Candidate stresses energy in Kalispell

Congress is derailed and corrupt and the country is ready for a change, says Monica Lindeen, the Democratic candidate for Montana's lone congressional seat.

"I'm hearing that all over the state," Lindeen said in a Monday visit with the Inter Lake editorial board. "That this Congress has forgotten who they are representing, and that these issues, really important issues, are not being addressed."

Lindeen, currently a state legislator from Huntley, said voters have a clear choice between her and incumbent Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont.

"I guess it all comes down to whether we believe the country is heading in the right direction or not."

Topping the big issues for Lindeen is the matter of energy independence.

"I've made that kind of my signature issue," she said.

Doing much of her campaign traveling in a biodiesel-fueled bus, Lindeen mostly stresses the importance of cultivating production and markets for bio-fuels. And she emphasizes the importance of building the nation's capabilities for other alternative energies, such as wind power.

Republicans often charge that it is Democrats who are frequently the opposition to developing new sources of traditional energy, but Lindeen says that's not the case for her. She supports Gov. Brian Schweitzer's efforts to develop coal energy in eastern Montana.

"There is no single silver bullet," she said.

But Lindeen is critical of last year's Energy Bill, saying it provided too much in federal subsidies for oil and gas companies while falling far short of providing adequate subsidies to alternative energy producers.

Those subsidies are a symptom of the nature of money and politics in Washington, D.C., according to Lindeen.

"Congress is corrupt, and I'm not just talking about Jack Abramoff," she said. "I'm talking about how money rules … This whole pay-to-play mentality, it's not helping you or I."

She sees the development of energy sources, technology and energy conservation products as being a potential economic sector of the future for the United States. And they all would be byproducts of policies aimed at curbing the country's dependence on the Middle East.

As long as the United States is dependent on oil from that region, "we will continue to be embroiled in the politics of the Middle East."

Lindeen said that the United States will need to be involved in the Middle East, "but we don't want to be dependent on their oil."

Although Rehberg has supported the administration's efforts and positions on the war, Lindeen is highly critical of what she called the Bush administration's "failed policies" in Iraq.

She said the country was misled about the reasons for invading Iraq, and that U.S. involvement there is making things worse in the ongoing campaign against terrorists.

But Lindeen ducks when asked what course of action should be taken in Iraq.

"This election between Dennis Rehberg and I is not about a plan to get out of Iraq," she said.

She said she believes Congress has abdicated its oversight authority in last week's vote on the Military Commissions Act, wrongly giving the president discretion in determining what is appropriate "forceful questioning" of detainees.

The sponsors of that legislation, however, say it provides definition to broadly worded provisions of the Geneva Conventions.

Lindeen said she has strong concerns about illegal immigration, and believes the United States should do far more to enforce current laws, particularly against employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. She said more could be done, for instance, to crack down on the use of stolen or falsified Social Security numbers that are provided to employers.

Lindeen contends that the United States should examine the trade treaties it has with Latin American countries to determine if more can be done to improve their economies and reduce the incentives for people illegally entering the United States.

She said she's not necessarily opposed to the expanded border fence that was recently endorsed by Congress, but does not believe it will solve the problem.

"It may slow people down coming across, but it's not going to solve the problem and it's going to cost a lot of money," she said.

Lindeen expressed frustration with Congress and the general political climate in Washington, D.C.

"It truly has gotten to a point in Congress where nothing is getting done because people are spending all their time trying to figure out how to make the other side look bad," she said. "And we're all tired of it."

Although Rehberg has comfortably led Lindeen in polling during the past year, and the race has been overshadowed by Montana's hotly contested U.S. Senate race, Lindeen predicted her campaign and the race in general will have a growing profile over the next few weeks.

Lindeen said her name recognition has improved substantially in polling, and she has three debates scheduled with Rehberg through October.

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com