Tester, a third-generation Montana rancher and farmer from Big Sandy, Montana, and the current Montana Senate President , has soared in the polls since he introduced his two ads, which can be seen by clicking on the included links.

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Dear Friends,

With a 1% negative rating among Democratic primary voters, Democratic US Senate Candidate Jon Tester is up 18 points since January and 6 points since early May against his primary opponent, Montana State Auditor John Morrison. (See the campaign's letter at the end of this email.) Tester, a third-generation Montana rancher and farmer from Big Sandy, Montana, and the current Montana Senate President , has soared in the polls since he introduced his two ads, which can be seen by clicking on the included links.

I think the ad team has done an excellent job with Jon's media and his two television spots are both very good and warm and real, and the first is also quite engaging and funny. You can view them online at:

http://www.testerforsenate.com/?p=108 Creating a Buzz

http://www.testerforsenate.com/?p=122 Out Here

Here are a couple recent posts on the race. The first is by Kos at Daily Kos:

MT-Sen: Tester has the big mo'

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/5/26/135410/958

The first is news that Tester outraised Morrison http://www.helenair.com/articles/2006/05/26/montana/a05052606_01.txt the past six weeks. Not bad for an organic farmer without a lifetime of family-related and professional big-money connections like DLC favorite John Morrison (the product of a political dynasty).

Meanwhile, Morrison's base -- trial lawyers -- are starting to move toward Tester: http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?aid=/20060526/news01/605260331/1002

Howie Klein's Blue America: Montana
By Howie Klein

http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/05/27/howie-kleins-blue-america-montana

In the June 6th primary we have a chance to chose between a really stellar candidate and a mediocre one to face off against the doomed Burns.

The really stellar one is Jon Tester.

And here's a piece from Jon Tester on the ways that alternative energy can help family farmers stay on the land while helping America achieve energy independence.

A Farmer's Manifesto: New (Renewable) Energy on God's Good Earth

http://www.buzzflash.com/contributors/06/04/con06166.html

http://testerforsenate.com/?p=71

As an attachment, (see Jon Tester Overview.pdf), I've also included a pdf of Jon's basic positions on a number of issues and on the what he's achieved in the past few years as head of the Montana Senate. It's a pretty impressive look at a Montanan who, I believe, can help at least in a small way to turn Washington's values back toward the Heartland and toward a better, kinder practice of government service.

I'd also refer you to http://www.testertime.com , which is Jon's campaign blog, and which gives a more informal view of who Jon is and what the values are that he brings to his campaign. His formal website is http://www.testerforsenate.com

So now is a very good time to place a bet (donate) to a rising Democratic star from the Montana plains. Go to http://testerforsenate.com to donate.

All the best,

Steve Corrick

Gardenearth@aol.com
Subj: Poll: Tester, Morrison Deadlocked
Date: Sunday, May 28, 2006 6:22:04 AM
From: info@testerforsenate.com
To: gardenearth@aol.com

Helena Independent Record: "Tester, Morrison Deadlocked"
"'The thing that strikes me is that Morrison is still better known than Tester, but Tester has a higher favorable rating with Democrats,' said Brad Coker, managing director of Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, which conducted the poll. 'Tester may have a little more upward mobility. He's pretty well-positioned for the primary. I think it's a close race, but if Tester won, it wouldn't surprise me.'"

Friends,

With less than 10 days to go, this race is neck-and-neck headed into the home stretch.

We've gained 21 points since January, and more than a dozen since our TV ads began in early May.

The more voters learn about Jon Tester, the more our support grows.

This makes our ad campaign and your volunteer activity even more important as we approach the Primary Election.

Please contact the campaign to help volunteer today.

Over the next 48 hours, we need financial support from you and your friends as we prepare to place our next media buy.

Please, forward this message to your address book and contribute what you can today.

http://www.testerforsenate.com/contribute/

Thank you for your continued support. Over the past year, grassroots supporters like you have built this campaign from the ground up. We wouldn't be here today without you.

Bill Lombardi
Montanans for Tester

email: info@testerforsenate.com

phone: (406) 454-2006

web: http://www.testerforsenate.com /

Paid for by Montanans for Tester. PO Box 1135. Helena, MT 59624.
Contributions to Montanans for Tester are a political contribution and are not tax deductible for federal income tax purposes. Corporate contributions are prohibited by federal law. Foreign contributions are prohibited. Federal law requires us to use our best efforts to collect and report the name, mailing address, occupation, and name of employer of individuals whose contributions exceed $200 per election cycle.

Submitter: Joan Brunwasser

Submitters Website: http://www.opednews.com/author/author79.html

Submitters Bio:

Joan Brunwasser is a co-founder of Citizens for Election Reform (CER) which since 2005 existed for the sole purpose of raising the public awareness of the critical need for election reform. Our goal: to restore fair, accurate, transparent, secure elections where votes are cast in private and counted in public. Because the problems with electronic (computerized) voting systems include a lack of transparency and the ability to accurately check and authenticate the vote cast, these systems can alter election results and therefore are simply antithetical to democratic principles and functioning.



Since the pivotal 2004 Presidential election, Joan has come to see the connection between a broken election system, a dysfunctional, corporate media and a total lack of campaign finance reform. This has led her to enlarge the parameters of her writing to include interviews with whistle-blowers and articulate others who give a view quite different from that presented by the mainstream media. She also turns the spotlight on activists and ordinary folks who are striving to make a difference, to clean up and improve their corner of the world. By focusing on these intrepid individuals, she gives hope and inspiration to those who might otherwise be turned off and alienated. She also interviews people in the arts in all their variations - authors, journalists, filmmakers, actors, playwrights, and artists. Why? The bottom line: without art and inspiration, we lose one of the best parts of ourselves. And we're all in this together. If Joan can keep even one of her fellow citizens going another day, she considers her job well done.


When Joan hit one million page views, OEN Managing Editor, Meryl Ann Butler interviewed her, turning interviewer briefly into interviewee. Read the interview here.

While the news is often quite depressing, Joan nevertheless strives to maintain her mantra: "Grab life now in an exuberant embrace!"


Joan has been Election Integrity Editor for OpEdNews since December, 2005. Her articles also appear at Huffington Post, RepublicMedia.TV and Scoop.co.nz.