Tester in Seattle: In the Senate, a Kinship Between Montana and Washington State

Seattlepi.com – what was the Seattle Post Intelligencer – has a piece on Montana Sen. Jon Tester's fundraising swing through Seattle this week. It focuses mainly on Tester's recently passed legislation that will provide ranchers compensation for livestock killed by wolves and how a pack has recently been spotted in the North Cascades. But Seattlepi.com writer Joel Connelly also has a tidbit on the Democratic senator's connection to Washington state, and his Senate colleagues there:

He was "discovered" in 2006 by Emerald City political activists. Seattle political consultants played a big role in plotting his strategy. A fundraiser, featuring Tester and Sen. Max Baucus, D-Montana, was held in offices of the Seattle firm Strategies 360 overlooking Lake Union.

By defeating incumbent GOP Sen. Conrad Burns, in the last race decided on election night, Tester gave Democrats 51-49 control of the Senate.

The victory had a ripple effect. Baucus became chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee. He promptly put Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., on the panel. Tester has secured a seat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, where Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., is a powerful subcommittee chair.

"We feel in some ways there is a third (Senate) seat from Washington," Strategies 360 boss Ron Dotzauer said introducing Tester at Monday's fundraiser.

Read the entire story here.