This week I want to return to an earlier target: Senator Conrad Burns of Montana. I will review his corruption in a minute, but first, the reason why I want to return to him is because Senator Burns just spearheaded an effort to ALLOW PESTICIDE TESTING ON HUMANS! Here is a
Daily Kos diary on the subject.
In short, Barbara Boxer first spearheaded an effort to BAN pesticide testing on humans and this was approved by the Senate. Burns countered with an amendment ALLOWING human testing of pesticides to continue but instructing the EPA to study if it’s being conducted ethically and whether the benefits outweigh the risks to volunteers. WHAT??? This is a continuation of what I have commented on before (and maybe need to review again) that the Republicans are trying to poison Americans! From Bush telling the EPA to lie about the toxicity of the smoke from the WTC (leading to severe illness in many NY firefighters) to trying to lower arsenic standards for drinking water, to testing pesticides in humans, the Republicans want to poison Americans! Let me remind you that pesticides are generally neurotoxins. They are neurotoxins in people, but the lethal dose is much higher in humans than in insects, so we can use them. But testing an unknown neurotoxin in humans is seriously unethical!
So Senator Burns (R-MT) wants to allow human testing of poisons. Let’s remember who Burns is.
U.S. Senator Conrad Burns (R-MT) has broken his 1995 pledge not to seek re-election in 2006 and has now been tied to the expanding scandal surrounding GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
“[A] Western-state Democratic leader is demanding an investigation into how the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe got a $3 million federal education grant from a program originally intended to benefit only poor Tribes. Bob Ream, the chairman of the Montana Democratic Party, formally requested a Senate Ethics Committee investigation into how former Saginaw Chippewa lobbyist Jack Abramoff might have improperly influenced Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., the chairman of the Senate subcommittee that oversees the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
“Is it a coincidence that Mr. Abramoff, his associates and wealthy Tribal clients made $137,000 in campaign contributions to Sen. Burns’ soft-money corporation prior to the appropriation? Ream said. “Is it a coincidence that Mr. Abramoff and his team arranged for Sen. Burns’ chief of staff and an appropriations staffer to take a private jet to New Orleans for a trip to the Super Bowl?”
See also:
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050402/NEWS01/504020308/1002
Let’s get this guy! First off, let’s get those letters to the editor rolling. Write a letter complaining about Burns’ connection with the Abramoff scandals and his support of testing poisonous materials on humans. Point out that both corruption and using humans as lab rats are considered immoral by most Americans and it is disgusting that this man is a Senator.
It is my understanding that a couple of Democrats are gearing up to run against Burns, so I can’t point you to a specific candidate, but I can point you to Frontier PAC, an excellent, new organization that is targeting Burns as well as other Western state races.
And let’s not forget the extremely successful, of late, Democratic Party of Montana. They swept on the state level in 2004 and have been an excellent example of populist politics. Give them support in honor of the people that Conrad Burns is poisoning with pesticides.
A true champion for corporate welfare, a champion for reducing civil rights, a champion asshat. Lets invite him to allow his children and grandchildren to become the guinea pigs for pesticide testing. Everyone email him, here is the link to his Senate offices.
http://burns.senate.gov/
Conrad Burns
Background Information
Gender: Male
Family: Wife: Phyllis Kuhlmann
2 Children: Keely, Garrett.
Birth date: 01/25/1935
Birthplace: Gallatin, MO
Home City: Billings, MT
Religion: Lutheran
A controversial speaker
In 1994 Burns told the editorial board of the Bozeman Chronicle that when asked by a constituent, “how can you live back there Washington, DC with all those niggers?” he replied, “[It’s] a hell of a challenge.” About the use of the racial slur: “I never give it much thought.”
On February 17, 1999, while at a meeting of the Montana Implement Dealers Association in Billings, Montana, Burns referred to Arabic people as “ragheads”. Burns later apologized. (Thompson 1999)
His detractors would point out that Burns also has a legislative history of supporting measures and bills which would reduce (American) Indian tribal sovereignty, including a bill, co-sponsored with Slade Gorton, that would require tribes to waive sovereignty rights such as immunity from lawsuits, in addition to meeting means testing, before they could receive federal funds. He has also sponsored legislation that some say would violate treaties by eliminating Native jurisdiction of reservation land owned by non-Indians. According to State Representative Carol Juneau, (D) Browning, “Burns…has encouraged people to believe that Indians’ rights can be terminated.”
Good to know! I will keep this in mind and may make use of it later. Burns is not one of my main targets (there are folks in Ohio and Missouri who get more attention) but he sure is a corrupt bastard. I have donated to Frontier PAC, which is targeting them, and will send them more money if I can. I think Burns should be a prime 2006 target!
Hope you are using this material to write letters to the editor. It is prime stuff.