Big Sky Cairn

There are many accusations that could be levied against Governor Brian Schweitzer, but that he is not a shrewd politician is not among them. His actions are always well calculated - whether his goals are to get his smiling mug on TV, or to offer verbal support for things that he has no intention of supporting. Schweitzer is masterful with the media - and they swallow his BS hook-line-and-sinker.

Recently, the Governor’s compulsive need to get his likeness in the press overcame the pesky requirement to abide by Montana law. I’ve already blogged about this lapse in ethics, but there’s another aspect to this story that hasn’t been covered - one that’s even more revealing. A double-standard has emerged - one that seems to signify the presences of impropriety on another rather important matter.

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Before I begin my argument, I thought I might offer you a bit of background on myself. I’m a gun owner, a member of the Butte Gun Club and an NRA member. So, needless to say, I count a candidate’s position on second amendment rights among my top five electoral considerations.

Earlier this week, Erik Iverson penned a guest column for the Missoulian about Barack Obama’s stance on gun rights. This editorial prompted a scathing critique by Pete Talbot at 4&20 Blackbirds, who argued that there was very little evidence to suggest that gun owners should be concerned about an Obama Administration.

Talbot states, “Obama has already stated that he’s a defender of the Second Amendment.” But saying that you’re a defender of Second Amendment rights and proving it are two very different things. After all, there must be a reason why the National Rifle Association gave Obama an F rating three times in six years.

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Lamnidae has recently graduated from commenting to, well, gad-flying with her own little corner of cyberspace. So far the transition hasn’t gone too smoothly but being new ourselves I guess we can forgive a bit of a learning curve.

For 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 Representatives. This would be a little easier to accept if, well, the salary she claimed he received weren’t impossible. She seems to be posting from the new jhwygirl / Jay Stevens school of argumentation: “there’s no proof against it so it must be true.”

Most recently though, is an entertainingly clumsy attempt to go after Rehberg for supporting a policy that he says is popular in Montana. Egads! “Elected Representative uses constituents opinion as justification for policy position.” I sure hope the press doesn’t get ahold of this unpinned grenade! If this breaks, I don’t even want to imagine the shock waves that will reverberate through the Republican establishment.

Oh and Lamninate also makes fun of my name while calling Roy Brown a monkey and Jack the Blogger a goofball. I guess she wants to play full contact.

Welcome to the blogs honey. Looks like you’ve learned your name-calling from Wulfgar and your argumentation style from Jay. You should fit right into the evolving irrelevance that has lately settled over Sinestra.

Okay, you caught me Jay. I mean, not exactly what you were expecting, but you’re close enough that I know you’re going to figure it out eventually.

The funny thing is, I’ve been writing about that quote since August, as have other bloggers. I wonder why it’s only getting picked up now? Funny that the sh*tstorm came just a few days after Erik Iverson made the same charges against Rehberg’s Democratic opponent, Jim Hunt. It’s like…oh, I dunno…Iverson’s co-ordinating with a bunch of bloggers.

You’re just going to kick yourself when you learn the dastardly truth. I’m actually Erik Iverson. Moreover, Erik Iverson (me) is also every other Montana conservative blogger. Dextra may be Latin for “right” but in the secret GOP Language that Mark T has figured out, Dextra means Iverson.

You do have to hand it me though for being so clever. By getting my imputation of Hunt’s lies printed in the papers, I gave all my pseudonymous blog identities like Wiley Cody a perfectly believable cover story for their interest that would go something like this (if I weren’t Iverson in the flesh):

Reading the story in the paper reminded me how often Jay Stevens was using that line and inspired me to do some research into something that I had long suspected - but never really thought to prove - was another Democrat lie. Seeing other conservative bloggers pick up the same vibe just added fuel to that fire.

I guess I shouldn’t have expected I could get away with it. My whole plan was based on you Dems underestimating my ability to do literally everything at once. You clearly recognize the True Power that I wield. I can sense your fear by how often my name is coming up.

I bet you know that I was secretly behind the Democrat Presidential Candidate visit? And I’m responsible for high gas prices as a way to undermine the new Congressional majorities? And that I caused the sun to rise three minutes early in Missoula today to make it easier to get the snow off my car?

You guys are good! I know because I also write half of the liberal blogs.

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.

Erik Iverson and the Montana GOP took a lot of flack for their February 5 presidential caucus. Most of that came from Montana Democrats expressing their outrage at the “elitist” approach of the caucus. But the chickens are coming home to roost - although the Media is sort of missing the boat on this one.

Roy Brown credits the caucus with increasing interest and participation in the Republican Party at all levels.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Roy Brown said the state party’s Feb. 5 presidential caucus helped spur more interest early in politics, which he said will help statewide GOP candidates like him.

We’ve personally heard similar stories of interest among Republicans here in Missoula. Republicans who didn’t vote in the caucus, but who felt that they had a role to play - and continue to play in the process. Participation in a democracy is about more than the simple act of voting and oversimplifying civic duty to casting a ballot is patronizing.

Remember, participation in the caucus didn’t require any money or official title. That’s an important distinction because the Montana Democrats have been touting their party’s primary plebiscite as less elitist than the Montana Republican caucus. Let’s look at the Democrat’s version of inclusion:

Meet the Presidential Candidates in Butte (if you were lucky enough to be one of the few that could afford to buy tickets and have a computer and have an internet connection and not have a job that prevented you from logging on at 9 am exactly or a well connected friend to give you tickets).

Meet the Hillary in Missoula (if you can afford the $250 minimum donation).

Every vote counts the same to decide how Montana’s 16 delegates vote (unless you’re one of 8 Superdelagate from Montana whose votes will count for roughly 100,000 times more than the average Montana vote).

It’s 3 am. I’m not sure “elitism” is a grenade the Montana Democrats want to be throwing…

I stumbled across a rather uninteresting piece from the Missoula Independent the other day about Erik Iverson’s dual role as the top staffer for Rep. Denny Rehberg and the Montana GOP party.

However, the one interesting tidbit to come out of this story was the aloof ignorance of Representative Art Noonan (D-Butte), wait sorry he is playing the role of Executive Director of the Montana Democrats in this story.

“His volunteering as chair—that’s not unusual,” Noonan says. What concerns him, he says, is “the intermingling of the political business of the party with government work done for the taxpayers.”

A fair question ED Noonan, does Rep. Noonan care to respond?

Since being elected to office in 2003, Art has proven himself to be a fighter for Montana’s working families and our veterans. During this spring’s contentious legislative session, Art was a steady hand and a calming force as the House Democratic Floor Leader. Some of his legislative accomplishments include authoring legislation to give life insurance to the state’s National Guard members serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, pushing through a bill to help clean up and protect Montana’s natural resources, and spearheading efforts to increase cooperation between new aerospace businesses, state government, and Montana’s colleges and universities.

As Art has said, his politics are “practical, compassionate, and fair.” And I believe those are key qualities for someone who will help guide the Democratic Party forward though next year’s election – and beyond.

Wait that is ED Noonan again talking about Rep. Noonan on why he is qualified to be ED Noonan. I get confused when political business and the business of Montana taxpayers get intermingled. Yoda this man is not.

ED Noonan may have a fair point since he decided not to seek re-election by taking the high road and anointing his nephew Pat to HD-73

What else you got ED Noonan?

“Who pays for his phone calls about party business when he’s at work in D.C.?” asks Noonan, “How much time does he spend in the state? Where does he actually live? Where is the documentation that he’s not using senate staff, office resources, travel budget, or phone lines for his state party work?”

To answer questions 1,2, and 3, a quick search on the googles shows that Erik Iverson works out of Missoula.

This is like the old Bugs Bunny striking out the side with one pitch.

Continuing on with ED Noonan’s questions, hopefully for my own partisan leanings this will come as a surprise to the fearless leader of the Montana Dems that Denny Rehberg serves in the House of Representatives, not the U.S. Senate.  Maybe Art can use the three years he is giving Jim Hunt to study up.

Given his past, a little ignorance or selective memory goes a long way. I leave you with Ex-Hill staffer Noonan on campaign finance, unfortunately ED Noonan could not be reached for comment on $9 Million Max.

“I personally am reaching a place where I may not be able to vote for anyone who does not promise campaign finance reform, day one. I will never be a millionaire and so I feel very strongly that the money changers have more directly undermined the importance in my vote more than any constitutional amendment ever could.”