< Bush Tries to Bolster Burns Campaign in Montana

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Heard on All Things Considered

November 3, 2006 - ROBERT SIEGEL, host:

From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Robert Siegel.

MELISSA BLOCK, host:

I'm Melissa Block.

And these are some of the sounds of campaigns, coming into the home stretch.

Mr. JOHN EDWARDS (Former Senator): I want to talk today about what's at stake in this election, because there is so much at stake. And if you want to know what's at stake, literally, you have to do no more than turn your television on.

(Soundbite of applause)

President GEORGE W. BUSH: And the reason why I believe we're going to win around this country is because Republicans understand the values and the priorities of the American people.

Mr. NED LAMONT (Democratic Senatorial Candidate, Connecticut): I got in this race about a year ago because I really believe that George Bush is driving this country into a ditch. And Joe Lieberman has one hand on the steering wheel.

(Soundbite of applause)

Senator JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (Democrat, Connecticut): This ain't over. I mean, I'm running against a guy with very deep pockets who's willing to say and do about anything to get elected.

(Soundbite of applause)

Mrs. LAURA BUSH (First Lady): Our candidates are depending on you, so make sure everyone you know goes to the polls.

BLOCK: That's Laura Bush. Also Joseph Lieberman, Ned Lamont, President Bush and John Edwards out on the stump ahead of next Tuesday's midterm elections. We're going to talk politics in this part of the program with E.J. Dionne and David Brooks. But first, a trip to one of the states the president has visited during his final campaign swing.

SIEGEL: Montana Senator Conrad Burns had been running behind his Democratic opponent, Jon Tester. That was mostly due to the fallout from the contributions Burns has received from disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. But the race has tightened, and many analysts say it will go down to the wire.

NPR's David Welna reports from the campaign trail in Missoula, Montana.

DAVID WELNA: In this vast and thinly populated state, the battle for Conrad Burns' Senate seat has been fought primarily on the airwaves. And one of the TV ads Montanans are seeing again and again shows a photo of Burns on one side of the screen, and Jack Abramoff in a black fedora and trench coat on the other side.

(Soundbite of political ad)

Unidentified Announcer: Three million dollars. That's how much Conrad Burns snuck into a funding bill for one of Jack Abramoff's clients, a wealthy tribe in Michigan. Yet Conrad Burns said he couldn't fund all of Montana's needs. But Jack Abramoff has said, quote, "Every appropriation we wanted we got from Conrad Burns." No wonder Jack Abramoff and his associates gave Conrad Burns $150,000, more than any other member of Congress.

WELNA: It's one of several ads paid for by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which has made Montana one of its top priorities for picking up another seat.

University of Montana polling director Craig Wilson says his most recent survey found that Democrats' efforts to tie Burns to Abramoff seem to be working.

Professor CRAIG WILSON (University of Montana): You get about 75 percent of the people that view his relationship with Abramoff negatively. So in terms of issues, that's certainly I think the single most important negative issue that Burns has had to face.

WELNA: Burns is no longer running ads from earlier this year in which he tried to distance himself from Abramoff. Instead, he and his supporters are attacking Tester as a tax and spender, as in this ad that plays on the movie Brokeback Mountain.

(Soundbite of political ad)

Unidentified Announcer: Coming soon: Brokebank Democrats. They can't fight their nature.

WELNA: Yesterday, at a partially filled arena in his hometown of Billings, Burns turned for help from an old ally.

Senator CONRAD BURNS (Republican, Montana): I am proud to introduce the President of the United States, George W. Bush.

(Soundbite of applause)

WELNA: It was the president's first campaign appearance with Burns. But while he, too, rated taxes as a top issue, Mr. Bush spent far more time trying to rally the crowd with his most problematic issue - one that Burns did not mention once - the war in Iraq.

President BUSH: And we'll succeed. The only way we can fail is if we leave before the job is done. And that's exactly what the Democrats want to do.

WELNA: After the rally, I asked Burns about the money he took from Abramoff and Associates.

How much has that been an issue for you in this campaign?

Senator BURNS: I think the Democrats had to be disappointed. Nothing's there. Nothing's changed.

WELNA: But Democrats hardly seem disappointed at a rally last night for Jon Tester in a packed auditorium at the University of Montana in Missoula.

(Soundbite of applause)

WELNA: At Tester's side was Montana's Democratic governor, Brian Schweitzer, and Schweitzer had a word of caution for the enthusiastic crowd.

Governor BRIAN SCHWEITZER (Democrat, Montana): I want to tell you something. Don't listen to the polls. Jon's not ahead. This is dead dang tight, right down the middle.

WELNA: The point of the rally, after all, was the same as Burns' earlier in the day - to motivate supporters to get out the vote. In an interview afterwards, Tester said he thought Burns was in big trouble if he had to resort to inviting an unpopular president to campaign with him. Although Mr. Bush himself carried Montana twice, Tester said Burns's ties to Jack Abramoff have embarrassed the state.

Mr. JON TESTER (Democratic Candidate of Senate, Montana): And I take offense to that, being in the state legislature for the last eight years. I have a tremendous amount of pride about the ethics and the dignity and the honesty with which I put forth policies, and not once did a lobbyist ever buy my vote. And I don't think he can say the same thing.

WELNA: One voter from Missoula, Martha Newel, said people here get what Burns's ties to Abramoff mean.

Ms. MARTHA NEWEL: I think he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar, and, you know, the associations are huge and I think people realize that. And it's going to affect their voting.

WELNA: But the real key to who wins here on Tuesday will be how motivated Montanans are to vote, whether the fears of Tester possibly raising taxes outweigh concerns over Burns' past ties to Jack Abramoff.

David Welna, NPR News, Missoula, Montana.

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