Helena, Butte newspapers endorse Tester’s ‘collaboration and compromise’

Editorials: ‘Consider demonstrated deal-making skills’ when voting

BILLINGS, Mont. – Two more newspapers in Montana have praised Jon Testers record of “collaboration and compromise,” endorsing the Montana farmer’s bipartisan work for Montana’s hunters and anglers.

“In the wild world of politics, especially when closing in on an election, it’s nice to hand out praise for getting something done,” wrote Butte’s Montana Standard and the Helena Independent Record.  “U.S. Sen. Jon Tester was able to keep the Senate in session long enough to pass the first procedural hurdle on the way to passing the “once-in-a-generation” sportsmen’s act with 84 ayes.”

Tester is chairman of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus and the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s “Legislator of the Year” who has earned straight-A ratings from the National Rifle Association.

“The act represents more than 20 bills that ensure hunting and fishing access along with protections for species and land,” the papers wrote. “The bill is supported by 56 groups ranging from the National Rifle Association to The Nature Conservancy.”

The Montana Standard and the Helena Independent Record added that “collaboration and compromise are critical factors in moving things forward for the next several years.”

“In this election and over the next several years, it’s at least as important to vote for a proven deal-maker as it is to vote for someone who thinks like us,” the newspapers said of Tester.  “We hope you will consider demonstrated deal-making skills along with everything else when casting your vote.”

The endorsement of Jon Tester’s work follows a glowing endorsement of Jon Tester by the Billings Gazette—Montana’s largest newspaper.  The Bozeman Daily Chronicle also endorsed Tester for his re-election to the U.S. Senate.

 

Tester’s cooperation, collaboration pay off with sportsmen’s act

Helena Independent Record & Montana Standard

Published October 21, 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 was able to keep the Senate in session long enough to pass the first procedural hurdle on the way to passing the “once-in-a-generation” sportsmen’s act 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. One in three Montanans hunts big game and about half of us enjoy fishing. Ensuring access for hunters and anglers while improving protection for land and species is a win-win solution that we should all celebrate in Montana. And any time we can get 84 senators to agree on something, we’ll take it! Congratulations, Sen. Tester on your leadership and collaborative effort in getting this positive outcome.

And here’s why we think this vote with 84 ayes is so important. We can all agree that we’ve been living with partisan politics long enough. Collaboration and compromise are critical factors in moving things forward for the next several years. We need to choose our representatives based on that as much as anything else.

After the election we are going to be dealing with what U.S. Sen. Max Baucus called “the perfect storm” of financial issues including sequestration, extending or eliminating tax cuts and an ever-growing deficit.

Collaboration and compromise is the best path for success; maybe the only path. Politicians who continue to dig in and refuse to compromise need to find a new line of work because they are messing with our future, our kids’ future and our grandkids’ future.

In this election and over the next several years, it’s at least as important to vote for a proven deal-maker as it is to vote for someone who thinks like us. We all complain about partisan politics and now is our chance to make an individual effort to end it. We hope you will consider demonstrated deal-making skills along with everything else when casting your vote.

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