Week Drags On, Yet No Explanation From Tester For False Statement On Air
Whether he’s downplaying his votes to give lifetime Supreme Court appointments to anti-gun activist judges or refusing to admit that he has taken more lobbyist campaign cash than any other candidate this election cycle, Jon Tester has a problem telling Montanans the truth, and as the week drags on, he still refuses to explain why he denied on the air the demonstrable fact that – after using anti-lobbyist rhetoric to get himself elected in 2006 – he is now the top recipient of lobbyists’ campaign cash in the 2012 election cycle.
As he continued his revisionist history tour of Montana last week, Tester falsely denied this 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
But 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.
Click Here To See These Independent Watchdogs’ List Of
Top Recipients Of Lobbyist Campaign Cash This Cycle
This fact represents a remarkable transformation for the self-styled everyman who railed against lobbyist influence in 2006, saying 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.”
As a reminder, after promising “we’ll be back in this state every weekend,” Tester was recently caught raising campaign cash from liberal trial lawyers in New York City during a swanky weekend reception.
But sadly, in the wake of his demonstrably false statement, it appears that Tester is betting he won’t be held accountable for his words and deeds.
“It’s remarkable that Jon Tester, who goes to such great lengths to present himself as a straight shooter, would make a totally false statement to his state’s voters on the air, then refuse to explain himself,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Chris Bond. “Maybe Tester has let Washington change him to the point where he can no longer recognize the truth, or maybe this is a deliberate attempt by a desperate politician to distract voters from his 97 percent rubber-stamp support of the Obama agenda. But either way, it’s totally unacceptable, and Tester can expect to be held accountable one way or another.”
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)
