Here in Montana, honesty matters. It's my firm belief that if you can't keep your word to the people, you can't keep your office.
That's why I called for Conrad Burns to resign from the U.S. Senate today.
From the beginning, his dealings with Jack Abramoff haven't passed the smell test. It smells like a barnyard that needs a clean up.
I think it's time to clean up Washington, D.C., and we should start with Conrad Burns.
Everything we know about Conrad Burns' dealings with Jack Abramoff fly in the face of his public statements on the matter. As I travel the state talking about my vision for Montana and America Republicans and Democrats alike think Conrad just isn't telling the truth.
And today's news was the last straw.
As you probably already know, Abramoff is quoted in the April issue of Vanity Fair, saying,
"Every appropriation we wanted [from Burns's committee] we got. Our staffs were as close as they could be. They practically used Signatures as their cafeteria. I mean, it's a little difficult for him to run from that record."
The trouble is, Montanans can't run from Conrad's record either. The worst thing about Conrad Burns' behavior is that while Jack Abramoff got everything he wanted, average Montanans had to do without what we need: affordable health care, a sensible plan for energy independence, and a government in Washington we can trust.
That's why I'm running for the United States Senate, and that's why I think it's time that Conrad Burns faces the music and steps down from his office.
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Thank you for all that you do,
Jon Tester