| The last of the profiles of the Democratic House candidates...
Dennis McDonald:
His Act Blue page...campaign website...Facebook page...
Bio: His first job out of college was as probation officer, before he became a trial lawyer for 17 years. He bought a ranch in Montana in the 1970s, and currently owns and operates a ranch in Melville. McDonald has served as the President of the Montana Cattleman's Association. He served on the International Trade Advisory Committee under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W Bush. McDonald was chair of the Montana Democratic party from 2005 to 2009.
Issues: (from his website) McDonald advocates making a significant investment into our "aging infrastructure," exploiting the "opportunity" to "wisely and safely take advantage of our traditional energy resources" while "investing in alternative and green energy," and "fully fund education and train teachers." McDonald also supports U.S. energy independence through judicious use of Montana's coal reserves. He also "firmly" supports "our constitutional right to keep and bear arms."
During the health-care bill debate in Congress, McDonald came out with a strong statement favoring single payer health care. He also "supports coal mining in Otter Creek area."
Blogs:
Dennis McDonald on 4 and 20 blackbirds and Left in the West.
From "Actually, Dem Primary is About Who Will Be Best Member of Congress": "Dennis McDonald has been a tried and tested leader since before his primary opponent was born.
As a lawyer and probation officer, he made his career defending those who have the least voice in society.
"As a rancher, Dennis has been a leader in the agricultural community. Since he started ranching in Montana in 1972, he's been a founding member of two major national agricultural groups, R-CALF and the United States Cattlemen's Association. He also served as President of the Montana Cattlemen's Association.
"As Chairman of the Montana Democratic Party, Dennis crisscrossed the state discussing issues at kitchen tables and town hall meetings. His tireless efforts led to the election of Jon Tester in 2006 and to Democratic victories in every Tier-B race in 2008-the first time that's happened in Montana since 1948.
"As a member of the President's International Trade Advisory Committee, Dennis traveled the globe and fought against the Central American Free Trade Agreement. He was appointed to this position by President Bill Clinton and re-appointed by President George W. Bush.
"Basically, Dennis has the leadership, tenacity, and experience to be an effective leader in the United States Congress. He has served tirelessly in these and many other leadership positions trying to make life better for the least among us."
Articles:
Democrats campaign for U.S. House seat: "McDonald, 66, was born in Salina, Kan., in 1944, to parents who lost their farm six years earlier during the Great Depression. He still has a copy of the bill of sale from when his parents were forced to sell the last of their livestock and equipment. He keeps it in his pocket and looks at it now and then to remind him of where he came from.
"'I think feeling failure within your family is a huge motivator,' McDonald told a reporter in 2007....
"McDonald said he often is reminded when he is out on the campaign trail of the difficulties his family faced so long ago. He criticized the federal government's response to the current economic crisis as a 'knee-jerk reaction to bail out the big banks.' He said the federal government should be focusing on 'investing in Main Street, not Wall Street.'
"'We need to invest in ordinary people because when you do that, you'll experience an extraordinary return,' McDonald said. 'That's the fundamental history of this country. Whether it's the Homestead Act, the GI Bill, or the (Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008) or the investment in education, all of that was focused on investing in citizens, that's what built our country.'"
Candidate statements - U.S. House seat - Dennis McDonald: "I'm prepared to lead in a different direction. I propose we move from an economy based on debt, consumption and speculation to one that promotes savings, productivity, innovation and hard work. It's not a radical idea. It's just a matter of reordering our priorities. We simply have to stop letting Wall Street call the shots while our Main Streets dry up and blow overseas.
"I propose we make a national commitment to invest in ordinary people because when we do we will realize an extraordinary return. Those tried and failed trickledown schemes don't benefit everyday folks. We know that now. They just bring bubble economies, unemployment and heartache to too many Montanans.
"My vision is to shake things up and refocus our priorities on the things we know will work: investing in education, renewable energy and developing our natural resources in an environmentally sound manner."
Will Mafia client come back to haunt McDonald?: "McDonald - Democratic candidate for Congress, former chairman of the Montana Democratic Party, and a rancher near Melville for the past 22 years - was once the lawyer for the acting boss of the West Coast Cosa Nostra crime family.
"Jimmy 'The Weasel' Fratianno. He killed people.
"Some of McDonald's political opponents have been making hay with the Fratianno story for more than a year, since shortly after McDonald announced he was running against Republican U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg in this November's elections.
"The Montana Republican Party ran a television ad about Fratianno last March - 20 months before the election - juxtaposing photos of McDonald in his cowboy hat with those of Fratianno and other "mob-looking" images including a black-and-white of what viewers are led to believe are the feet of a dead man in a morgue with a tag hanging off the big toe.
"'McDonald even befriended Fratianno,' says the voice-over of the ad. 'They hung out together in Vegas.'
"But McDonald says the true story is not what the Republicans would have you believe. McDonald is not ashamed of his involvement with Fratianno.
"'I took a crook and turned him into a witness,' he said. And, together with federal prosecutors and the FBI, McDonald and Fratianno helped take down more than two dozen other mobsters."
Dennis McDonald bio
Democrats running for the house
McDonald first candidate to air TV ad in House race
Let's get ready to rumble
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