Grades

Montana gets a “D” for providing access to campaign finance information. You can read the story HERE.

On the other hand, Schweitzer gets an “A” from his party and supporters for rigging the 2006 election.

Of course, Schweitzer received an “A+” from Jon Tester.

Schweitzer gets an “F” from many newspapers around the state for bloviating about it.

You can read those stories HERE.

Malmstrom and the CTL Plant

It appears there’s more wrangling going on in regards to the Air Force’s idea to have private companies build Coal to Liquid (CTL) plants on Air Force bases. A friend sent me this link from Politico.

Malmstrom AFB is being looked at for a CTL plant, but as I see it the project faces at least two major hurdles:

First, base supporters don’t want the plant to hamper any type of future air operations the base may obtain. I agree with this. The last planes left Malmstrom around 1995. Despite what many in the Air Force say, the runway could be up and running for a few dollars (these are few Federal Government dollars, which means a few million in my terms). The runway is in decent shape and could be reopened by the military. Or, the runway could be used by a private defense or other civilian company if/when the base closes or maybe while the base is open.

Second, another hill to climb according to the Politico article is:

"The Montana Environmental Information Center, based in downtown Helena, is still aiming to derail the project, if it survives in Congress, because of concerns about coal’s notoriously dirty footprint.

“I don’t care who is making the proposal,” said Anne Hedges, the center’s top lobbyist and program director. “The Air Force is not above the law, and there’s no exemption for the Air Force in the Clean Air Act.”

Hedges isn’t making an empty threat. In the past several years, her group has stopped at least four coal plants. Most recently, it blocked the Roundup Power Project, a $910 million, coal-fired power plant proposed by the New York-based Bull Mountain Development Co. by lobbying the state government to revoke the company’s air pollution permit."

I believe time is quickly running out for Malmstrom AFB. With the new Democratic majority in Congress, Malmstrom recently lost one-quarter of their missile mission which means hundreds of base personnel and their families were reassigned. Then on the same slippery slope, 100 new houses that were going to be built were cancelled. These actions must bring a big smile to the anti-military folks around the area. If another BRAC round happens in the near future, I would be very skeptical that Malmstrom could survive.

It does not appear the future for the base is in a Coal to Liquid plant, but only time (and maybe a few lawsuits) will tell.

Update: More Tampering

Correction: The story "Schweitzer staffer changes 'Wiki' entry" is linked on the Great Falls Tribune website HERE. It is on the right side of the page.

In a follow-up to my recent commentary called "More Tampering" it appears the "Wikipedia" editor for the Governor is none other than his spokeswoman, Sarah Elliott (see story below).

She claims it is part of her job. Maybe editing things like this is part of the job, but deleting whole sections is probably taking it just a little too far. The information deleted was accurate and it was sourced. Currently, the information about the Governor's speech to the trial lawyers convention in July is not listed on his Wikipedia entry.

The U of M College Republicans discovered someone had been deleting the information on Wikipedia about Governor Schweitzer's tampering with the 2006 U.S. Senate election here in Montana. It appears it was being edited/deleted from a state-owned computer.

The Great Falls Tribune has the story in their hard copy edition, which is posted below. The story appeared in the Thursday, September 18, 2008, edition on Page 3, Section M:

Senate Resolution 636

The U.S. Senate has passed many resolutions in the 110th Congress, which is soon coming to a close.

Remember the one about dirt? The Senate recognized soil as an "essential" natural resource. Now dirt is right up there with water and air. Or the Resolution that honored the Ohio State football team for its 800th win, or the one about National Funeral Director and Mortician Recognition Day.

But the one they haven’t passed is Senate Resolution 636, which was introduced on July 31. S.R. 636 is “A resolution recognizing the strategic success of the troop surge in Iraq and expressing gratitude to the members of the United States Armed Forces who made that success possible.”

As of today, there are 33 co-sponsors for Senate Resolution 636. Barack Obama is not a co-sponsor. Max Baucus and Jon Tester are not listed as co-sponsors, either. Sad.

Meanwhile in the House, House Resolution 511, which is a similar resolution has been languishing since early 2007. HR 511 has 183 co-sponsors, including Montana’s Denny Rehberg. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D) is not a co-sponsor. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D) and House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D) aren’t either.

Hey Senate and House members: It’s OK to admit the surge worked because it did. It’s also OK to honor the troops, too, because they are doing a tremendous job.

Vets for Freedom has a new video out about Senate Resolution 636:



Besides calling Barack Obama, Montanans should call Max Baucus and Jon Tester and ask them to show their support of the troops.

More Tampering?

Besides Governor Brian Schweitzer embarrassing our state with his speech to the trail lawyers in Philadelphia where he detailed how he tampered with the election of 2006, it appears his staff has been doing a little tampering with the Governor’s Wikipedia site. Check out the story HERE from the U of M College Republicans.

Of course, they wanted to take down the section that informed readers about the Governor turning some dials to rig the election victory for Jon Tester.

They also apparently used a computer registered to the State of Montana when editing the site. Taxpayer-funded staff helping the Governor to look good - sounds like the PSA issue all over again.

Will the Governor and his employees ever learn that using taxpayer-funded computers for non-duty related work or campaign work and doing it during the time you are earning a paycheck from the state is illegal, not to mention unethical? Maybe they need to remove Internet access like they did the games that come installed on the computers?

In 2006, the Montana media went wild about the same issue when it was a Republican. We’ll see if they cover this. It won’t be going away anytime soon.

Also, for more news about the Governor’s election rigging scandal, click HERE.

Money

Tailored suits, chauffeured cars. Fine hotels and big cigars. Up for grabs, all for a price! -Money Talks –AC/DC

We’ve all by now probably heard of the problems that House Ways and Means Committee Chairman, Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), is having. There is now an ethics investigation going on regarding his problems with, of all things, taxes.

So much for the promise by the Democrats to clean up things in Washington.

Back in early 2007, I commented about Rangel and Montana’s own Max Baucus, from the Senate Committee on Finance, starting their own Political Action Committee (PAC) to raise money.

Interestingly, they abruptly ended their PAC in late July 2007 after raising around $150,000.

Maybe Rangel and Baucus already knew there were going to be rough waters ahead for Rangel. Each have 30+ years back there. They can read the tea leaves well.

On another, more current, issue involving Rangel and Baucus which deals with the failure of some investment firms, CQ Politics reports today that:

Congress is likely to feel the loss as well of securities firms Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch, as well as the downward spiral American Insurance Group (AIG), particularly in their campaign coffers.

The three financial institutions and their employees have given about $4.7 million this election cycle to members of Congress, presidential candidates and parties; particularly to those who oversee economic and monetary policy.

And guess who received some of that money?

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus , D-Mont., and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel , D-N.Y., also cashed in from the three PACs. Baucus accepted $15,750 and Rangel, $14,000.

Maybe they should give it back?

The Debate

Wow! Holy Cow! While Brian Schweitzer, Roy Brown, and Stan Jones were debating in Missoula, the Eagles and the Cowboys put 48 points on the scoreboard.

At halftime there are 54 points on the scoreboard.

Now that was exciting. As for the debate – not so much.

I was waiting for Brown or Jones to ask Schweitzer after he reeled off a list of accomplishments that were started long before he became Governor, “Brian, are you joking with us like you were with the trial lawyers?”

I guess statements like that are a little too spicy or pointed for Brown or Jones to ask. Attack, attack, attack! Don’t play defense – offense is the key to win!

That is all I have to say about that. Back to the game.

Must Reads

Today, there’s a story and a couple of editorials about Governor Brian Schweitzer’s speech to a group of trial lawyers where he basically told them how he tampered with the 2006 election that lead his friend, Jon Tester, to a narrow victory.

The first, “Horse sense: Schweitzer speech bizarrely hands issue to Brown, GOP”

"And the advantage is, you know, when you've got a governor on your side, whoa!” Schweitzer says in the speech. "You can turn some dials, and we did."

We may never know just how far Schweitzer turned those “dials” because fellow party member and current Montana Attorney General, Mike McGrath, has refused to investigate. Talk about circling the wagons…the Montana media needs to call McGrath out for his desire to kill the request for an investigation.

Then we had an editorial from the Missoulian called, “Governor's remarks an insult to state”

Did Schweitzer in fact use his influence in an attempt to sway an election? Or did he just say so to make himself out as a deep pool in a shallow ocean?

Either way, his “joke” insults residents of the state's seven Indian reservations by suggesting they had to be guarded from Republican poll-watchers. It insults elections officials of Butte-Silver Bow by suggesting they manipulated the release of county votes. And he insults everyone in Montana when he portrays us as backwater naifs easily exploited by a savvy political mind.

No kidding.

Finally, for now, we have the Daily Inter Lake of Kalispell chiming in with their editorial, “Gov let his ego do the talking”

But others are taking his remarks very seriously. Schweitzer told the trial lawyers a story about tribal police officers chasing Republican poll watchers from reservations with trumped up threats of arrest.

First we have Schweitzer contacting the Tribal police to remove Republican poll watchers. Then Schweitzer contacts the election official in Butte during the counting of votes – who knows what happened after that contact. Then he contacts the Associated Press to call the election. Wow!

One thing that is interesting is that a couple of these contacts have been verified, but nobody actually decided to report it – until the speech was found on the internet. One must wonder what else Schweitzer did to win the election for Tester.

Nonetheless, these are all fine pieces of writing about the Governor turning “some dials” for his pal. It’s dirty and cheap politics to say the least.

Just Football

Lucky and Good

The Denver Broncos must be feeling pretty lucky today as they had two calls by officials bungled in their favor. They beat the San Diego Chargers yesterday in Denver 39-38.

If you like offense, this game was for you.

In the fourth quarter, the Broncos’ QB, Jay Cutler, fumbled the ball but referee Ed Hochuli blew a quick whistle for an incomplete pass and the Broncos retained possession. The Broncos then scored a touchdown and then went for a two-point conversion and made it. It was a gutsy call by Mike Shanahan, Broncos coach, to go for a two-point conversion, but luck was on the Broncos’ side this day.

Earlier, the replay booth’s equipment was down, and the TV replays showed a called fumble by San Diego should have been overturned. Denver scored a few plays later. Maybe they could have grabbed a TV monitor in the stadium and took a peek?

Maybe the Broncos are playing so good because Barack Obama blessed the field a few weeks ago?

No matter, it was a good game. The Broncos are 2-0 and San Diego is 0-2.

One other interesting game that I watched as Indianapolis comes from 15 down to beat the Vikings 18-15 with a last second field goal.

Worst Teams

The State of Missouri just may be the home of the two worst teams in the NFL – the Kansas City Chiefs and the St. Louis Rams. Some folks are starting to believe the best football team at any level in the state is the University of Missouri Tigers who are ranked #5 in the nation after they murdered Nevada 69-17.

The Chiefs lost to the hated Oakland Raiders 23-8 in Kansas City. The Rams lost to the Giants 41-13. The columnists at the Kansas City Star are having a field day with the way the Chiefs are playing in their first two games. The big question is will the Chiefs win a game this season? Call it rebuilding or whatever you want, but the Chiefs did not compete on Sunday.

Best Teams

Ohio State (ranked #5 last week) strolled into the State of California and found out what it will take to be in the BCS picture. They don’t have it, right now. Ohio State lost to #1 USC 35-3. USC looks very powerful. Here are this week’s AP top ten:

1. USC 2-0

2. Oklahoma 3-0

3. Georgia 3-0

4. Florida 2-0

5. Missouri 3-0

6. LSU 2-0

7. Texas 2-0

8. Wisconsin 3-0

9. Alabama 3-0

10. Auburn 3-0

It was a very good weekend for football but, then again, I think most weekends are great when football is being played.