Democrats spar over ethics

By Jennifer McKee of The Standard State Bureau - 05/05/2006

Montana Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Paul Richards, left, answers a question from the panel during debate Thursday in Helena. Other candidates pictured include Jon Tester, middle, and John Morrison. Jon Ebelt / Helena Independent Record

HELENA — Three Democrat U.S. Senate hopefuls sparred here Tuesday night in a punchy and, at in turns, funny debate boiling down to which is best suited to take on and defeat incumbent Republican Sen. Conrad Burns.

Jon Tester, a Big Sandy farmer and current president of the state senate, said his rural roots and clean record of personal and professional integrity give him an edge over State Auditor John Morrison.

Morrison, whose larger and better-funded campaign suffered a blow last month when it was revealed he had an extramarital affair with a woman who later married a man Morrison’s office investigated for securities fraud, said his was the only campaign with the resources to take on Burns.

Richards, who is generally thought to trail both Tester and Morrison in both money and support, stressed his independence.

The debate was sponsored by the Helena Independent Record and Hometown Helena.

All three mentioned a seminal part of the Senate campaign: allegations that Burns, who at 71 is seeking his fourth term in the U.S. Senate, took close to $150,000 in campaign donations from confessed felon and former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, his clients and associates at a time when Burns pushed two scrutinized and controversial measures that benefited Abramoff clients.

While not saying it in so many words, Tester left no doubt among the estimated 200 hundred people watching the debate that the situation with Morrison’s affair and how the auditor’s office handled the subsequent securities investigation weakened the better-funded Morrison for a general election campaign that is widely believed to boil down to integrity.

“I am the only person on this stage that can go belly to belly with Conrad Burns on the situation on ethics,’’ Tester said, adding that he had no “skeletons’’ and a record of “fighting and winning’’ in the state Senate.

Morrison countered that his office didn’t shrink from investigating David Tacke, the Flathead-area investor who later married the woman with whom Morrison had the affair. Furthermore, he said, as auditor Morrison has stood up for “regular Montanans in sharp contrast to Conrad Burns.’’

“I’m ready for that debate,’’ Morrison said of taking on Burns one-on-one regarding ethics.

As Democrats, all three candidates share many of the party’s key beliefs. All three said they believed abortion should be legal, with Morrison saying abortion should be “safe, legal, and rare’’ and Tester saying it is a decision women should make with “her doctor and her faith.’’

All three said the war in Iraq, particularly when coupled with tax cuts, has led to a federal budget deficit bleeding red ink with no effective way to stabilize Iraq and get U.S. troops home.

Morrison said he believed the U.S. should continue fighting terrorism and find and eliminate Osama bin Laden. He said the U.S. should not establish permanent military bases in Iraq, and establish a national oil company that pays Iraqi citizens dividends just like Alaskan residents get from that state’s oil reserves.

Tester said the civilian leaders who led America into war with Iraq need to take responsibility for bursting the federal budget. He said the U.S. cannot stay as permanent “occupiers’’ in Iraq.

Richards said he favored getting American troops home sooner rather than later, but rebuilding Iraq so the country can function without American interference.

All three candidates said they would not vote to extend President Bush’s tax cuts, which they said favored the wealthiest Americans.

All three also favored renewable energy, such as electricity from wind generators.

The crowd broke into laughter several times, including once when Richards said the barrel-chested Tester could go “belly to belly with anyone.’’ The audience also broke into clapping once when Tester’s wife Sharla stood up, holding their 21-month-old granddaughter, Kilikina.

“That’s my grand- daughter,’’ Tester said. “That’s why I’m running for the U.S. Senate.’’

Tester said his grand- parents pulled together on the farm so Tester himself could have a future on the land and the federal government now needs to work for the middle class so children in Kilikina’s generation can have a future, too.

Morrison said he’s running because “the lawmaking process in Washington has become an auction’’ with drug companies writing prescription drug laws, big insurance companies writing health care laws and so on.

Big businesses have a right to petition their government through lobbying, Morrison said, “they just don’t have a right to buy and sell government.’’

Richards said he was running for peace.

The primary election is June 6.

Burns faces state Senate Minority Leader Bob Keenan of Bigfork and Butte lawyer and would-be parliamen- tarian Bob Kelleher in the Republican primary.