AP: Burns Struggling to Retain Mont. Voters [View All]

[Eugene]

Burns Struggling to Retain Mont. Voters

By MARY CLARE JALONICK, Associated Press Writer

Sunday, October 15, 2006

(10-15) 02:11 PDT Conrad, Mont. (AP) --

In this small farm town on the prairie, rebuilding a highway span
that passes over a busy railroad track costs millions of dollars.
Getting the money for that project and others is a big reason Sen.
Conrad Burns remains popular with many voters.

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Burns, in the fight of his political life against Democrat Jon Tester,
has been citing such home-state money and projects to try to convince
voters that they should re-elect him. But not everyone is on board.

Across town, at the Home Cafe on Main Street, 80-year-old Gordon
Matheson says Burns is not honest. Matheson mentions Jack Abramoff,
the lobbyist from Washington, D.C., who was convicted on federal
corruption charges this year. Burns took, and has since given away,
about $150,000 in campaign contributions from Abramoff.

Down the street, at the Super Dollar Store, 41-year-old clerk June
Sasek mentions Abramoff as well.

Both Sasek and Matheson are voting for Tester, an organic grain farmer.

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Full article: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/10/15/politics/p021144D84.DTL