picking horses
Obama and Clinton Roundup Montana Endorsements
By Bill Schneider, 4-10-08
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| Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton (below) address the audience at the Democratic Party during the Mansfield-Metcalf dinner in Butte, Montana Saturday, April 5. Photos by Anne Medley | |
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Gabe Cohen, state director for Obama for America, announced today at a press conference in the State Capital Rotunda in Helena that his favorite candidate has secured endorsements from 37 state elected officials and Democratic Party leaders.
This widespread and diverse early support shows that Barack Obama has significant momentum in Montana, Cohen claimed, “because he’s the best able to represent the independent spirit of Montana.”
Cohen also reminded the press that Obama’s campaign is opening five offices in Montana (Billings, Bozeman, Great Falls, Helena and Missoula). He didn’t say this, but I doubt he expects to close them on June 4.
Ed Smith, clerk of the Montana Supreme Court, followed Cohen to the podium and said, “I have never been this enthused about a presidential candidate.”
Mary Cafero, Democratic legislator from Helena and widely known for her advocacy for the poor and disadvantaged, spoke next. “I’ve had a direct experience with poverty,” she said, “and they say poor people don’t vote. Well, that’s because they may be because they haven’t had a good reason to vote. Now, they do.”
Jonathan Windy Boy, Chippewa-Cree Tribal Councilman and Box Elder legislator, and Kendal Van Eck, a Billings legislator, also spoke strongly in support of Barack Obama.
Meanwhile, an array of Montana elected officials and supporters have joined together in support of Hillary Clinton.
Clinton’s steering committee, made up of 27 public and private citizens, including Senate Majority Leader Carol Williams, State Senator Carol Juneau, and State Representative Shannon Augare, will attempt to roundup support for Clinton across the state.
“I am honored to have such widespread support across the Big Sky State,” said Clinton in a statement. “Together we will work hard to share our message of real change with voters throughout Montana.”
Carol Williams said: “I am pleased to be among the many Montanans supporting Sen. Clinton. The enthusiastic welcome she received last weekend proves Sen. Clinton’s message of real solutions resonates with Montana voters. Montana’s facing real challenges and Sen. Clinton has real plans to tackle them. Both a lifetime spent making positive changes in the lives of others and a willingness to listen to our concerns makes her the best candidate to help us fix and unequal health care system, rebuild the economy and finally end the war in Iraq.”
“Hillary has demonstrated a strong commitment in being a voice for many Americans who have been forgotten the last seven years and she has a definite plan for leading our country out of the crisis it is in today,” said State Sen. Juneau of Browning. “I am proud to be an American Indian woman who is helping to elect the first woman president of this United States.”
The close race for the Democratic nomination between Clinton and Obama means Montana, which holds the final primary vote June 3rd, matters. Last week, both candidates made appearances in the state, attending the Democrat’s annual Mansfield-Metcalf dinner in Butte and holding separate events in Missoula.
“I’m pretty pleased that Montana will have the last say in declaring who will be the next president of the United States,” Clinton told roughly 1,800 gatherers at an event in Missoula last Sunday.
The list of Obama endorsers:
State Rep. Mary Cafero, Helena
Former State Rep. Paul Clark, Trout Creek
Former State House Minority Leader Steve Doherty
State Rep. Bob Ebinger, Livingston
Mayor John Engen, Missoula
State Rep. Ron Erickson, Missoula
Former State Rep. Eve Franklin, Great Falls
State Rep. Dave Gallik, Helena
State Rep. Galen Hollenbaugh, Helena
County Commissioner Andy Hunthausen, Lewis and Clark County
State Sen. Larry Jent, Bozeman
Public Service Commissioner/ Former State Sen. Greg Jergeson
State Rep. Jim Keane, Butte
State Sen. Jesse Laslovich, Anaconda
State Sen. Greg Lind, Missoula
State Rep. Dave McAlpin, Missoula
Former U.S. Senator John Melcher
Former State Rep. Ray Peck, Havre
State Rep. Mike Phillips, Bozeman
Public Service Commissioner Bob Raney, Livingston
Former Supreme Court Justice Jim Regnier, Flathead
State Rep. Michele Reinhart, Missoula
County Attorney Ryan Rusche, Roosevelt County
State Sen. Don Ryan, Great Falls
Ed Smith, Clerk of the Montana Supreme Court
State Sen. Frank Smith, Poplar
Chairman James Steele, Jr., Salish Kootenai Tribe
City Councilman Dave Strohmaier, Missoula
County Commissioner Ed Tinsley, Lewis and Clark County
Public Service Commissioner Ken Toole
Former Supreme Court Justice Terry Trieweiler, Whitefish
State Rep. Kendall Van Dyk, Billings
City Councilwoman Pam Walzer, Missoula
State Sen. David Wazenried, Missoula
City Councilman Jason Weiner, Missoula
Former State Rep. Bill Whitehead
Chippewa-Cree Tribal Councilman/ State Rep. Jonathon Windy Boy, Box Elder
The Clinton steering committee:
Shannon Augare, State Representative (Browning)
Peggy Beltrone, Cascade County Commissioner (Great Falls)
Dorothy Bradley, Former State Legislator and candidate for Governor (Bozeman)
Vivian Brooke, Former Legislator (Missoula)
Dolores Colburg, Former Superintendent of Public Construction (Billings)
Ann Mary Dusseault, Democratic activist (Missoula)
Dorothy Eck, Former State Senator (Bozeman)
Ellen Feaver, CPA (Helena)
Matt Filer, College Democrats, University of Montana (Missoula)
Kyle Anne Gray, Attorney (Billings)
Jessica Grennan, Democratic activist (Missoula)
Dan Harrington, Senate Pro Tempe (Butte)
Teresa Henry, Representative, R.N. (Missoula)
Pam Hillery, Havre City Council (Havre)
Carol Juneau, State Senator (Browning)
Holly Kaleczyc, Democratic activist (Helena)
Deborah Kottel, State Representative (Great Falls)
Scott Martin, Democratic activist (Missoula)
Janine Pease, Member of the Montana Board of Regents (Billings)
Stacy Rye, Missoula City Councilwoman (Missoula)
Diane Sands, Representative (Missoula)
Martha Sheehy, Attorney, Democratic activist (Billings)
Carolyn Squires, State Senator (Missoula)
Tom Towe, Former State Senator (Billings)
Ruth Towe, Democratic activist (Billings)
Carol Williams, Senate Majority Leader (Missoula)
Bill Wilson, Representative (Great Falls)
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Comments
Also, in regards to the media being "in the tank" for Obama, you need to back off. I've grown as tired of hearing that as I have the fact that she is losing because she is a woman.
In defense of Obama supporters, her campaign said she was done if she didn't win big in Ohio and Texas. Guess what? She didn't and is prohibiting the democratic candidate from readying for McCain. If the shoe was on Obama's foot, she would be stumping on it at every stop.
A WOMAN Obama supporter.
Kennedy cites Barack Obama's recent comments on guns and religion as the reason for his decision. He says Obama showed a disconnect with rural Montana when he made comments to a group in San Francisco that some rural voters are bitter and "cling to guns or religion." Thank you County Commissioner for backing up small towns in Montana. Obamas views are highly offensive. Shame on Obama.