his first term than Rep. Denny Rehberg has in twice that time… Tester brings a Montana can-do approach to Congress… as the candidate best able to work across the aisle and get important things done for Montana and the country.” –The Billings Gazette, 10/21/2012
“[Tester is] certainly not the rubber-stamp his critics portray him to be… Far from merely adding to the ever-increasing campaign noise, Tester has consistently shown that he follows through on his promises with meaningful action… Tester deserves applause for sticking his neck out to act on the concerns of western Montanans with a homegrown attempt to solve our timber, jobs and economic problems. No one else has even tried. So let’s send Tester back to the Senate, where he can keep working to do what’s best for Montana.”–Missoulian, 10/28/2012
“Tester has shown more willingness and ability to work toward solutions than has Rehberg, qualities sorely needed in Congress, perhaps now more than ever… We need statesmen, not political rhetoric.”–The Bozeman Daily Chronicle, 10/14/2012
“In the wild world of politics, especially when closing in on an election, it’s nice to hand out praise for getting something done. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester’s… ‘once-in-a-generation’ sportsmen’s act [advanced] with 84 ayes. The act represents more than 20 bills that ensure hunting and fishing access along with protections for species and land. The bill is supported by 56 groups ranging from the National Rifle Association to The Nature Conservancy.” –The Helena Independent-Record, 10/21/2012
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