Tester Makes It Official

Where else but Montana could a candidate for the United States Senate, not surrounded by an entourage of reporters and insiders, have to deal with this....

From the Billings Gazette:

Jon Tester's first campaign swing as a U.S. Senate candidate got off to a rocky start Tuesday when he had to replace a frayed fan belt on his truck before driving it to Billings for his formal announcement.

But the Democrat, a Big Sandy farmer and two-term state senator, saw the delay as a good sign for his bid to unseat Republican Conrad Burns. "It would have been a bad omen if it had broke down on the road," he said.

He kicked off his bid at a gas station in Billings, with members of his family and others, in front of a farm truck bearing his name and declaring on the back: "You're behind the right guy!"

The "right guy" indeed! All State Auditor, and fellow Democratic candidate John Morrison could say about Tester's entry to the race is:

"When I begin campaigning for the U.S. Senate, my focus will be on replacing Conrad Burns and providing new leadership for Montana," he said. "That's all I have to say."

Now, I'm not one to shovel political hyperbole on anyone, but this primary race seems suddenly Tester's to lose. "That's all I have to say" is the most flaccid response from Morrison one could imagine ("rock star status notwithstanding), and despite Morrison's previous success in a statewide contest, no one, and I mean no one really gets that excited about an Auditor. Tester can walk the walk and talk the talk in Eastern Montana, where this race is going to be won or lost, because unlike Morrison, he actually works for a living, anyone who farms in Big Sandy already knows that.

This dumb wheat farmer thinks Tester is the real deal! As soon as Tester's campaign gets up and running you can bet I'm going to do something I haven't done for a single one of Max's campaigns...contribute the maximum amount allowable by law, and erect big wooden signs on all of my acreage that borders any highway throughout this state!

Mazel Tov Jon...now get to work!

Mike