State Sen. Mike Taylor, Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, will withdraw from the race this afternoon, saying a Montana Democratic Party television ad has destroyed his campaign.
Associated Press photo
Mike Taylor, Republican candidate for a Montana seat in the U.S. Senate, speaks at a news conference in Helena Thursday with his wife, Jahna. Taylor formally announced that he will drop out of the Senate race against incumbent Democrat Max Baucus.Taylor said at a press conference in Helena that the ad, which he said insinuated that he was a gay hairdresser, had pushed his poll numbers through the floor.
Although the ad was placed by the Democratic Party, Taylor blamed Sen. Max Baucus for it.
"We have zero left to fight with," Alan Mikkelsen, Taylor's campaign manager, said Thursday morning. "The ad has destroyed the campaign. We have no money left and we don't want to stoop to the same level."
Taylor, a state senator from Proctor, was the GOP candidate opposing Baucus, D-Mont., who is running for a fifth term in the Senate. A recent poll by the Lee Newspapers of Montana showed Baucus with a commanding lead of 54 percent to Taylor's 35. Green party candidate Robert Kelleher of Butte had 1 percent and Libertarian Stan Jones of Bozeman had none. Ten percent were undecided. The poll had a margin of error of plus/minus 4 percentage points.
Ken Miller, chairman of the state Republican Party, said former Montana Gov. Marc Racicot, currently the Republican National Committee chairman, had been approached about running in Taylor’s place, but declined.
A senior Republican close to Racicot, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the RNC chairman will not seek the Senate seat.
The official said Republicans in Washington hope to replace Taylor on the ballot. Republicans objected less than two weeks ago when Democratic Sen. Torricelli ended his re-election bid amid falling poll numbers and Democratic Party leaders went to court to put a new candidate on the ballot.
Dan Allen, press secretary for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said, "I’m not aware of anyone reaching out to any candidate to get them into the race."
He doubted anyone would be interested, given the timing and the tone of the race. "The negative atmosphere created by the Democrats doesn’t make it appealing for someone else to get into the campaign."
Montana law requires Taylor’s name remain on the ballot and does not allow Republicans to name a replacement. Write-in candidates have until Oct. 21 to file.
Earlier this week, Taylor took strong umbrage with the ad funded by the Montana Democratic Party, which he described as "character assassination." The ad began running last Friday on Montana television stations.
"What bothers me," Taylor said, "is they are using a picture to assassinate my character. Why use that picture? Are they saying someone from my field in not qualified to be senator?"
What incensed Taylor was the film clip accompanying the ad. Taylor had a twice weekly
segment in the early 1980s on a Denver television station. The clip shows Taylor applying lotions to the face of a man siting in the barber chair and discussing techniques. The ad shows Taylor, then slender, sporting a full beard. He is wearing a tight-fitting, three piece suit, with a big-collared open shirt ala John Travolta in "Saturday Night Fever." Taylor's top two or three shirt buttons are unbuttoned, exposing some bare chest and a number of gold chains.
"I cannot believe they would stoop to that level," Taylor said.
State Sen. Ken Toole, D-Helena, and program director for the Montana Human Rights Network, said Thursday morning the ad "is an overt and obvious appeal to the homophobic (voter) that is playing to that stereotypic imagery."
Toole, who has fought for homosexual rights for years in the Montana Legislature, said he had complained to the state Democratic Party.
Toole said the Democratic response was that the image was not intended to imply that Taylor was gay.
"It is hard to believe their advertising firm did not see it," Toole said. "Bottom line is it is obvious and it ought to be pulled.
"Once you play these cards, inject this crap into a campaign - race, gay - nobody controls it," Toole said.
Dan DuBray, a former Montana television journalist who did campaign ads for former U.S. Rep. Ron Marlenee, R-Mont., said Thursday the ad was as subtle as "a 2x4 across the forehead. The video was clearly designed to send a subliminal message about Mike Taylor's sexuality."
"It is bizarre," DuBray said. "I can't believe the senator would embrace this type of ad. The process is out of control. This is far below the floor of any TV ads in the past."
The Democratic Party's $100,000 television ad campaign accused Taylor of abusing student loan programs. Taylor signed settlements with the U.S. Department of Education and the Colorado Student Loan Program and paid $27,250 to cover audit allegations. Both sides agreed that the settlement was not an admission of wrongdoing by either party. The audit and settlement involved a hair design school in Colorado.
Taylor owned and operated a chain of hair care salons and beauty products sales that he has since sold.
Text of Taylor’s comments
Perhaps foolishly, I believed that a God fearing common person that worked hard and honest could be anything he wanted to be in America. I ran for the U.S. Senate because I wanted to help Montana families, America and our president. I believed in the American dream.
Now I knew that this was a tough hill to climb - especially since my opponent raised more money from out of state special interests than any other U.S. senator in history. But we kept hoping that with the White House, and the RNC under Marc Racicot, we could take that steep hill.
I understood and accepted the fact that politics in Montana is a contact sport. I actually welcomed the rough and tumble . . . the clashing of ideas and visions for the future.
I’d seen the ads where Nancy Keenan and Denny Rehberg exchanged shots about each other’s voting record. I’d seen the ads where Conrad Burns and Brian Schweitzer traded jabs over prescription drug ideas. And sure, they were all hard hitting.
But not lies. And never personal slanders of the vilest kind.
I simply never thought that my opponent would run televisions ads that lied, assassinated my character and mislead the people of Montana.
And not in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that a sitting U.S. senator of 28 years would sanction the use of 20-year-old pictures of me for the most despicable of insinuations about my character.
My opponent has blanketed the airwaves with loathsome distortions of the truth and called it a campaign. I talked - always - about votes, about plans for the future and about ideas. I thought it would be enough. I was wrong.
With his millions of out-of-state special interest money, he has turned me into a lightning rod, drawing criticism not just to me, but to my party and even my beloved state. The lies about me made national news on Tuesday - he has smeared my good name so badly that regrettably I draw unfavorable reviews of Montana.
All of this over a picture of me that’s untrue - the furthest thing from the truth.
Perhaps I may be able to repair the damage my opponent has inflicted upon my good name and that of my family, but at what price? I would have to blanket the airwaves with slime more thoroughly than he. I will not.
I will not.
If that’s what it takes to win, it is a victory not worth the winning. I think I would make a good senator. But I know I’d make a bad liar. I will not be like him.
And so today I stand before you today prepared to set aside my dream of serving Montanans in the United States Senate, for someone of impeccable character and integrity . . . someone yet un-poisoned by my opponent’s venom . . . someone with the stature to enter this race as a write-in candidate who could win and put an end to my opponent’s vicious, self-serving ways once and for all.
I am willing to step down in favor of a man or woman who will have a better chance than I to return decency to our seat in the United States Senate.
I am willing to do this, not because my ideas have been tried and found wanting, but because they’ve been shouted down with slander and left untried.
I’ve thought about little else, day and night. And I’ve talked to my wife at great length, because I know how she loves me and how forceful she gets when our family’s reputation is unjustly impugned.
I am willing to suspend my campaign because my opponent’s lies about me are hurting my wife, my family, my friends, my party and most of all Montanans from all walks of life. Were it just me, and there was no one else in a better position to win, I would stay and absorb the blows. I would stand and let him hit me believing that sooner or later the truth would prevail. But there is so much more at stake. Montanans young and old are suffering and so too is our national image.
I cannot let this go on, without giving Montanans an option . . . a reason to hope that there is a candidate out there who - with their massive outpouring of support - could overcome this sea of sleaze from my opponent. The notion that Montana deserves a U.S. senator who will always put Montana first rather than just in election years deserves a fair hearing, not a mud bath.
I know that my departure would only temporarily dash the hopes of many generous, giving donors . . . hardworking, dedicated volunteers . . people who lent me their good names and reputations.
To them I say: Please understand that we must offer this option for the sake of all Montanans. Your efforts are exemplary - beyond compare. No candidate has ever had better allies. Your friendship and support will be the shining memory that I take from this race, which my opponent’s lies can never sully.
To Rick Allen in Kalispell, Mary Jolley and Brent Stanghelle in Great Falls, John Rush in Helena, Jim and Jan Helgason in Billings, to all the women in Gallatin County, and a hundred others I could name if you’d give me enough airtime, I say more than just thank you. I say that the state of Montana owes you a debt for your diligent efforts to keep this race on a high note.
To all of you who helped, I will always be in your debt. Now let’s look to the horizon and prepare to embrace the candidate who’s out there who we pray will rise to the occasion and make history of which all Montanans will be proud for generations to come.
Copyright © The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises.
Mike Taylor ... Countdown to Decency
On October 22, 2002 Mike Taylor announced that he would reenter the race for the US Senate. In a moving and powerful speech he declared that he would join the Montana Republican Party to champion the cause of clean campaign activities in an effort to help stem the tide of sleazy, shameful campaign tactics that are eroding the great American political process. The full text of his speech follows.
On October 10th I suspended my campaign, facing continued damage to my family, the destruction of my reputation, and possible negative repercussions for my party and my entire state.
As I left, my heart was on the verge of breaking, to see the great work of democracy reduced to the slime, lies, and misrepresentations.
I went home and I prayed -- for my family, my friends, and for all people of Montana who were hurt by the slanders and suggestions about me.
The message, then, became clear.
My campaign for Senate might be destroyed. My reputation might even be destroyed. But if I must go down, it should be for a good cause.
My cause is this: that even if the rest of the nation descends to gutter politics, Montana shall be safe from it.
I felt someone had to take a stand against the process of slander and gutter politics, or not only would good people not run for public office, good people would not even vote.
Had I made the right decision?
I prayed. I took hundreds of calls, emails, cards and letters from people who urged me to get back in the fight. And a scripture taken from Psalms 140:11 got stuck in my head and would not get out: "let no slander be established in the land."
What would my forefathers do - those salt of the earth people that settled in the west? Would they just walk away? No, no they would not.
After conferring with my wife, my children, my family, the decision was made that I must come back - not just because I want to be a Senator, but because I want to make a statement about decency.
Today, I will take my place as part of a broad effort to bring decency back to politics. I want to serve in the U.S. Senate. But I won't go to the gutter to get there.
I'm joining a bus full of other people who care enough about our state to speak for dignity. We're calling the next thirteen days the Countdown to Decency. For the next thirteen days we will let the voice of decent, ordinary Montana citizens be heard.
I am here for one reason and one reason alone: to send a message against mudslinging. I want to save democracy from the smear campaigns.
I realize that our effort is David vs. Goliath - the people vs. the muckrakers. They may have 10 times more money than we do, but Montanans have 10 times more integrity than them.
We all, as Montanans, can play a part. We can take back our political system in the name of decency, dignity, and respect.
We can take part in this crusade. I urge people to do so. When the bus comes to your town, come meet it. Join the Countdown to Decency.
When you get a chance, spread the word: we're cleaning up politics, and driving out the mudslingers.
And if you see mudslinging - if you watch a commercial that's a smear tactic - then vote the people responsible out of office.
By smear tactic, the ads placed against me are what I mean. Max Baucus is the standard bearer of the Democrat party, and those are the standard he carries. Shame on Max!
If gutter politics were allowed to carry the day, this country's political process, which I love, would become a ghost of our once proud heritage.
I realized something, as I reflected last week: those people who ran that ad, they don't care about the cost.
They don't care that fewer people vote. They don't care that good people won't run. They don't care that people get hurt. They don't care about the truth.
They only care whether or not they win, even if everyone else in Montana has to lose.
That made me sick, that made me sad, and it made me mad. Montana is worth more than that.
It's time for us to take charge - we, the voters and the citizens.
Decency. Dignity. Respect. These are the quiet virtues - ideals that fade into the background in our world of neon signs and blaring ads and slick Washington cocktail parties.
They do not seek notice, they do not shout their value from the rooftops - they are the humble virtues.
But civil society cannot work without them.
Montana deserves dignity in our leaders. Mike Mansfield was a decent man. He earned us respect in the nation and the world.
Look. Look at the campaign flyer that Max used. Look at the ads Max used. Decency? Dignity? Respect? This flyer destroys them - casts them aside like garbage.
If Mike Mansfield knew what was just done to the Montana political process, he would shed a tear for the good name of our state.
Montana deserves better. I'm here to send a message, and I hope the voters will help me carry that message on November 5.
Mudslinging is wrong. Gutter politics is wrong. They are destructive to decency, dignity, and respect. Winning at any cost might be winning, but that is not winning to the rest of us in Montana.
They corrode the heart of our civil society.
This election cycle, you can vote against them. You can do it by voting against Max Baucus. Send a message, make a statement, and vote . Keep Montana clean. God Bless.
Paid for by Taylor for US Senate ~ P.O. Box 28, Helena, MT 59624 ~ info@taylorussenate.com