Conrad Ray Burns (January 25, 1935 – April 28, 2016) was an American politician and lobbyist who served as a United States senator from Montana from 1989 to 2007. He was only the second Republican popularly elected to represent Montana in the Senate and was the longest-serving Republican senator in Montana history.
While in the Senate, Burns sat on the Senate Appropriations Committee and was the chairman of its Subcommittee on the Interior. He was also chairman of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee's Communications subcommittee.
Early life Burns was born on a farm near Gallatin, Missouri, to Russell and Mary Frances (Knight) Burns. He graduated from Gallatin High School in 1952 and then enrolled in the College of Agriculture at the University of Missouri. He was also a member of the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity. Two years later Burns left without graduating and enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1955. He served in Japan and Korea as a small-arms instructor.
After his military service in 1957, Burns began working for Trans World Airlines and Ozark Air Lines. In 1962, he traveled the state of Montana as a field representative for Polled Hereford World magazine in Billings, He married Phyllis Jean Kuhlmann in 1967; they had three children, Kate, Keely, and Garrett.
In 1968, he turned down a transfer to Iowa and became a cattle auctioneer for the Billings Livestock Commission. He became the first manager of the Northern International Livestock Exposition. He also began reporting on agricultural market news, started a radio show and later working as a farm reporter for KULR-TV.
In 1975, Burns founded the Northern Agricultural Network with four radio stations. The NAN had grown to serve thirty-one radio stations and six television stations by 1986, when he sold it to enter politics. Angry at a local politician, he won a seat on the Yellowstone County Commission, where he served for two years.
U.S. Senate elections
1988
Though a political novice, Burns had a great deal of name recognition from his previous jobs, and the Republican Party recruited him to run against incumbent Democratic Senator John Melcher, a popular veterinarian. Burns portrayed Melcher as "a liberal who is soft on drugs, soft on defense and very high on social programs." At the time a strong supporter of term limits, Burns said Melcher had been in Washington, D.C., too long. Melcher was also hurt by public opposition to policies in Yellowstone National Park regarding naturally occurring fires and by President Ronald Reagan's pocket veto of Melcher's bill, which would have made 1.4 million acres (5,700 km2) of Montana forest off-limits to logging and mineral development. Burns defeated Melcher by 13,636 votes. He was helped by the success in Montana of Vice President George H. W. Bush, the Republican presidential nominee.
1994
Former Senator Melcher was among the candidates in the Democratic primary, but that race was won by Jack Mudd, former dean of the University of Montana law school in Missoula.
Burns was reelected by 86,697 votes over Mudd, whose campaign observers described as "underfunded and puzzling".Michael Barone, The Almanac of American Politics 1996, National Journal Group.
2000
Burns faced an unexpectedly difficult reelection campaign in 2000. In February 1999, he announced that he would break his 1988 promise to hold office for only two terms, saying, "Circumstances have changed, and I have rethought my position."George Will, "...Terms Unlimited", The Washington Post, June 24, 1999 Later that same month, while giving a speech about American dependence on foreign oil to the Montana Equipment Dealers Association, he referred to Arabs as "ragheads." Burns soon apologized, saying that he "became too emotionally involved" during the speech.Al Kamen, "Burns's A List: African Americans, Arabs", The Washington Post, March 12, 1999.
The Democratic nominee was Brian Schweitzer, a rancher from Whitefish, Montana. While Burns attempted to link Schweitzer with presidential candidate Al Gore, whom Schweitzer had never met, Schweitzer "effectively portrayed himself as nonpolitical."Michael Barone, The Almanac of American Politics 2004, National Journal Group. Schweitzer challenged Burns primarily on the issue of prescription drugs, organizing busloads of senior citizens to take trips to Canada and Mexico for cheaper medicine.William Booth, "Mont. Rancher Mounts Brawny Challenge; Crusty GOP Incumbent Finds Race Tightening Against an Equally Rough-Hewn Opponent", The Washington Post, October 31, 2000 Burns charged that Schweitzer favored "Canadian-style government controls" and claimed that senior citizens went to doctors to have "somebody to visit with. There's nothing wrong with them." Burns also faced trouble regarding deaths from asbestos in Libby, Montana. While he initially supported a bill to limit compensation in such cases, he withdrew his support for the bill under public criticism and added $11.5 million for the town to an appropriations bill.Al Kamen, "Town Getting $11 Million in Salve From Burns", The Washington Post, May 12, 2000.
Burns spent twice as much money as Schweitzer on the election and defeated him by only 13,652 votes, while the state voted for Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush by 103,052 votes. Schweitzer was elected Governor of Montana in 2004.
In December 2003, Burns and Senator Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, were pleased that their legislation to combat spam, the CAN-SPAM Act, had been signed into law. Burns said, "Senator Wyden and I have worked during this time to come up with common-sense legislation to deal with spam and I think we've been successful." But in April 2005 anti-spam organization Spamhaus indicated that they were far from satisfied that the problem of spam coming from the U.S. had been addressed. Spamhaus head Steve Linford said, "Until America makes changes, everyone will still be plastered with spam."
In mid-2006, Burns told the Associated Press, which was doing an article on Congressional caucuses, that he had joined the Sweetener Caucus at the behest of sugar beet growers in his state. "I don't think I've ever attended," Burns said of caucus meetings. "I do what my growers tell me. I know we grow a lot of sugar beets in Montana."Larry Margasak and Sharon Theimer, , Associated Press, July 17, 2006.
2006
Because of his narrow win in 2000, the Democratic turnover over of Montana's state government in 2004, polls in 2006 putting his support in the state at around 40 percent, and high disapproval ratings from the Jack Abramoff scandal, Burns was considered one of the most vulnerable senators facing reelection in 2006.
On June 6, 2006, Burns easily won the Republican primary. In the November general election, his Democratic opponent was Montana State Senate President and organic farmer Jon Tester. In early August, CQPolitics changed its rating on the race from "Leans Republican" to "No Clear Favorite." According to some polls, Burns's approval rating had fallen as low as 39 percent, lower than any other U.S. Senator's.
Since at least August, the Montana Democratic Party had paid staffer Kevin O'Brien to follow Burns around the nation. O'Brien filmed the senator at all his public events, including Senate committee hearings and campaign appearances. These tapes' contents were used for a variety of press releases and even a YouTube music video. During the 2000 race against Schweitzer, cameraman Matt McKenna had been paid to trail Burns. McKenna worked as a spokesman for the Tester campaign.Charles Johnson, "Conrad Burns being followed by camcorder shadow", Missoulian State Bureau, August 29, 2006.
In an October election debate with Tester, regarding the Iraq War, Burns said that Tester "says our president doesn't have a plan. I think he's got one. He's not going to tell everyone in the world", and later told Tester, "We're not going to tell you what our plan is, Jon, because you're just going to go out and blow it."Charles S. Johnson, "Iraq plan ignites Burns-Tester debate", Billings Gazette, October 18, 2006.
On November 9, 2006, Burns conceded the election to Tester. On November 15, he angrily responded to questions about his remaining time as a lame-duck senator, saying, "I'm not going to negotiate my problems with the goddamn press... Goodbye! Goodbye! Goodbye!"
Congressional record
Overall In April 2006, Time magazine named Burns one of America's Five Worst Senators. It dubbed him "The Shock Jock" and called him "serially offensive" for his many controversial statements, such as a 1999 remark in which he called Arabs "ragheads." The magazine also criticized his "meager" legislative record and his legal problems involving Jack Abramoff. Burns's ratings from interest groups indicate a conservative Republican voting record. According to Project Vote Smart, Burns's rating by major think tanks and political action committees were as follows:Project Vote Smart - - Interest Group Ratings NARAL Pro-Choice America: 0% National Right to Life Committee: 100% American Conservative Union: 91% American Civil Liberties Union: 0% U.S. Chamber of Commerce: 94% National Education Association: 0% League of Conservation Voters: 5% Christian Coalition of America: 100% Cato Institute: 70% NRA Political Victory Fund: A American Public Health Association: 10% American Land Rights Association: 100% AFL–CIO: 29% National Taxpayers Union: 67%
Burns was also well known for his ability to obtain appropriations for his home state.
First term After the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1991, Burns invited a group of racially mixed lobbyists to a "slave auction." Following criticism, Burns responded that in such events "you have an auction and you sell the kids and they perform a day's work for whoever buys them" and said they were "rather common in Montana."Ruth Marcus, "A Senator's Stunning Reference to 'Slaves': Burns's Remark Followed Rights Bill Passage", The Washington Post, November 13, 1991.
Second term During a visit to the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Burns told one of the editors an anecdote about an elderly Montana rancher who asked him about life in Washington. The rancher asked "Conrad, how can you live back there with all those niggers?" and Burns replied that it was "a hell of a challenge." After his remarks were criticized, Burns issued an apology, saying, "Such views are inappropriate and belong in the past and that was the context in which the story was told...they are views which I do not condone and do not share." But when asked why he did not condemn the term when he heard it, Burns replied, "I don't know, I never give it much thought."Tom Kenworthy, "Sen. Burns Repeats Racial Slur, Causing Furor in Montana", The Washington Post, October 22, 1994.
Post-Senate career After leaving office, Burns joined the lobbying firm of GAGE, founded by his former chief of staff, Leo Giacometto. He also founded Rural Solutions Corporation, a communications company that expands broadband communications in rural areas, and maintained his auction business.http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/05/17/news/state/20-burns.txt In February 2008, Burns registered as a lobbyist for the American Quarter Horse Association.
On December 9, 2009, Burns was hospitalized after suffering from a stroke, likely as a result of atrial fibrillation, at his Arlington, Virginia home. He was taken to Virginia Hospital Center before being transferred to the intensive-care unit of a Washington, D.C. hospital. He stayed at National Rehabilitation Hospital and then returned home to Montana.
In 2012, Burns endorsed Congressman Denny Rehberg in his Senate bid against Jon Tester. Rehberg's bid failed, and Tester was reelected. Burns died in Billings, Montana on April 28, 2016, at the age of 81.
Ethics and notable incidents