Jon, We Hardly Knew Ye

My how the times have changed since the halcyon days of the Democrats in 2006. You may remember that as the year that the Democrats took over the Senate from Republican control, but locally as the year that Conrad Burns lost his re-election bid to some farmer from Big Sandy.
One of Jon Tester's points for electing him was that he was going to bring honesty to government, which was especially salient with regard to Jack Abramoff and his cronies.
Remember how Jon said that he was never going to take money from lobbyists?

“I’m all for strengthening rules, but it’s even more important to change the culture of corruption. We need to let Washington know now that the ‘For Sale’ sign has to come down, and Conrad Burns’ days of ‘pay-to-play’ are ending,” Tester said. “But judging by how some of the so-called reforms are already meeting resistance from Washington insiders-senators and lobbyists-I’m not going to hold my breath.”

I bet he hopes that you forgot. But back then, Jon said

But that’s not the people who have control- the cronies on K-Street that buy votes have more control than the folks that elect us. You need to have people back there in Washington who have experience balancing a checkbook and setting priorities. I have balanced a checkbook in the private sector and in the public sector. My opponent has not been able to do that.

So, the cronies on K Street have been denied by the righteous indignation that Senator Tester has brought to Washington? Apparently, it is all good now. Some of my favorites are JP Morgan who gave $57,000 (weren't they involved in that bail out somehow, the one that Tester says he voted against?) Visa, $47,400 (now you know where your interest payments are going), American Bankers Association $35,500. But then you get down in the weeds, and we have Mortgage Bankers Association only giving $27,000 and New York Life giving $26,500. Kind of makes you ashamed that our Senator can be bought so cheaply. He should have held out for the big bucks, instead, he sells his integrity for such a cheap amount. Although if I remember right, isn't Jon the lawmaker who has raked in the most in lobbyist contributions for this election cycle. The most. Sure for this cycle, but the most.
Let's see now. Outside of the obvious, how is that checkbook balancing going? Oh, that's right, we have added more debt faster than ever before, and we don't even have a war in Iraq to blame for this. And what is the plan for changing that? Nothing really. Not even a budget has been passed for half the time that Jon has been in the Senate.
It also sort of irks me when Jon and the DSCC are running ads lambasting Denny for voting for pay raises. First, the pay raise is automatic. Second, did Jon who also benefited from the raises introduce a bill to end the automatic raises? I sure can't find any instance that says he does, but he is still willing to hit Denny on the votes. Another cheap shot I suppose.
Let's face it, there are lot's of reasons to vote Jon out. He is Harry Reid's third vote for Nevada, a rubber stamp for Obama, and has accomplished very little. Those are all good reasons. But the main reason to vote Jon out has to be the fact that he never apologized to Conrad Burns. The man that Jon demonized, said that he was in the illegal clutches of Abramoff. The man who was subsequently exonerated.

He accused a man of wrongdoing that wasn't done. He ran his campaign on not taking earmarks or lobbyists funding like Conrad did supposedly then turns around and does just what he said was the reason for Conrad to not go back to Washington.

No apology. Not even a "I may have been mistaken."

Jon Tester. No integrity, and no return to Washington.