Big Sky Cairn

On Wednesday, when I left Butte for a business trip, almost no one was talking about the Governor’s comments.  Today, I was waiting in line at my favorite pasty place and it was all people could talk about.  People seemed particularly upset about the tenor of the Governor’s pitiful attempt at an apology.

Mary McMahon has responded to allegations that Schweitzer influenced the Butte-Silver Bow vote count with a fervent no.  She has also asked for an apology from Schweitzer for disparaging her office and making an inappropriate comment about pregnant nuns.  However, what she received was an apology in the form of an explanation in the form of a backhanded slap.

Schweitzer apologized but said, “I’m pretty sure I’m not the first person to joke about election day in Butte.”–Montana Standard

Really?  Isn’t that nice.  He went on to tell the AP that he was playing off well known election themes.  So, apparently, what he said is okay because everyone just assumes that Butte is on the Democrat payroll and would happily break the law to ensure a blue tinted victory.

I was already upset about the Governor’s comment, but this is just the ultimate.

I’m not denying that Butte was very corrupt during the mining boom, but Butte’s reputation extends beyond those unsavory characterizations.

Butte has a reputation of being a tough town full of hard working people who never say die.  People who stand up for the things that they believe and take their place in the history of this country very seriously.  It’s an All-America city that projects the kind of small town, safe-haven aesthetic that has been lost in other places.

The Democrats have benefited from not only Butte’s party affiliation but from its hard working blue collar roots.  And Schweitzer has benefited more than anyone else.

Butte hosted the Mansfield-Metcalf dinner.  Butte hosted Obama on the Fourth of July, to help him shed his elitist image.  Butte hosted Schweitzer’s Montana Economic Development Summit and now he is one of the featured guests at the National Mining Summit.  Schweitzer has even gotten credit for being on the side of green energy for promising a wind power plant that may never even be built.

Governor Schweitzer has reaped the benefits of Butte’s Democratic allegiance.  He has been elected by our votes and enriched politically by our reputation.  He has absolutely no right to cast aspersions on our community.

Now, we are seeing the Governor’s true colors.  And he owes McMahon, her subordinates and everyone in the city of Butte an apology.  A real apology.

Schweitzer is throwing people under the bus all over the place. Now he’s writing off entire cities as de-facto corrupt?

Hey, Kate, has this been covered very well in the Standard?

Well, the Standard had one story yesterday and one today. Neither of which written by a Standard reporter. Just the general AP and Lee Newspapers coverage.

I know they have a small staff, but it’s still disappointing. You would think that someone would zip on down to the courthouse (it’s like three blocks away) and ask McMahon a couple of questions, or track down some GOP poll watchers to ask them.

I mean this is all anyone is talking about. I walked into the hardware store to pick up supplies and overheard the man behind the counter say that his boss was there that night. So, these people are out there and someone should be talking to them.

I’d like to be able to take McMahon’s word for it, but she’s running for office so I’d like a reasonable amount of verification. Just one more person who will go on record corroborating her story would be enough for me. Particularly if that person was a Republican poll watcher. And then the whole city can be assured that our votes weren’t tampered with or manipulated in some way.

[…] latest Republican flop has been the gnashing of teeth and wailing by the Montana Republican Party  about some remarks made in jest by […]