Why Won’t He Answer For False Statements, Hypocrisy, Broken Promises?
As he ran for U.S. Senate in 2006, Jon Tester (D-MT) said that Montanans “need the greatest representation, not encumbered by high-dollared lobbyists,” and promised “I won’t sell Montana down the road by cutting deals with K Street lobbyists.”
But just 5 years later – after rubber-stamping President Barack Obama’s agenda 97 percent of the time in Washington – the Center for Responsive Politics – an independent watchdog, accepted by both parties and the news media as the gold standard in campaign finance reporting – shows beyond a doubt that Tester is the #1 recipient of lobbyist campaign cash in the 2012 election cycle.
But as he continued his revisionist history tour of Montana last week, Tester falsely denied this cut and dry fact to KRSQ radio in Billings, saying “that’s not true,” but failing to explain why he believes this independent watchdog is lying about his record.
Click Here To Hear Audio Of Jon Tester Misleading Montana Voters
Ironically, during the same time, Tester also lectured Montanans on the importance of honesty, saying “[l]et’s stick with the facts. Let’s move forward. Let’s be honest. We do that, the country will be a better place.”
If Jon Tester wants to make the country a “better place” through truth-telling, his own record would be a good place to start. Clearly, Tester owes Montanans an explanation as to why he is going out of his way to deny demonstrable facts about his record. Is it because he thinks he can distract them from his hypocrisy and broken promises?
“Independent watchdogs clearly show that Jon Tester has taken more campaign cash from lobbyists than any other Member of Congress, so why does he continue to deny that fact? Don’t Montanans deserve the truth?” said National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Chris Bond. “It’s a remarkable transformation for someone who got himself elected on an anti-lobbyist platform, not only to become the number-one recipient of lobbyists’ campaign cash, but to now be deliberately misleading Montanans by denying cut and dry facts about his record.”
THE FACTS:
Jon Tester Railed Against Lobbyists To Get Himself Elected In 2006:
Jon Tester In 2006: “We’ll Be Back In This State Every Weekend. Because This State Is Where I’m From And This Is The Greatest State, In The Greatest Country In The World. And They Need The Greatest Representation Not Encumbered By High-Dollared Lobbyists.” (Montana Senate Debate, Butte, MT, 9/23/06, http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/MontanaSenateDeb, 39:10)
Tester In 2006: “You’ve Got To Have Somebody Who Will Go To Washington, D.C. And Fight For You. Somebody Who Will Bring Montana Values Back To Washington, D.C. . . . I Will Do That. And In The Process, I Won’t Sell Montana Down The Road By Cutting Deals With K Street Lobbyists . . . .” (Montana Senate Debate, Butte, MT, 9/23/06, http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/MontanaSenateDeb. 4:15)
But The Center For Responsive Politics Shows Clearly That Tester Is The #1 Recipient Of Lobbyist Campaign Cash In The 2012 Election Cycle (Click The Screenshot To Access Their Database):
Jon Tester Is The #1 Recipient Of Lobbyist Campaign Contributions So Far During The 2012 Cycle, Receiving $179,128 From The Industry. (Center For Responsive Politics, http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/recips.php?cycle=2012&ind=K02, Accessed 9/26/11)
Tester Falsely Denied This Demonstrable Fact To Montanans:
CLICK HERE for audio:
Host: Something about you not accepting money from lobbyists and turns out that you have accepted more money from lobbyists than any other Senator.
Sen. Tester: Well I mean, that’s, that’s not true. But by the same token we got to raise a bunch of money. That’s the landscape we are on.
Host: I say take it. I am all for it.
Jon Tester Is A Rubber Stamp For President Barack Obama:
In Both 2009 And 2010, Tester Voted In Support Of President Obama’s Position 97% Of The Time. (Congressional Quarterly Website, www.cq.com, Accessed 8/4/11)
