Seventh-string candidate Jim Hunt is earning his billing as an underdog. Lately, he’s been going after Republican Chairman and Rehberg Chief of Staff Erik Iverson.
But Hunt on Tuesday went on the offensive and Iverson was in his sights. Iverson, Rehberg’s chief of staff, came under fire when he was elected chairman of the Montana Republican Party. Hunt said Tuesday he saw no reason for Iverson to be based in Montana when there was a pile of work to be done in Washington, D.C.
I’ve already covered Iverson v. Hunt, Round 1 where Iverson set the record straight on Children’s Health Insurance. Hunt is outmatched against Iverson, let alone Rehberg. But the attack above is baffling.
Is Hunt actually going after Rehberg and Iverson for being based in Montana as opposed to Washington, DC? We know that Rehberg doesn’t even rent an apartment in DC (he sleeps on the couch in his Congressional Office). The fact that his Chief of Staff is based in Montana is a good thing. How better to represent the people of Montana than to live among them? Somehow for Hunt, proximity to the constituents that Rehberg represents is a bad?
Maybe Hunt is learning the wrong lessons from Senator Max Baucus who sold his house in Montana to move out to Washington, DC and doesn’t even own in Montana (unless you count the bedroom he owns in his mom’s house).
Jim Hunt has been in the race for 2 months and he’s already Gone Washington.
Posted in Erik Iverson, Jim Hunt, Max Baucus | | Write a Letter to the Editor
A guy who sleeps on the couch in his office obviously would rather be there than at home. Rehberg is a little odd.
If his office wasn’t 2,000 miles away from his home, you’d have a point Mark. But that would be a bitch of a commute on a daily basis.
I think it’s awesome that Rehberg has never made DC “home,” although I wouldn’t begrudge the guy for renting an apartment with a bed.
What exactly do you think a chief of staff does? Is Iverson running around Montana, getting the pulse of the people of Montana every day? Running polls and conducting town halls?
Do a little research about what a chief of staff is supposed to do. Is Iverson managing the Congressman’s office? Overseeing his legislative director?
Of course not. He’s managing Rehberg’s campaign, and best of all, while being paid by taxpayers.
One would think conservatives would find that troubling.
Pogie you still are not stating how Montana would be better served if Iverson lived and worked in Washington, D.C.
Yours, like Hunt’s, rants against a Montanan living in Montana come off as petty. One would think there are bigger issues out there to debate.
According to Rehberg’s website, he has five offices, only one of which is in Washington, DC. With five times as much staff in Montana, isn’t the best place for the guy in charge of overseeing the staff - i.e. the chief of staff - in Montana?
Additionally, if we are to trust Wikipedia, Rehberg doesn’t even have a Legislative Director, but he does have a Deputy Chief of Staff - located, I assume, in Washington, DC.
So what’s the problem again?
Regardless of the debate about Iverson getting his GOP salary paid by taxpayers, how is it that the chief of staff for the #269th ranked Congressman justifies having the highest staff salary in the House?
If that’s true, which I haven’t seen evidence of, that’s easy. Montana is the most populous of all of the 435 districts - by a lot. So he’s got the more responsibility of any staff in the House.
Also rich=evil won’t fly as an enthymeme at Big Sky Cairn. You’ll have to do better than that.
As an aside Lamnidae, try not to just make up numbers next time. I hate to be a stickler for such details, but the number $175,000 you post on your blog has zero sourcing, and is well above the mandated cap for Congressional salaries.
Not to let details get in the way, but just a friendly reminder.
[…] one, Brad points out that she needs to source her claims - like that Erik Iverson (diabolical puppet-master) is the highest paid staffer in the House of […]
[…] Jim Hunt attacked Rep. Rehberg for his decision to let Chief of Staff Erik Iverson live in Missoula instead of in Washington D.C. But keeping a Chief of Staff in Montana is hardly a new idea. Between 2000 and 2005, Senator Baucus […]
