CONRADMONTGOMERY BURNS

GENERAL BIOGRAPHIC
Family: Wife: Phyllis Laura Kuhlmann
2 Children: Keely, Garrett. Kelly, Grant

Burns was born January 25, 1935 on a farm near Gallatin, Missouri to Russell and Mary Frances (Knight) Burns. Graduating from Gallatin High School in 1952, Senator Burns enrolled in the College of Agriculture at the University of Missouri. Two years later Burns enlisted in the Marine Corps and was posted in East Asia.

Following his military service Burns began working for TWA and Ozark airlines until 1962, when he became a field representative for Polled Hereford World magazine in Billings, Montana. Named the first manager of the Northern International Livestock Expo in 1968, Burns began his career in radio and television broadcasting, reporting on agricultural market news and establishing his reputation as the voice of Montana agriculture.

In 1975, Burns founded four radio stations known as the Northern Ag Network, which grew to serve 31 radio and TV stations across Montana and Wyoming when he sold it in 1986.

Burns began his career in politics when he was elected to the Yellowstone County Commission, serving for two years before deciding to run for the U.S. Senate.

VOTING RECORD
Committees:
Appropriations
Commerce, Science & Transportation
Energy & Natural Resources
Small Business and Entrepreneurship
Special Committee on Aging

Republican Deputy Whip

Term of office: 1989-Present (17 years) (Is the longest-serving Republican Senator in Montana history by being re-elected to a third term despite vowing to leave the Senate after two terms. He won, but barely (51-48 percent against Brian Schweitzer).

With a seat on the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, Burns has been able to bring in over $1 billion in federal funds to the state since he took office.

Serving as Chairman of the Senate Interior Appropriations subcommittee for the 109th Congress, Senator Burns has jurisdiction over all the country's federal lands and the National Park Service.

In 1997, Senator Burns became Chairman of the Communications Subcommittee, one of the major regulatory posts in Congress. Since then he has been praised as "one of the fathers of the modern Internet," standing for deregulation, the roll-out of broadband in rural areas, and pushing for new Internet and mobile phone technologies.

He has expanded Montana's job base by establishing more balanced trade with Canada and brought better education and health care to Montanans by encouraging hi-tech investment in the state. He has pursued new markets for agricultural producers while securing millions of dollars in grants for research and marketing improvements.

On the national level, Senator Burns has criticized America's dependency upon foreign oil supplies, calling on Congress to ban imports from Iraq and increase domestic production and research in fuel cell technology. He has also cosponsored a Senate bill to voluntarily arm airline pilots to protect against future terrorist attacks.

FINANCIALS
As of the September 30 FEC filing, Burns has $3 million cash on hand. ($1.5 million from individuals, $1.2 from PACs, the rest from parties or other candidate committees)

POSSIBLE PROBLEMS FOR THE CAMPAIGN
Accused of: racial slurs; sexism; legislative history of supporting measures and bills which would reduce (American) Indian tribal sovereignty; campaigned on promises to be a two-term senator and reneged; little grasp of domestic security after remarks made post-9/11; alleged recipient of illegal favors and $136,000 in campaign contributions

In September, 2005, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington named Burns one of the thirteen most corrupt members of Congress.

ABRAMOFF
"The Journal explores the possible role of Sen. Burns: 'Mr. Burns, the Montana congressman, helped one of Mr. Abramoff's clients -- the Saginaw Chippewa tribe in Michigan -- win a $3 million grant from Congress. Mr. Burns was the chairman of a key Senate subcommittee that allocated the funds to the tribe.'" (http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Four_congressmembers_role_in_Abramoff_lobbying_1125.html)

"The [Washington] Post has reported that Burns, who received $137,000 in contributions from Abramoff lobbyists and their tribal clients, obtained a controversial $3 million school construction grant for one of Abramoff's wealthy tribal clients after pressuring the Bureau of Indian Affairs."

It's apparently got the campaign so worried that they paid for a one-minute reaction ad this early in the campaign (which can be found halfway down this page: http://blogs.washingtonpost.com/thefix/).