Iraq

Americans support all our troops no matter where they are stationed and we all pray for their safe and quick return home to family and friends. The United States’ occupation in Iraq has resulted in conflicted feelings as we struggle with our desire to ensure the safety of our own nation and, at the same time, debate our role and foreign policy in this dangerous world in which we live. The question is, do you want a representative in Congress who rubber stamps a policy that is bankrupting our nation? The issues are fiscal conservatism and independence of thought and action. Dennis Rehberg is neither a fiscal conservative nor independent on the subject of the war. He has voted to spend a third of a trillion dollars in the Middle East, he votes in favor of big oil corporations like Exxon, that are bilking us out of $12 billion in pure profit every quarter, but he votes to cut funding for every program geared toward American children, seniors, schools, colleges, you name it.

Our exit strategy from Iraq is not what Montanans are voting on in this race for Congress, and if anyone thinks it is, they are mistaken. Montana voters are deciding who will represent them. Will it be Dennis Rehberg, even though we've seen over and again that he has given his vote lock, stock and barrel to those who have cost us a third of a trillion dollars, not to mention nearly 20,000 brave American soldiers killed and wounded? Or will it be Monica Lindeen, whose decisions will be based on independent judgment, not as a rubber stamp for anyone and especially not for the oil and gas industry? We can insist that our representatives in Congress listen to the facts and make independent, fiscally-wise decisions going forward -- decisions calculated to win back the confidence of the world and reduce the cost of the war, both in terms of dollars and lives. We can recognize that our troops have completed their mission by taking out Iraq’s dictator, by training Iraqi forces, and by helping to secure the peace in order for the Iraqi people to form a new government. Now we me must recognize that the fate of Iraq lies in the hearts of the Iraqi people and their own desire for a future dictated by themselves and not by the United States.

Economy

Lindeen supports jobs and working families

Monica Lindeen is a successful businesswoman who believes we should be investing in American businesses and the American workforce. She has been endorsed by both business and labor groups and has been a leader in Montana’s economic development efforts. Monica successfully worked with both sides of the aisle to develop the Montana Main Street program, the economic development trust fund, and the Montana Workforce Training Act which has already helped to create hundreds of good-paying jobs across the state. Monica also believes that increasing the minimum wage and protecting workers pensions should be top priorities.

Rehberg votes against the interests of working families

Dennis Rehberg has consistently voted against increasing the minimum wage for America’s working families, and even refused to sign the Raise Montana petition to let Montanans decide for themselves if the minimum wage should be increased. He consistently votes against the interests of Montana’s working families while voting to increase his own pay in Congress by over $3000 a year and exempting his $10 million dollar-plus estate from taxes. Rehberg has supported eliminating overtime pay for workers, voted against extending unemployment benefits, and supported a bill that could potentially cut pensions for deserving workers.

Energy

Lindeen supports “ Made in Montana” energy

Monica Lindeen knows that Montana can be the nation’s leader in the development of new homegrown energy technologies—like biodiesel, wind, ethanol and clean coal. She will support both an energy and a new farm bill that provide incentives that will move us closer to energy independence, make us less captive at the gas pumps, and ultimately, secure both our national and economic security. She will work tirelessly to move America toward an energy independence that will include “Made in Montana” solutions that create good-paying jobs.

Monica Lindeen joins her fellow Montanans in her endorsement of both the 25x25 vision, and the Apollo Alliance as she works towards American energy independence and economic security.

Rehberg votes for tax breaks for BIG OIL

Dennis Rehberg supports business as usual with the “Big Oil” multi-national corporations. He opposed measures to limit price gouging and voted to give billions in tax breaks and royalty relief to those same companies who were making record-breaking profits while, at the same time, we are paying record-breaking prices at the pumps. Why? Maybe it’s because of the almost $200,000 in campaign contributions he’s received from big oil and gas interests over his career. Rehberg is pushing for a comprehensive inventory of oil and gas resources in the Rocky Mountain Front despite Montanan’s strong support against drilling in this precious state resource. He has also voted to slash millions from the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps over 20,000 families in Montana.

Health Care

Lindeen wants to reduce the cost of healthcare

Monica Lindeen has worked hard to ensure healthcare is affordable and available to all Montanans. She supported a prescription drug bill to lower prices for seniors, helped create a small business insurance program that is offering affordable health insurance to hundreds of small businesses and their employees, and supported fully funding the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Monica believes that these same types of collaborative solutions and efforts need to occur on a larger scale. Congress must also revisit the Medicare prescription drug program for our senior citizens and allow Medicare to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies for lower cost prescription medication.

Rehberg votes with big pharmaceutical companies

Dennis Rehberg voted for the controversial prescription drug program under Medicare and claims it is “good news” for seniors. He’s a flip-flopper on the issue of importing prescription drugs from Canada, has voted several times against providing prescription drug coverage and funding to rural hospitals, he supported the privatization of social security, opposes stem-cell research, and he supports limiting compensation for patients injured by medical malpractice. It’s clear the big pharmaceutical and insurance companies are happy with him.

Agriculture

Lindeen is a champion for agriculture

Agriculture is one of the most important issues to many of us in Montana, and this is reflected in Monica Lindeen’s strong support for agriculture and the family farmer and rancher. She has strongly supported Country of Origin Labeling, Agricultural Research Stations, and other key elements important to agriculture in our state. With the farm bill reauthorization coming in 2007, it is important for Montana to have someone in Congress who will fight for long term outcomes that should include economic development, including value added crops, development of alternative energy sources, commodity programs that can address fluctuating prices for farm products, and conservation efforts.

Rehberg voted against bankruptcy protection for farms & ranches

Coming from an agricultural state like Montana, you would think Dennis Rehberg would be friendlier toward our family farmers and ranchers. Unfortunately, he cast the deciding vote on a budget bill that cut billions from important agricultural programs. Flip-flopping once again (it must be an election year), he changed his vote on the closure of important Farm Service Agency Offices, voted against extending bankruptcy coverage to family farmers and opposed funding for farmer’s markets programs.

Drugs

Lindeen has worked to defeat Methamphetamine

Methamphetamine and other drugs are destroying the lives of men, women and children all across the state. As a state representative, Monica supported limiting access to the key methamphetamine ingredient, pseudephedrine, in order to discourage local producers from mass producing this dangerous drug. She believes we need to keep resources, such as the drug task force and local law enforcement agencies, fully funded in order to protect our state from destructive and addictive drugs.

Rehberg reduced funding for Methamphetamine Task Force

Dennis Rehberg has a poor record on drug enforcement and has failed Montana’s families by cutting funding to drug task forces that fight the meth epidemic. He voted against funding legislation for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas, a critical program for fighting drug trafficking problems, and has continually opposed funding for law and drug enforcement grants.

Homeland Security

Lindeen is a true patriot

There is no more important role of government than protecting our homeland against attack. That is why Monica Lindeen opposes any trade deal or treaty that would turn America’s most valuable defenses over to unfriendly nations. She is an outspoken critic of the Bush Administration’s trade policies that would allow foreign ownership of America’s ports, infrastructure, and even our military secrets to Middle Eastern nations. She believes that this Congress and the administration are repeatedly creating policy that infringes upon our constitutional rights as citizens of this great country and she will fight to uphold the constitution and guard against attempts to strip those rights from us

Rehberg has voted to sell out America’s security

Dennis Rehberg, voted to allow foreign ownership of not only our ports and energy infrastructure to these unfriendly nations, but he would also allow them to own the companies that hold the keys to our most valuable military secrets like the Abrams tanks and Stealth Bomber. He voted against establishing the 9/11 Commission, against providing funding for homeland security, against preventing airports from allowing unscreened or un-inspected cargo on passenger planes, and against funding for our brave first responders like fireman.