Category Archives: Ethics

MT Political Practices: Fair and Impartial?

I’ve written several columns about the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices over the past few years, so today when I read that “Political practices commissioner donated to Bullock campaign in 2009” after he had made a recent ruling in favor of Attorney General Steve Bullock, I just shook my head.

The new State Political Practices Commissioner Dave Gallik was asked why he did not recuse himself given the fact that he donated to Bullock’s campaign.  He said, “I don’t believe I need to recuse myself.”

That’s pretty messed up – and that’s putting it mildly. The office of the Commissioner of Political Practices for Montana reminds me of the referees used for Harlem Globetrotters basketball games. Continue reading →

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Ending Weinergate

United States Representative Anthony Weiner represents New York’s 9th congressional district.  He has been in that seat since 1999.  Before that, Weiner was a New York City Councilman.  He is a member of the Democratic Party.

Personally I enjoy listening to Rep. Weiner’s tirades.  He believes the biggest mouth gets the attention – and he often does.  Now Weiner may have met his match and he needs our help!

Rep. Weiner is on Twitter (@RepWeiner) as are many elected officials.  Weiner’s Twitter account sent what some describe as a “lewd” photo to a 21 year-old female college student.  Now we all know that a Twitter account cannot just take a photo and send it; someone had to be pushing the buttons OR someone hacked into Weiner’s Twitter account (that is what was first reported by Weiner’s staff).  Now it’s being called a prank. Weiner supposedly has retained an attorney. Continue reading →

Dirty Rotten Campaigning

If you’re a regular reader of The Western Word you know that I have offered my commentary about the automated phone calls (Robocalls) conducted during campaigns. I don’t care for them.

They are also against Montana law (MCA 45-8-216).

According to the Associated Press (AP), the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices “ruled last month that Citizens for Strong Law Enforcement should be penalized for thousands of automated phone calls to voters…”

88,400 calls…made way back in mid 2008. I believe I received one of those calls. The harm and the pain, not to mention the valuable time it cost me, is worth about a half a million… Continue reading →

Tribune to Sen. Tester: “Is that the right way to do things?”

In checking editorials from the major papers across the state this morning, one newspaper decided to write about the Omnibus spending bill and Senator Jon Tester’s backroom deal where he inserted new language called the Forest Jobs and Restoration Initiative into the massive bill.

The Great Falls Tribune Editorial Board liked the original bill, but they are not “thrilled” about the way the way the new bill has been brought forward.

Welcome to the club. Where have you been?

Tester’s original bill at least received a committee hearing (a year ago). But, it never got any further in the legislative process than that. It was not voted on by the committee. It never made it to the Senate floor. It never made it to the House of Representatives.

Tester’s people talked about meetings he’s held on the old bill. There have been no meetings dealing with the new bill – and that is morally and ethically wrong.

Basically, the new bill was introduced on Tuesday. The language inserted into the Omnibus bill is completely different from the previous bill. It’s a deal that was done in the shady backrooms of senate – something one would think the “Sunshine” promoters at the Tribune would cry foul about.

But Tester is their boy and the Tribune Editorial Board never talked about Tester’s campaign promise of more transparency and making Washington look a little more like Montana. They gave him a pass on this one.

So, to me and thousands of people across Montana, there’s an easy answer to the Tribune’s question, “Is that the right way to do things?”

“Hell no!”

Omnibus!!

The Democrats are making it pretty easy for voters in 2012. If they pass a 1,924 page, $1.1 Trillion Omnibus Spending Bill this week, the 2010 elections will pale in comparison to what will happen in 2012. If President Obama signs the bill, he’s probably toast politically, too.

A new Gallup Poll shows that the Democrats have not changed the perception of Congress. First, let’s congratulate the Democrats for they have set a new record! According the Gallup, 83% of the American people disapprove of the way Congress is doing its job. Just 13% approve. A new low! The previous low was set in July 2008. The Democrats were running things in Congress then, too.

Tester’s Tricks

If the Omnibus Bill does pass as it is currently written, then Montana Senator Jon Tester will be destined for defeat in 2012. Readers may remember Tester taking time away from Montanans and campaigning for Harry Reid. That little piece of “volunteer” work gave him some benefits – like being able to sneak his Forest Jobs and Recreation Act (revised edition) into this massive bill.

In a sneaky underhanded act that sets the Schoolhouse Rock lesson on “How a Bill Becomes a Law” back several decades, Tester’s new revised bill did not even get a vote in any Senate or House committee and it received no time for a debate on the Senate or House floors.

Montanans just found out about the revised bill on Tuesday. Many say if Tester’s bill can’t pass as a stand-alone bill, then he should go back to the drawing board.

Tester’s move is the kind of sleazy backroom deals that voters hate and leads Congress to only have a 13% approval rating. It also leads to one-term Senators.

In 2006, Tester campaigned on transparency and said if he was elected he would make Washington look a little more like Montana. Sneaking in his revised bill that had no hearings, no votes in committees, no debates on the senate or house floors into a massive Omnibus Bill breaks several campaign promises.

And, it’s not the Montana way of doing things. It’s time for Jon Tester to man-up and withdraw the revised bill immediately from consideration.

Copy and Paste Journalism

In a little follow-up to my last post about the media having less trust from the American people than ever, almost everyone knows that politicians (and their staffers) strive to get their stories in the paper. It’s their job. Some of them are darn good at getting their bosses’ names in the paper for good stuff. They fire off press release after press release (kind of like throwing crap against the wall to see if any of it sticks) to get some PR.

U.S. Senator Jon Tester issued a press release about the Port of Whitetail closing and the Helena Independent Record (IR) published a story about the Port of Whitetail closing. Senator Tester called his press release: “Tester: Dept. of Homeland Security begins process of closing Port of Whitetail” and the Helena Independent Record called their story, “DHS begins process of closing Port of Whitetail.”

Those were about all the differences. You can read the press release HERE and the story HERE.

Here are some examples of the journalism from the Helena IR (or Senator Tester’s staff):

Tester: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security will begin the process of closing the Port of Whitetail in northeastern Montana, U.S. Senator Jon Tester announced today.

IR: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security will begin the process of closing the Port of Whitetail in northeastern Montana, U.S. Sen. Jon Tester announced today. (Notice the AP Style change on Senator to Sen.) Continue reading →

Honest, Open, and Transparent?

This was too good to pass up on a Thursday…

Back in 2006 when he was running for United States Senate, candidate Jon Tester promised that “…he’ll set an example — by asking a Montana judge to conduct an ethics audit of his office every year…”

It was right there on his campaign website in black and white. I can’t seem to find it now. But, luckily there are ways to find these things on the Web and then there are some folks who follow politics (like me) who keep copies of campaign promises on all the candidates, both Republican and Democrat.

Politicians are only as good as their word, right?

The “every year” ethics review has now become “latest ethics review for the current session of Congress” which means, for people who do not follow Congress very much; it is now being done every two years.

Are we heading down a slippery slope here, senator? Continue reading →

Hiring Experts

Around the web and especially on the blogs, there are articles about Max Baucus saying he did not read the healthcare bill that was passed by Congress. He was asked that question during his meeting with Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius when she was in Montana earlier this week.

By the way, the person asking this question should be given a medal or something.

So far, it’s not been a good term for Senator Baucus, but he is not up for reelection until 2014.

An article in The Hill blog basically tells the whole story with this Baucus answer:

“I don’t think you want me to waste my time to read every page of the healthcare bill,” Baucus said, according to the Flathead Beacon. “You know why? It’s statutory language. … We hire experts.”

Uh, yes we do, Senator. That was such a foolish answer that I just had to offer my commentary! Continue reading →

Blago!!!

From the “who cares” file but worth some room on The Western Word because it concerns an underdog and Illinois politics:

I’m no fan of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, but the Federal Government had their chance and came up almost empty-handed.

It took the jury 14 days of deliberations (after an 11 week trial) to find former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich guilty of one of lesser of the 24 counts brought against him by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald and his office of government-paid lawyers. The one count carries with it a maximum penalty of five years and a $250,000 fine. Big freaking deal.

The Judge intends to declare a mistrial on the remaining 23 counts.

After all the hoopla and positioning by both sides, Patrick Fitzgerald and his team are the losers – slapped in the face as some reports put it. They painted a case to the media that they said would have made Abe Lincoln roll over in his grave.

Old Abe is rolling – from laughing at the poorly prosecuted case. Continue reading →

Caught My Eye…

Here are a few things that “caught my eye” this week that I did not have time to comment about:

“Showcase” in San Francisco:

The Great Falls Tribune reported earlier this week that a Cascade County Commissioner, the Great Falls City Manager, the Chair of the Central Montana Defense Alliance and the head of the local Development Authority are heading to San Francisco to “showcase central Montana as an ideal location for additional military missions.”

I have commented many times that it is time for the local community leaders to get out and about to promote the area for future military missions. I am fine with that and salute them for their work. I don’t think the folks attending have much actual military experience to “talk the talk” to those attending the San Francisco conference. The community needs a team attending these conferences (at least a couple of members) that have some actual experience of being in the military instead of just the experience of “playing Army” in their backyards as children.

The Road to Nowhere:

A few weeks ago I commented about a commentary in the Missoula Independent by George Ochenski about Montana Senators Max Baucus and Jon Tester. I said, “I guess we know that all hell is breaking loose when a liberal commentator takes on the home team.”

The woes continue for Baucus and Tester. Ochenski is back with a commentary about “The road to nowhere” which is a great read about the debacle of the spending $15 million then cut to $8.5 million for the Port of Whitetail that sees about five cars per day – a project which was applauded and supported by Tester and Baucus.

Here is the best part: Continue reading →