Jon Tester

Sen. Jon Tester, Gov. Schweitzer endorse Barack Obama

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• published: 06 Jun 2008
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Last night, Senator Jon Tester impishly threw Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer's name into the ring as a potential VP choice...The first time I heard Brian Schweitzer speak, I thought: "This guy is going to be President." That is not a common reaction on my part to politicians. I've listened to hundreds and hundreds of Democratic politicians speak, and I've only had that reaction twice in my lifetime. The first was Barack Obama, the second was Brian Schweitzer. People have asked me what it was that made me feel so strongly in reaction, and the way I'd put it now is that Brian Schweitzer and Barack Obama are the two "new Democrat" styles that are extremely effective in the post-Clinton era. Both emphasize solutions over partisanship...His most notable one-liner is actually a counterpose to the legacy of national Clinton branding of the Democratic Party: "Gun control is you control your gun and I'll control mine."..Schweitzer is a hell of a smart guy. A soil scientist and rancher, he spent 6 years in Saudi Arabia working on irrigation projects. He speaks fluent Arabic and has an intuitive grasp of the region based on real life experience. Certainly that would open him up to the sleazy email "Manchurian Candidate" stuff, especially as the radical Islamic Hussein Osama's running mate. But he'd be asked about it and his response would have people slapping their foreheads in laughter with, "Yes! That's the perfect reply!" As far as other stats, Schweitzer is one of Al Giordano's Catholic governors. He is known for energy policy, which aligns with Obama's comments about wanting to find a running mate with executive experience and energy policy expertise...it's clear from Obama's reference to Schweitzer that he has great admiration for the governor's skill. "And how about this guy?" is how he starts out. It's obvious Obama has great appreciation for Schweitzer's talent. Obama clearly sees Schweitzer's gifts. You know Obama's thought about him as VP...One big advantage of adding Schweitzer to the ticket would be his ability to play the perfect VP role of constantly tweaking John McCain in the language that would reach the so called "working class white vote" that has the collective punditocracy...tweaking thin-skinned John McCain drives John McCain out of his mind with rage. All you have to do is quote the guy accurately and he snaps. Brian Schweitzer would keep his cool. He's very hard to rattle. http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/06/on-brian-schweitzer-as-vp.html Montana's five remaining undeclared superdelegates threw their support beind Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic Party's presumptive nominee for president. Their pledged votes helped the first-term senator from Illinois clinch the Democratic nomination...U.S. Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester, along with Gov. Brian Schweitzer, Montana Democratic Party Chairman Dennis McDonald, and party Vice Chair Margarett Campbell announced jointly that they would support Obama at the Democratic National Convention in Denver in August. Poplar Rep. Margarett Campbell, who had previously endorsed Obama and then withdrew her endorsement citing party rules, finally got her chance to officially back her candidate. "Restoring hope in Indian Country — improving education, providing access to affordable health care, and creating good paying jobs — must be a priority for this country," Campbell said. "Senator Obama understands the challenges that native people face and is committed to addressing them by appointing an American Indian policy adviser in a cabinet-level position." Tester, who was elected to the U.S. Senate two years after Obama was elected to his first term in 2004, said Obama's victory bodes well for Montana. "I think Senator Obama has a great understanding of rural issues," Tester said late Tuesday night in an interview from his Washington, D.C., Senate office. "I think whether it's agriculture's role, or making this country energy independent, or whether it's the kind of infrastructure needs we have in the state, or whether it's promoting something like fishing and hunting that's of so much a value to Montanans — I think it's great for this state (that Obama is the nominee)." Tester, who narrowly defeated incumbent Republican Sen. Conrad Burns in a closely watched race in 2006, said he thinks Obama's candidacy could make for an interesting general election season in Montana. "You know how Montana works: you gotta show up," Tester said. "If he shows up he's got a legitimate chance. If he speaks to rural issues that Montanans care about, that's key. If you don't speak to Montanans about issues they care about, you're in trouble as far as getting their vote." http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080604/NEWS01/806040304