2012 House Race

Steve Daines Still Doesn’t Know What Office He’s Running For

by Don Pogreba on May 9, 2012 · 0 comments

in 2012 House Race, Montana Politics, Steve Daines

Steve Daines has certainly struggled with a rather fundamental question about his campaign in the past year. He just can’t seem to figure out what office he’s running for. Today, he sent out a rather desperate sounding fundraising letter asking potential contributors to donate so that he can create a “campaign blitz” that will “feature an onslaught of pro-freedom, pro-conservative, and pro-limited government messaging” across Montana.

He even thoughtfully included a window decal for potential donors.

One little problem, though. The window decal is for the Senate.

I don’t know about you, but for my money, nothing says “I’m ready to take on the challenge of being a member of Congress” quite as well as sending a mass mailing to potential donors and getting the office you are running for wrong.

Steve Daines. For the House. Or the Senate. Or the Lt. Governor. Any damn government job will do.

Update: It turns out that he’s still confused on his web site, too. http://www.stevedaines.com/wp/images/email_header.jpg

Isn’t this guy supposed to be some sort of technology guru? Maybe he should pay his outsourced workers a few more cents a day.

Where Does Franke Wilmer Stand on Keystone XL?

by Don Pogreba on April 9, 2012 · 19 comments

in 2012 House Race, Franke Wilmer, Montana Politics

It’s been a week since the Democratic Congressional candidate forum in Butte, but one issue from the event has been nagging at my mind since I left: where does Franke Wilmer stand on the issue of Keystone XL? I e-mailed her campaign last week and haven’t heard back. If someone wants to clarify her position, I’d be happy to post the answer.

At the Butte forum, she told the crowd that she would vote for the pipeline and then work to amend it. She said:

On the XL, Montanans say repeatedly when asked that they want us to develop our resources and protect the environment, and I’m really kind of exasperated with it being presented as a false choice between the two. I would probably vote for and it then fight like hell to amend it to reflect those values. It’s complicated because it’s the only complete proposal.”

That’s a different position than Ms. Wilmer has taken on the issue before, when she seemed to signal opposition to Keystone. At the Bozeman candidate forum on February 12, she said that she would only vote for the proposal if it guaranteed jobs and environmental protection:

Franke Wilmer, a member of the Montana House, said unless the pipeline would assure more jobs economic benefit she wouldn’t support it.

“If this would guarantee more jobs, cleaner environment and lower dependence on foreign oil I would support, but they haven’t done that yet,” she said.

At one forum, in a town less dependent on resource extraction for its economic base, Ms.Wilmer suggested opposition and further study. In Butte, with a very different economic base, she suggested support, to be followed by an effort to amend.

According to Matt Gouras with the Associated Press, Ms. Wilmer earlier seemed opposed to Keystone:

Wilmer, a political science professor at MSU, is touting foreign relations experience developed overseas during her educational career — along with a bootstrapping personal biography of moving from blue collar jobs to an advanced degree.

And she is perhaps appealing to environmentalists helpful to a Democratic primary by promising to be a rare Montana politician — from either party — who opposes the Keystone XL as currently proposed.

When candidates in this primary are essentially dividing themselves into the moderate and progressive camps, it’s important to find out exactly where each stands on issues like Keystone XL in Montana. Three different positions on one issue from one candidate certainly don’t help provide the clarity voters need to make their decisions.

Diane Smith’s Economic Problem

by M. Storin on March 31, 2012 · 21 comments

in 2012 House Race, Montana Politics

Since announcing her candidacy for House, Diane Smith has generated a great deal of attention and the attention she is recieving seems to be on the rise.

However, she’s often viewed through two lenses. Through one lens, Smith is the only candidate with the national ties, deep pockets, and fundraising potential to run a serious campaign against Steve Daines in the general.

Through another lens, Smith is, at best, a conservative Democrat and, at worst, a Republican in sheep’s clothing.

In all reality, I think Diane Smith may be a bit of both. She probably is one of the better candidates we have when it comes to beating (or at least challenging Daines), but her rhetoric on some issues, especially the economy, may be too difficult for some to stomach. She just may be a little too much like Sen. Baucus, and that’s not going to fly with primary voters.

At this point in the race, Smith seems to pass the smell test on social issues, but it’s a very different story when it comes to her views on the economy and business regulation.

There have been multiple instances during her campaign where Smith has blamed criticized government regulation for our sluggish economy. Furthermore, her “Jobs Plan” reads like something that House Majority Leader John Boehner might sponsor:

We have created government systems too often designed to impede rather than promote these National assets. Small businesses are often encumbered with unachievable regulatory burdens and subject to small business lending requirements that can’t reasonably be satisfied.

James Connor nails it when he wrote:

Her announcement of candidacy promised to get the government off the backs of businesses. That’s consistent with a true blue Republican or a Blue Dog Democrat, but not with a New Deal Democrat.

Finally, if you take into account her contributions to Rehberg, Conrad Burns, and to plenty of Democrats (after the 2006 election) – Smith comes off as an oppurtunist.

She may have the national ties, personal money, and fundraising potential, but Democrats in Montana have better options when it comes to protecting consumers, the middle class, and staples of the Democratic platform, like Social Security and Medicare (although Diane Smith does claim she will protect both programs).

Lazy Commentary in Salon About the Montana House Race

by Don Pogreba on March 29, 2012 · 17 comments

in 2012 House Race, Franke Wilmer, Kim Gillan

Glenn Greenwald peered down from Mt. Beltway today to offer this lazy assessment of the Montana Democratic primary for the House, when identifying Franke Wilmer as a candidate to support:

Each faces a primary race, and none is the favored candidate of the Party apparatus or its leadership (those challengers favored by the Party machine are invariably corporatist types or poll-shaped, soul-less careerist politicians expected to be loyal Party foot soldiers if they win). For obvious reasons, none of these three candidates is going to receive any real support from the lobbyist and corporate class that typically finances these elections. But polling and other indicia demonstrate that victory for all three is realistic (though far from certain).

I’m not exactly sure how long Mr. Greenwald spent on Google before writing that nonsense about Ms. Wilmer’s opponents, but while he’s certainly right that she’s an independent, progressive candidate, he’s equally wrong about her opposition.

While I certainly have some reservations about Diane Smith’s candidacy, given her previous support for Republicans and her perspective that seems to put the interests of business ahead of workers, to suggest that any of the other Democratic candidates are “corporatist” or “careerist politicians” is not only a lazy characterization, but entirely dishonest.

Both Kim Gillan’s record and the list of people endorsing her make it clear that she’s absolutely on the right side of issues critical to Montana families. To suggest that Gillan, Dave Strohmaier, or Rob Stutz are somehow more interested in corporations than people or that they will put party politics ahead of doing what’s right for Montana families demonstrates a fundamental absence of knowledge about their records and values.

While it’s certainly nice to have the attention of nation’s political elite on the Montana House race, it would be even better if they knew something about it before writing. The candidates he attacked—and Ms. Wilmer—deserve better.

Strohmaier calls out Diane Smith

by M. Storin on March 15, 2012 · 8 comments

in 2012 House Race

Yesterday, Congressional candidate Dave Strohmaier issued a challenge to his primary opponents entitled “Strohmaier Calls on Primary Opponents to Support Only Democrats!”

The release is as follows,

MISSOULA – Dave Strohmaier, longtime leading Democratic voice in Montana and candidate for the U.S. Congress, today issued a stark and direct challenge to his opponents for the Democratic primary nomination: stop supporting Republican candidates.

Public records indicate some who are asking Democrats to nominate them as the Democratic candidate for Montana’s lone congressional seat are actually supporters of Republican politicians, giving their own money to support Republican victories over Democrats.

Strohmaier, the Democrat running for the Democratic Primary nomination said, “Where we invest our personal resources is a strong indicator of where our heart is. We should support who we feel will do the best job, but we cannot expect to have a record of helping elect Republicans over Democrats then turn around and ask Democrats to make you their standard bearer. Montana Democrats deserve better. I’m a Democrat. I’m true to my Party. The other candidates need to step up, explain themselves and pledge to stop supporting Republicans.”

In fact, public reports indicate giving from people seeking the U.S. Rep. seat to Conrad Burns and Denny Rehberg, among other Republicans. Rehberg is currently attempting to defeat our incumbent Democratic Senator.

“I have opponents who tout their experience. Well, I can honestly say I don’t have experience in some of the areas they do. I don’t have experience in working with lobbyists and I sure don’t have experience in supporting Denny Rehberg and other Republicans,” added Strohmaier. “My experience is in running the day-to-day affairs of a Montana city, raising a family in Montana, fighting forest fires and standing up for every day, working Montanans. And, that’s what I will do, as the real Democrat, in Congress.”

It’s pretty obvious who this statement is directed at: Diane Smith. Diane Smith has been dogged from day one by the fact that she has contributed in the past to both Conrad Burns and Developer Denny. When Strohmaier calls himself a “real Democrat,” he’s also calling Diane Smith a “phony.”

This is definitely a first for the Strohmaier campaign. He’s both brought attention to his own candidacy while also taking a whack at one of his opponents. It’ll be interesting to see what else his campaign has in store. The clock is counting down.

Melinda Gopher not running for the House

March 12, 2012

Melinda Gopher announced on Facebook this evening that she will not be running in 2012 for the U.S. House. Instead, she plans to “oust” Senator Baucus in 2014. I wouldn’t hold your breath. A year ago Gopher was threatening to challenge Tester, then she announced a run for the House. Now [...]

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Diane Smith misses an opportunity

March 6, 2012

Rob Stutz, candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, posted a short clip from a recent MCV candidates forum. At the beginning of the clip, the moderator asks “what is your position on the funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund and how will you work on this?” Of the five candidates in attendance (Dave Strohmaier, Kim [...]

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Shock: Press Covers U.S. House Race

March 5, 2012

Today the Montana press covered the U.S. House race – primarily, the Democratic primary. I know, shocking. The more serious candidates were summarized as follows: Diane Smich: desperately trying to come off as a Democratic while still attempting to set her self for a win in the general election – or The former business executive [...]

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