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Seth Bodnar on CNN: Not What's Good for Republicans or Democrats, but What's Good for the Country
In interview with CNN’s Kasie Hunt, Bodnar draws sharp contrast between his Independent candidacy and his opponents.
MISSOULA, MT — In case you missed it, former Green Beret and Independent U.S. Senate candidate Seth Bodnar joined CNN's Kasie Hunt this week to make the case that Montana's cost-of-living crisis calls for independent leadership focused on delivering results, his path to victory in November, and the clear contrast he's drawing with both the Republican and Democratic nominees in this race.
Listen to the audio here. Below are key excerpts:
“The question we're continuously asking in Washington, D.C. is: is this good for Republicans, or is this good for Democrats? Not nearly enough: is this good for the country? That's why we need independent leadership. We have a cost crisis in America right now. Montana families of all ages are struggling to make ends meet. Diesel is at $6.30 a gallon. Congress needs to take every action it possibly can right now to bring relief for hardworking families across this country. Forget the political pluses and minuses for a second. Think about the American people first. That's what we need from Congress right now.”
“The largest voting bloc in Montana is independents. Montanans are fed up with the status quo. They're fed up with both national parties. They're fed up with a government that isn't accountable. The Republican in this race was installed through a last-minute switcheroo that disenfranchised Montana voters. What we're trying to do is build a coalition, a coalition of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents who believe there's a better way.”
“This is about giving voice to the common-sense majority in Montana, and across this country, that's demanding leadership that's accountable, leadership that doesn't just blindly answer to their party, but answers only to the people of this state. That's the coalition we're building. We're going to win this race, even with a Democrat in it, even with a Libertarian in it, because Montanans are fed up with the status quo. They want change. We're offering an off-ramp from the toxic partisanship that's ripping this country apart.”
“It's important Montanans know what their elected leaders, or candidates, actually stand for. The fact is, the person on the Democratic ticket has long-standing ties to pretty far-right organizations, and is still being paid by a publishing company that profits from books calling for abortion to be banned. These things don't add up. “
“We're going to make that contrast clear. We're also going to make the contrast clear with a Republican who will be nothing more than a rubber stamp, who just last week said that the job of a U.S. senator, when it comes to the Iran War, is to blindly support the president. That's not what Montanans want. We're going to make this contrast clear between our candidacy and the Republican and the Democrat, and show a true Montana-first path to the United States Senate.”
“An independent voice in the United States Senate who says, "I'll work with either party when it makes sense for Montana and for the United States of America, but I'll also stand up to either party when it doesn't," that kind of independent voice can break the gridlock and bring common-sense solutions to the many crises this country is facing. You just mentioned Congress's failure to pass measures addressing the cost of living before people head to the polls for the midterms. That's what we need to fix. That's what an independent can do.”
Seth Bodnar is a Green Beret, business leader, and former president of the University of Montana running for the U.S. Senate to be an independent voice for Montana. Seth is guided by a lifelong commitment to duty, honor, and country. He graduated first in his class at West Point and served multiple overseas deployments, leading soldiers in the 101st Airborne Division and the 1st Special Forces Group, and serving as a special advisor to the commanding general in Iraq. After his military service and a successful career in business, Seth spent the last eight years leading the University of Montana. Under his leadership, the university achieved record high graduation rates, doubled research funding, launched the largest infrastructure renewal in campus history, restored financial stability, and was named the #1 military-friendly university in the country. Raised by two public school teachers, he believes leadership is about service, not party loyalty. Seth and his wife, a fifth-generation Montanan, are raising their three children in Montana.
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