Tonight’s interview with Dennis Rehberg on YPR.

Well I tuned in again tonight at 7 pm, for the interview with Dennis on YPR. The highlights:

My favorite question, was of course my own. And throughout the debate I wondered whether or not they would ask it. They saved it for last.

I emailed YPR this afternoon with my question. “Why is it that you refuse to debate your opponent, Monica Lindeen in a public format? Don’t Montanan’s have the right to have their questions answered by their candidate? Or are you afraid of having to defend your ideas public?

Dennis: We have to correct those blogs. And we will have to deal in the future with blogs, they can say anything they want.

(Last I checked, in a format that is one sided, you can say anything you want without being backed up by facts, unless someone takes the time to disprove you, See the following)
(If you look Dennis, you will find that we back up our ideas and thoughts with research)

Dennis (cont.): I debated Lindeen in the primary (true). There is a debate that we have scheduled in Bozeman for October 17, and will be heard here on YPR. Jaime should call up whoever fed her that question, and get angry with them. We are in the process of negotiating another debate, I asked my campaign manager if I had ever refused a debate.

Jim: That’s right, there will be a debate here on October 17, heard live on Yellowstone Public Radio.

Dennis: (in the background) When have I ever run from a debate? (has the floor again) I will be in Bozeman on October 17, debating my opponent Monica Lindeen. I am tired of being criticized for running from a debate, I never have.

Well perhaps, Dennis, the reason that you are tired of being criticized for running from debate opportunities, is because you have been running.

Montanans are going on the third debate between Conrad and Tester, and you finally got the 1st on scheduled?!? Congratulations on debating Monica in the primary. Good job, you got the nomination, how about the job?

No one fed me the question. I am working one full time job, two part time jobs, I blog, and I make the time to be available for live interviews, debates, and court hearings on this November’s election. Perhaps you should take that to mean that I actually bother to be informed about the elections, and the power of the people of Montana’s vote and my vote. Perhaps you should understand that I think it is important to point out to people what is wrong with what candidates claim to be the truth, instead of letting yet another lie slip by. Or perhaps you secretly appreciate our blogs, for pointing out the consistent holes in your stated priorities vs. your actions. (Personally, I know it is the latter.)

Get a handle on this Dennis.


Immigration: If you honestly believe that security of our borders is your number on priority, how can you realistically argue that, fences, barbed wire, dogs and electronic monitoring have not served us on the Southern borders, how could they possibly work up here? I worked in immigration for years, I have more experience than you do, and I know the system and its failures. Maybe it is time to take a look at the system and enforcement, instead of building walls between our neighbors. To be fair, it sounds like you have at least been introduced to these concepts, now get familiar with them.

Universal Healthcare: Scares you to death. Yet you also admit that Healthcare is complex and expensive. For Veterans, and Medicare, tax payers pay as a part of the process. And these services provide healthcare on a timely basis, as needed.

Someone who has to pay her own insurance premiums is doing what she can for herself to lower premiums by investing in a Healthcare Savings Account, which she uses for Healthcare costs. But cost shifting occurs from people who are uninsured to people who are insured, that is the way it works, but it isn’t necessary. (Well how, how are you going to correct it?)

Then you take of on a tangent, a totally unrelated one, healthcare is sticky isn’t it?

Dennis: My two main goals over the next ten years are for 1) Energy Independence, and 2) that every American would have healthcare insurance that isn’t tied to their jobs, that the person would own in individually. (Sounds like Universal Healthcare to me).

We have to dream big, like JFK did. The people will become the negotiators of healthcare costs, not the insurance companies controlling it. (Sounds like Universal Healthcare to me).

Either embrace it, give us a plan that leads to it, or quit claiming it as a goal.


Kyoto Treaty: Uhhh, check your facts Dennis, India and China are not the only nations that have failed to ratify the Kyoto treaty.

Talking about an example that we set to the world in Iraq? Great rhetoric, how about actual action, ¾ of the globe recognizes their contribution to global warming, why doesn’t the United States? Don’t tout something that the United States fails to participate in itself, as something that other nations are doing wrong. DUH!

Oh yeah, Dennis? Justify how you chose to raise your own pay (you didn’t deserve it), voted in the military’s right to a raise in pay (yes they deserved it), yet voted against the rest of America getting a raise in minimum wage. Minimum, that is minimum wage, which today can’t pay for what it paid for in 1947.

Get a handle on that why don’t you?