Lauding small business tax breaks over government stimulus and singing the praises of the T.E.A. Party, Congressman Denny Rehberg swung into Plains in support of the Sanders County Republican Central Committee for their annual Lincoln-Reagan Dinner.

Lauding small business tax breaks over government stimulus and singing the praises of the T.E.A. Party, Congressman Denny Rehberg swung into Plains in support of the Sanders County Republican Central Committee for their annual Lincoln-Reagan Dinner.

Nearing the end of his swing through each of the counties in Montana and their respective Lincoln-Reagan Day Dinners, Congressman Rehberg came to Plains on Friday evening after a question and answer session in Thompson Falls. It was the Congressman's 24th dinner in his annual effort to visit every county.

Speaking to the crowd the Congressman quickly worked his way into one of his favorite policies, cutting government spending, by touting a modern-era hero of the Republican President Ronald Reagan, the namesake of the dinner, which was originally the idea of the Congressman.

"Ronald Reagan was the last president who really gave us hope and kind of showed us the beacon on the hill and that better times were ahead," said Congressman Rehberg.

Going hand in hand with Reagan's legacy in an interview with the Valley Press Rehberg stated that the best way to create jobs, which is something Sanders County needs, is by tax breaks for small businesses, which he called a fundamental difference between him and Nancy Pelosi's policy of using government to create jobs. His ideas range from eliminating the payroll tax or lowering the capital gains tax.

"Those would be real things where there would be money generated, where money would be in the pockets of small businesses and they could decide whether they would want to increase the amount of inventory or if they would want to hire more people or raise salaries," says Rehberg.

Besides talking about government spending and jobs, Rehberg also sang the praises of the T.E.A. Party, or Taxed Enough Already Party. The T.E.A. Party surfaced last year as they are unhappy with high government spending, and although they are a conservative party leaders do not want to be absolved by the Republicans and many are unsure how the two parties will fit together in the future.

Congressman Rehberg, however, says he loves the party and views them as a great movement that will affect change by means of grassroot campaigning.

"It's a recognition that the country cannot continue down the path that it is headed," said Rehberg after his speech. "I just view it as a good wholesome grassroots and I want to work with an individual that would want to work with me."

Mark French, a local candidate from Paradise, is challenging Rehberg's seat in the June Primary and readily identifies with the T.E.A. Party, while at the same time saying he agrees with the Republican Platform. However, he says many current Republican candidates are not following their own platform and looks for a return to their origins. More than anything he looks to uphold the constitution that is based on biblical principles.

At the dinner many local Republican candidates stood up after the Congressman's speech and gave introductions to themselves and their individual platforms for the different local seats.