From the Flathead Beacon
Biden Criticizes Palin and McCain, Says Montana is Possible For Obama
By Courtney Lowery, 9-07-08
Photo by Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon
Senator and Vice Presidential candidate Joe Biden campaigned in Montana Sunday at Kalispell’s Flathead High School, taking the opportunity to lay out he and Sen. Barack Obama’s platform and also to criticize what he said was a lack substance—policy wise—in Sen. John McCain’s and Gov. Sarah Palin’s speeches at the Republican National Convention last week.
“I thought Gov. Palin gave one heck of a political speech,” Biden said. “But her silence on the issues was deafening.”
As Daniel Testa at the Flathead Beacon reports, Biden set aside a few moments to speak directly to Montanans, acknowledging that the state, and the Flathead in particular, is a Republican stronghold. From the story:
But Biden noted Obama has paid five visits to Montana so far, and held up the recent success of Democrats like Gov. Brian Schweitzer and U.S. Sen. Jon Tester as proof of changing political winds in Montana, while saving his deepest praise for legendary Senate leader Mike Mansfield, who he called, “the best guy I ever served with.”
Check out the Beacon for more from the speech and to read reaction from Montanans, including this quote from Montana GOP Chairman Erik Iverson:
“The Obama-Biden team is probably the most anti-gun ticket ever to run for the presidency,” Iverson said. “Montana Republicans and, I think, Montanans in general are going to embrace the McCain-Palin ticket as one that’s good for Montana and good for the West.”
Like this story? Get more! Sign up for our free newsletters.
Comments
Add your comment below
I could see the Palin-McSame ticket at least getting a couple votes from the America-hating secessionists like the Montana based Freemen. People voting on the poor economy, the need for health care reform, or wanting a middle class tax cut will likely vote Obama.
What voters should know is that Barack Obama is a constitutional law professor. He understands the Constitution, respects it and certainly will uphold it. Unlike the party and adminstration currently ruling our country.
Iverson's fear mongering and pandering to voters on this issue is old and tired. Yes, lots of Montana's own guns, I am one of them, and it is insulting to preach to me who to vote for on the completely assinine notion that any president of any party would or could - even if they wanted to - take my deer rifle or shotgun. It is ridiculous. A President can't just do that; don't forget the checks and balances of Congress and Supreme Court.
What i think Montanas care about, along with their right to own and carry guns if they so feel, are their civil and inaliable rights to privacy afforded in the Bill of Rights: you remember the ones that do not allow the government to spy on its citizens, the ones that the Bush/Cheney/Ashcroft/Gonzales swept under the desk and OKed tapping of phones, reading emails, looking at the books you've checked out at your local library. See political parties don't really matter at that point, Montanans don't take to kindly to that kind illegal, blatent and arrogant abuse of power. The government has no business in our personal business.
Extraction economy has everybody in the state by the balls; and all they need to do is offer everybody short term work in extraction of natural resources to continue.
What else is it that even the Baucus-Schweitzer-Tester-Democrats are promising..?
Think of this:
Obama said, while he was in Montana, that he had no desire to take our guns away.
The Supreme Court's latest 2nd Amendment ruling virtually guarantees that our guns won't be taken away.
The Democratic Party has been in control of Congress and the presidency off and on over the past 75 years, but no one has taken our guns away.
Even if he wanted to, a president couldn't take your guns away.
Of course, if I had a fully automatic assault rifle capable of taking out an elementary school, the feds might someday take that away from me, but I'll take my chances. My Browning 7mm feels safe enough.
At least if the Dems are in charge I won't be tortured, locked away without a trial or forced to go to church.
What has McSame ever done that wasn't insulting to women?
McSame supporter: How do we beat the b*tch?
McSame: That is an excellent question...
McSame: Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because Janet Reno is her father.
McSame: [to wife] At least I don't plaster on the makeup like a trollop, you c*nt.
http://www.drudge.com/archive/106692/author-mccain-called-wife-****-trollop
As far as why, Biden says it best. There is no significant difference between Bush and McCain on the economy, foreign policy, or taxes.
If you are seriously worrying about a "wet behind the ears" president, you also have to be serious about your concern that Palin will be a vice president that is closer to the oval office than any other vice president in our lives. Please do not tell me about her "executive experience" and Obama's lack of. John McCain has never had executive experience either.
Yes, she has been a governor for 20 months in "the largest state in the union" (with the smallest population). Barack Obama served on the Illinois state senate for six years (the 5th largest state in the country) and currently on the US Senate for the same amount of time as Palin has been governor. Please do not blow her "experience" out of proportion. She has zero foreign policy experience. Mayor of 5,000 doesn't count in my book. Not by a long shot.
What is wrong with having to trusting Biden as VP for his advice on a foreign policy when he is highly experienced and knowledgable on the subject? I wonder what you think the VP's role should be, Ann, if it is not for substance?
Spew all you want about McCain and Palin won't change my vote. Dems want MORE Gvt. Look at Fannie Mae. And all the Sanctuary cities. November 5 will tell the tale.
Have a safe life.
Really Ann, do some serious reflection on the last 8 years:
-aggression against a sovereign nation based on a lie which has resulted in 4,000 American deaths, 20,000 Americans injured, 50,000 or more innocent Iraqis killed (this is basically an international war crime and thanks to the media, for most of the country it's been out of sight out of mind.)
-the gutting of the American middle class while the wealthiest Americans enjoy the largest tax breaks (income disparity hasn't been this glaring since the robber baron days.)
-state sponsored torture (does it make you proud that your country publicly admits to and sponsors torture?)
-state sponsored spying on private citizens (doesn't it bother you that the govt. can look into your's or your neighbor's private business? Now that's what I consider big government.)
-a belligerent neo-con foreign policy which has turned the US into one of the most despised nations in the world (so much for safety and security)
-an oil industry written energy policy which has effectively left us on the brink of a major crisis with no sound alternatives (and drill, drill, drilling ain't gonna result in lower prices at the pump)
All of these things have been brought to us by the current incarnation of the Republican party. Ann, is that really what you want for your country? Four more years of the same? I wish I could believe John "the Maverick" McCain when he says he's going to change things, but all indication is he will not. His choice of a Ms. Palin as his running mate only proves one thing. He's desperate and will do anything to win.