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Montana Democratic Party Introduces Fact Check: Rehberg

MDP to Provide Regular Fact-Based Feature to Help Journalists, Interested Montanans in Sorting Rehberg Rhetoric from Reality

Helena - The Montana Democratic Party today announced Fact Check: Rehberg, a regular fact-based feature to help journalists and all interested Montanans in sorting Congressman Rehberg's rhetoric from reality.

 "Dennis Rehberg has made a living these last ten years out of trying to keep Montanans in the dark," said David Benson, Executive Director of the Montana Democratic Party. "It's time he becomes accountable for his actions-- whether it's spouting out false conservative talking points, being untruthful about his votes, or his misrepresentation of landmark health care legislation. We sincerely hope this will help keep him honest when he's acting on behalf of Montanans in D.C, or talking to folks here at home."

All Fact Check: Rehberg items will be sent via press release and posted on a new Facebook page administered by the

Montana Democratic Party, as well as on the MDP website. The page will also be entitled Fact Check: Rehberg.

 Stay tuned for more Fact Check: Rehberg.

  

Fact Check: Rehberg #1
 

REHBERG:

Uses GOP talking point and suggests that “16,000 new IRS agents” will have to be hired as result of health reform legislation.

FACT (fromFactCheck.org):

“This wildly inaccurate claim started as an inflated, partisan assertion that 16,500 new IRS employees might be required to administer the new law. That devolved quickly into a claim, made by some Republican lawmakers, that 16,500 IRS "agents" would be required. Republican Rep. Ron Paul of Texas even claimed in a televised interview that all 16,500 would be carrying guns. None of those claims is true.”

Rehberg Disagrees with Self, Still Has No Solutions

Helena – Rep. Dennis Rehberg continued to raise questions about the sincerity of his pledge to look for ways to cut the deficit in a Helena television interview.  
Rehberg, who recently admitted a pledge to swear off earmarks would do nothing to lower the deficit, continues to tout the symbolic pledge as an actual solution.
 
On an edition of The Dunwell Report, Lee Newspapers reporter Chuck Johnson asked Rehberg if he had “ever voted or moved to cut or eliminate funding for any projects in Montana.”  Rehberg first said “yes,” then “no,” then promised to give examples.  Instead, he launched into a long, confusing lecture on how the budget process works (transcript below, video here).
 
“Dennis Rehberg needs to level with Montanans and admit he doesn’t have any solutions,” said Kate Downen, communications director for the Montana Democratic Party.  “It’s clear he either doesn’t understand how Washington works or he’s intentionally misleading Montanans for political gain.”

 
Transcript of Q & A between Chuck Johnson of Lee Newspapers and Rep. Dennis Rehberg from Beartooth NBC’s The Dunwell Report, April 4, 2010.

CHUCK JOHNSON: “Have you ever voted or moved to cut or eliminate funding for any projects in Montana since you’ve been in Congress?  Could you give some examples?”
 
DENNIS REHBERG: “Yes. Yes.  No, but I’ll give you examples.  I’ll get back to you because one of the things that I suggest is that, uh—talk about earmarks.  Earmarks are a directing within an individual budget.  But the thing that does not occur is you haven’t touched the budget itself within that arena.  And so you have to get back into the authorization of the program and decide—use as an example, um, the rainforest in Iowa that was funded at a university.  You know, people point at that.  And my suggestion is it’s not necessarily that Iowa got a rainforest.  It’s ‘why did it even qualify for money within the area that the money was taken out of?’  And so the hard work is to get in and take a look at the individual agencies.  So yes, I have suggested one-percent across-the-board cuts, five percent-across-the-board cuts, and that addresses programs that would affect Montana as well.”

 

MDP Chairman Jim Elliott's Statement on Tax Day

"On tax day, it’s hard not to be disappointed by our lone Congressman, Dennis Rehberg, who spent eight years digging our country into a deficit and now is trying to shift the blame.

"Dennis Rehberg and the Bush Administration turned record surpluses into record deficits, favored special interests and lobbyists over the interests of ordinary Montanans, cut taxes for Big Oil and the wealthy, and did nothing while wages for regular folks declined. Now Rehberg has made an empty, “symbolic” pledge to swear off earmarks for a year; even while admitting it won’t make a penny of a dent in our deficit.
 
"Montanans can be proud of the fiscal responsibility of Montana Democrats. Senators Baucus and Tester have helped ensure $160 billion in tax relief for families and businesses across the country through the Recovery Act, nearly $100 billion of which has gone straight into the pockets of working families. Dennis Rehberg opposed these tax breaks.
 
"On a state level, we have strong Democratic leadership that starts with Governor Schweitzer, whose penny-pinching management style has made Montana one of only two states with a budget surplus.
 
"Instead of claiming credit for things he’s not doing to help our state, Dennis Rehberg would better serve Montana if he acted more like a Montana Democrat."

MDP Chairman Jim Elliott meets with Democrats in 12 counties on Hi-Line, Eastern Montana

Job creation, opportunities for Montana priorities for 2010 election year
 

Helena – Montana Democrat Party Chairman Jim Elliott completed his tour of 12 counties with a final stop in Forsyth today. Elliott met with Democrats on the Hi-Line and in Eastern Montana to discuss the upcoming 2010 elections and hear ideas about moving Montana forward.
 
"We talked a lot about creating jobs by developing our natural resources in a responsible way. Creating jobs and having clean water and clear skies are not mutually exclusive," Elliott said. "I am really impressed with the enthusiasm and energy of Democrats in rural Montana; hard work is their heritage. Everywhere I went I met Democrats who were deeply committed to moving Montana in the right direction."
 
During a five-day, 1800 mile driving tour, Elliott visited Choteau, Conrad, Havre, Harlem, Flaxville, Plentywood, Sidney, Glendive, Wibaux, Baker, Ekalaka, Broadus, Miles City, and Forsyth.

Rehberg Misleads Montanans on Earmark Ban

Helena – Rep. Dennis Rehberg is misleading Montanans by having them believe his latest political stunt saves taxpayer money.
 
Last month, Rehberg suddenly announced he would toe the Republican Party line and support a ban on transparent earmarked appropriations, even though they create jobs in Montana.  Why?  As Rehberg explains: “we need to begin down the path of spending reform” [Beartooth NBC's The Dunwell Report, 4/4/2010].
 
But according to the Associated Press, getting rid of earmarks won’t lower spending or cut the deficit.  That’s because earmarks don’t increase federal spending, but rather specify how government agencies must use money they already have [Associated Press, 3/28/2010].
 
That’s why even Rehberg admits his gesture is purely symbolic.
 
“After a decade on taxpayers’ payroll, Dennis Rehberg knows full well banning earmarks doesn’t save money and he’s trying to pull the wool over our eyes,” said Kate Downen, spokeswoman for the Montana Democratic Party.  “If he were serious about getting a handle on the debt, he wouldn't have voted for tax cuts for the wealthy and Big Oil while spending countless billions over the last ten years.  Instead, he’s hoping ordinary Montanans just won’t figure it out.”
 
Last week, Rehberg released the “results” of a “survey” conducted by his own office among only Montanans interested in taking part.  According to Rehberg, a majority of the respondents said they favored his choice to follow the orders of his party leadership in Washington, D.C.
 
The survey, unsurprisingly, failed to mention that Rehberg’s symbolic gesture would do nothing to reduce the deficit and would not save taxpayers any money.

Tester introduces bipartisan bill to help rural banks

Sidney Herald

Published on Tuesday, May 4, 2010 3:21 PM MDT

U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., is introducing a bipartisan amendment to the Senate’s Wall Street reform plan to make sure rural banks are not forced to pay more than their fair share for federal bank insurance.

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