Posted on 10/24/2007 5:32:19 PM PDT by Montana Headlines
HELENA - A Billings Republican said he is getting closer to announcing plans to run for the U.S. Senate seat held by U.S. Sen. Max Baucus.
Kirk Bushman, who works at an engineering firm and has not previously run for office, set up a campaign committee earlier this month and filed an initial fundraising report that shows he has raised about $11,000, much of it from family. He also has a Web site announcing "Kirk Bushman for U.S. Senate."
But Bushman said he is not yet positive he will run. He wants to talk to more Republicans and go to Washington, D.C., to see what it would take to raise the money needed to take on Baucus, who has already put together more than $7 million.
Bushman would join former House Majority Leader Michael Lange, who so far has raised little money, in the race for the Republican nomination.
(Excerpt) Read more at billingsgazette.net ...
While a political newcomer, if Bushman has nothing that the Baucus machine can use to smear him, he can run a good spirited campaign. And who knows...?
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11k v. $7,000,000
I am not so sure that he will be helped by having the name “Bush-Man.”
Gotta start somewhere!
Right now, the Montana GOP faithful would probably be willing to rally around a decent Republican willing to take on Baucus, even if his name was Fidel Chavez.
Max seems to be entrenched serving MT as Senator for 30 years?
What is it with Montana, a Dem Gov and two Dem Senators?
Conrad Burns was only the second Republican U.S. Senator since WWI in Montana — and he was the first ever to be re-elected.
Historically, Montana has elected a good number of GOP governors, but the Senate seats have belonged to Democrats.
Gov. Judy Martz was a political disaster for Republicans even though she was a decent governor, which then set the stage for Schweitzer to win — and then we served up a poor candidate to run against him in 2004, no less.
Baucus is a skilled politician who runs hard to the right in the last two years of every term. That, and he has a ruthless machine. Ruthless.
None of that is an excuse. We should be putting up a strong fight against Baucus in every election. Republicans (forgetting the history of our own state) got lazy in the 1990’s when we were riding high — figuring that we would always own the whole state other than that one Senate seat, so the party sort of quit trying.
Not a particularly brilliant strategy.
I met Schweitzer in New Orleans a month or so after Katrina, he was in town with the MT NG. He seemed like a nice enough guy but he is a Dem.
What is the deal with him?
Bushman is a token.
Has Bob Keenan ruled out running?
It’s a long shot in both the senate and gov race for any republican, but political winds can shift overnight. And remember too, GOD appoints rulers, not men...
A couple of experienced journalists with whom I’m pretty good friends say that he is the biggest snakeoil salesman they’ve perhaps ever seen.
The MT GOP used to treat him with ridicule. Big mistake to underestimate him. I’ve met him once, and I think he is an incredibly gifted politician. Given that it is put to use in the service of self and the Dem party, that isn’t the best thing.
Bushman probably has a better shot at Baucus than Keenan does. Keenan has dithered too long and has missed his window, IMHO
He’s talked about running for gov, but no word there, either. He’s not the best of the rumored gov candidates, either.
Exactly. Which is what frustrates me so much about the GOP letting some Dems run basically unopposed.
Basically the dems have a good economy that was put in place by past Rep legistatures/administrations. People still vote their pocketbooks, and quickly forget it was REPUBLICANS that made the good, solid foundations for our economy being so strong at the present time. But let it TANK for national/international reasons and the dems will be thrown out on their ears. gov BS gave Judy the bum’s rush, not allowing her to finish her speech saying goodbye to the troops. Golden Rule : I’m waiting for the day that HE gets the bum’s rush out of state politics...
“Kirk Bushman, who works at an engineering firm “
Okay. he is already more qualified than 60 or so of the people already in the Senate.
Isn’t that the truth.
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