Races of the week: Rehberg vs. Keenan

Montana's At-Large House District

For five generations in Montana, the name Rehberg has been synonymous with ranching.

For two generations, the name has also signified "conservative Republican leadership." Jack Rehberg was a much-respected conservative state senator who narrowly lost a bid for Congress in 1970. His son Denny served in the state legislature; was lieutenant governor from 1991-96, managed the initial campaign of Republican Sen. Conrad Burns in 1988, and narrowly lost a race for the U.S. Senate himself against veteran Democratic incumbent Max Baucus four years ago.

Politics-watchers in the Big Sky Country fully expect the family tradition of public service to be carried on by Denny's 16-yearold son `A.J.," who energetically served as a page at the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia in August.

For now, A.J., his two siblings and their mother are busy working hard in 44-year-old Denny's campaign as the Republican nominee to succeed retiring Rep. Rick Hill (R.) as Montana's lone U.S. representative.

Rehberg's rugged Marlbor-man looks and Western suits are again familiar sights in the state's 56 counties. As lieutenant governor, he had made it a point to visit every one of those counties each year-"to listen to folks at the coffee shops and filling stations as they spoke their minds;' as he put it, "not just to hold up signs on highways and wave at people."

Denny Rehberg listened, all right, but he also had a very cogent message that summarized much of his political philosophy. "I have personally witnessed the negative impact of federal intrusions in our daily lives and want to stop it;' he says. "From regulatory excesses to private property `takings' to the Endangered Species Act, our federal government has run roughshod over the American taxpayer and that's wrong. That's why I will vigorously support initiatives that produce opportunity on federal lands for our domestic mining, timber and energy industries-before they are driven abroad forever by ill-advised and unnecessary regulations."

In short; Rehberg is "Montanan to the toes:' Could the same be said of his Democratic opponent, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Nancy Keenan? It would be a stretch, say Rehberg supporters. For example, only about 33% of her campaign contributions come from Montanans (compared to 85% of Rehberg's), and she's received big money from the likes of the pro-homosexual Human Rights Fund, the pro-abortion EMILY's List, and Norman Lear's People for the American Way-not exactly the kind of folks who enjoy their coffee at the shops in Butte and Helena.

In fact, Keenan is a board member ofand was actually one of the two finalists for the top job at People for the American Way, a group that, as part of its radical agenda, has fought for forcing the Boy Scouts to admit homosexual scoutmasters, opposed voluntary prayer at school athletic events, and opposed the ban on state funding for partial-birth abortions, which Montana's Gov. Marc Racicot (R.) signed into law.

Keenan's office once gave teachers recommendations on including homosexual issues in "curriculum," "lesson plans," "suggested readings;' and "topics for written assignments or class presentations" (Montana House of Representatives, Committee on the Judiciary, Jan. 25, 1993):

Superintendent Keenan not only would have no problem with the likes of Heather Has Two Mommies in state classrooms, she also seems to have no difficulty with pornographic publications, once saying she would not intervene if a school district allowed magazines such as Playboy in school libraries (Great Falls Tribune, Sept. 28> 1993).

Even before she won her statewide office, state legislator Nancy Keenan was toeing the left-of center line: She voted for a 5% surtax on top of Montanans' income tax liability (Montana House Journal, 1987, vote on HB 821 ), and sponsored legislation to force Montanans to pay a property transfer tax when they sell their home and to make the sale a matter of public record (Montana House Journal, 1985, vote on HB 857). More recently she branded an initiative passed by state voters to require popular approval of all tax increases "irresponsible" and a "piece of junk" (Associated Press, Nov. 9, 1998).

You get the picture. As Rehberg's campaign manager Alan Mikkelson put it, "You'd be hard-pressed to find two candidates anywhere who disagree on so much."

Throughout his varied life, Denny Rehberg has been dubbed many things: "conservative," "rancher," "listener," and, inevitably, "Montanan." With help from his fellow conservatives, who clearly see the differences between his opponent and him, he will be called something else after November: "Congressman."

(Rehberg for Congress, 1201 Grand Billings, MT,' 406-52-1776)

Copyright Human Events Publishing, Inc. Sep 29, 2000
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