Are Montana Republicans Trying to Change?
Montana Republicans have picked Bob Kelleher over three other candidates as their nominee to run against incumbent Democratic Senator Max Bacus (D-Mt). Bob is truly a different kind of Republican! He favors Socialized Medicine, wants big Oil companies nationalized, and advocates that taxes should be raised and the funds used to eliminate poverty in America.
Well it sounds like our Montana Senate seat will be safe this year! And even if we lose, maybe we win!
By Bob Kraushner, The Politico, June 11th 2008
Meet Bob Kelleher, the Republican nominee against Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) this year.
He is an 85-year-old attorney with some downright unconventional views. He believes the American system of representative government should be replaced by a parliamentary system. He calls for socialized medicine, advocates nationalizing the country’s oil and gas industries and believes taxes should be raised significantly to eradicate poverty.
It’s not the standard GOP platform, but nevertheless Kelleher defeated four other candidates in the primary to claim the Republican nomination.
Among those he bested were former state House Majority Leader Mike Lange and businessman Kirk Bushman, who had courted statewide donors and visited Washington to meet with national party representatives. It was Kelleher’s first victory after 15 losses as a Democratic Party and Green Party candidate.
Needless to say, the Republican Party wants nothing to do with him.
If Kelleher were an aberration, his candidacy might be easier for Republicans to swallow. But he’s not.
He’s one of a handful of GOP Senate nominees who are, well, not exactly who the party had in mind.
If nothing else, Kelleher is emblematic of Senate Republicans’ flat-out bad luck this election cycle. Not only has the party missed out on landing top-tier recruits in conservative-minded states such as South Dakota and West Virginia, but Republican primary voters have exacerbated the situation by nominating candidates elsewhere who have virtually no chance of winning races that might otherwise have been somewhat competitive. Click here to read more about Bob Kelleher at The Politico.