2012 Statewide

Tim Fox Endorses Democratic Candidates for Attorney General

by Don Pogreba on February 10, 2012 · 0 comments

in 2012 Statewide, Jesse Laslovich, Pam Bucy, Tim Fox

Tim Fox, today in a hard-hitting interview with a conservative radio show in Missoula said this of the Attorney General’s position:

“It’s certainly not a place to be trying to do a little on the job training.”

I couldn’t agree more and that’s why one of the Democratic candidates would make an excellent choice.

Consider Jesse Laslovich:

In 2007, then-Attorney General Mike McGrath appointed Jesse as an Assistant Attorney General, where he defended criminal convictions before the Montana Supreme Court and was the lead attorney for the office of Consumer Protection. In 2009, Montana’s Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, Monica J. Lindeen, appointed Jesse as a Special Assistant Attorney General to prosecute securities fraud and insurance fraud. In early 2010, Jesse became Chief Legal Counsel for the Securities and Insurance Departments. That same year, United States Attorney Mike Cotter appointed Jesse as a Special Assistant United States Attorney to prosecute white collar crimes in federal court.

Consider Pam Bucy:

During her seven years as Executive Assistant Attorney General under former AG and current Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike McGrath, Pam represented the State of Montana in complex civil and criminal matters before the Montana Supreme Court.  She also spearheaded the Department of Justice’s efforts to pass legislation to register sexual and violent offenders, help senior citizens protect their identity and credit information and ensure protective orders, such as restraining orders, can be more easily enforced.

While Mr. Fox has certainly enjoyed a lot of short term employment, he’d be hard-pressed to make the case that he has more experience than either of these two qualified candidates.

Corey Stapleton Picks Bob Keenan to Lose As His Running Mate

by Don Pogreba on February 7, 2012 · 2 comments

in 2012 Statewide, Corey Stapleton

The spectacle of Republican candidates for governor picking people to lose as theirBob_Keenan lieutenant governors has done thing—it’s probably raised the number of people who know who the Republican candidates are by at least 10. Not per cent, but 10 people.

The latest sacrificial lamb? Bob Keenan, chosen by Corey Stapleton, who still hasn’t cracked 10 per cent in poll of the Republican candidates.

Keenan, when he hasn’t been running “as a friend” in a primary against Conrad Burns for the US Senate or flirting with bids to become  governor, is a Big Fork businessman and former Montana legislator. He’s also got a voting record which might be difficult to explain.

  • After all, as a member of the Senate, he was one of 18 members of the entire legislature who opposed increasing penalties for elder abuse.
  • In 1999, he was the sole member of the Senate to oppose a resolution encouraging the Governor to include Montana Indians in economic development projects. On a seemingly related note, he was part of a small group of Senators who blocked stripping the offensive term “squaw” from the maps used by state agencies. No, really.
  • He has a terrible record on public education issues, including opposition to full-day kindergarten and funding our schools at the level mandated by the Constitution. He also loudly opposed measures to ensure that home school students actually receive an education.
  • While it’s not a state issue, he supported privatizing Social Security in 2006.
  • Finally, according to the Conrad Burns campaign in 2006, he loves increasing your taxes. And if we can’t trust Conrad Burns, who can we trust?

To be fair, unlike Mr. Gallagher, Mr. Keenan does have a record to run on. It’s just unfortunate that it’s such a poor one. It seems Mr. Keenan got it half right, when he summed up his potential contribution to the Stapleton campaign:

“Maybe I’ll be a positive addition; maybe I’ll hurt you.”

Indeed.

Tim Fox Rewinds His Campaign to 2008

by Don Pogreba on February 6, 2012 · 2 comments

in 2012 Statewide, Tim Fox

Well, Tim Fox finally announced his bid for Attorney General today—just a week after you read it here first.  At first blush, it appears he’s running the same playbook as 2008, focusing on gun rights that no one is challenging, sex offenders that no one is defending, and federal policies the AG isn’t influencing.

Now some would suggest that Mr. Fox is running for Attorney General in order to hold down a job for at least four years. Others might suggest that he’s interested in finally developing a position on the minimum wage. Others might cynically suggest that he’s running because he hasn’t changed any of his dishonest campaign material from 2008 and thought that he might as well use it.

Each of those observations probably has some degree of truth, but in the end, the most likely answer is that the Koch Brothers needed another candidate to carry their agenda to state governments and Mr. Fox has ample time to make that happen.

The Democratic nominee for Attorney General needs to be ready for a well-funded and dirty campaign if Mr. Fox can defeat Jim Shockley’s apparently self-funded campaign for the Republican nomination.

In 2008, Fox ran one of the most dishonest statewide campaigns I can remember, prompting a TV station to pull one of his ads and me to write that Fox “has no business serving as the next Attorney General of Montana. He has run a mean-spirited, intellectually dishonest campaign that disqualifies him from serious consideration as Montana’s top law enforcement officer. Fox has proven that he lacks both the leadership and judgment to hold this critical office.”

If today’s announcement is indication, Mr. Fox seems like he fears Democratic candidate Jesse Laslovich, as Mr. Fox was seen peevishly tearing down and attempting to throw away a Laslovich sign at the Capitol.

Laslovich Announces Greely Endorsement

by Don Pogreba on February 3, 2012 · 10 comments

in 2012 Statewide, Jesse Laslovich, Montana Politics

Democratic candidate for Attorney General Jesse Laslovich announced today that he’s received the endorsement of three-term Attorney General Mike Greely. From Mr. Greely’s letter:

Not only is Jesse an accomplished legislator, he’s also a successful and experienced criminal prosecutor.  Jesse prosecuted the longest Madoff-style Ponzi scheme in Montana’s history, has returned millions of dollars to scammed Montanans, and has worked to keep dangerous criminals behind bars.

It’s for these reasons that I enthusiastically endorse Jesse Laslovich for Attorney General.

Jesse is simply the best person for the job.  He has the unmatched experience, drive, and judgment to be an effective Attorney General for all Montanans.

It’s never very clear how much impact endorsements have in statewide races, but it’s been interesting to watch the two Democratic candidates tout their supporters as the campaign goes forward.

Right now, Pam Bucy’s supporters are far more likely to come from law enforcement officials, while Laslovich seems to have broader support from legislators and labor.

On Regulation and Taxes and Montana Politics

by Don Pogreba on February 2, 2012 · 23 comments

in 2012 Statewide, Education, Montana Politics

If you’re a Republican running for governor in Montana (and other than Jeff Essmann, who’s not these days?) it seems that there are really only three things you need to talk about: restricting the right of women to make decisions about their bodies, reducing the tax burden on massive corporations, and decreasing regulations that “harm” the business climate in Montana.

In short, the GOP slogan for this election might well be 1896: Not the Worst Year Ever.

The narrative, however, just isn’t true.

The Laurel Outlook made it clear this week that corporations just don’t pay their taxes if they don’t feel like it, putting the operational budgets of schools in jeopardy:

The total amount of tax revenues under protest in Yellowstone County amounted to almost $30 million at the end of 2011, including $13.35 million for just this year. The mounting total has a significant impact on the districts and jurisdictions which would normally receive the tax revenues, not the least of which is the Laurel School District.
The Laurel School District is projected to be down a total of $5,427,571 by the end of this fiscal year, June 30, 2012.

There are two main industries which are protesting taxes — oil refineries and communication companies. Conoco protested 31 percent of its total tax bill in 2011 and CHS (Cenex) protested 63 percent. The communication companies are protesting about 85 percent of their total tax bills.

Perhaps instead of constantly fighting for reductions in the taxes businesses pay, Republicans ought to focus on making them actually pay what they owe.

The situation in Marysville is even more instructive as it relates to regulation. The Independent Record reports that the new mining operations there have been incredibly damaging to the community, with impacts including flooding, noise pollution, dangerous roads, and depleted wells.

It’s bad enough that Representative Mike Miller agreed that the residents had legitimate concerns.

miller

What gives the people of Marysville a chance to maintain their homes and environment in decent condition? The very regulations that Republicans decry as destroying business, the very laws which ensure our state never again becomes a victim of the kinds of excesses visited upon us by the likes of William A. Clark and Standard Oil.

Republicans seem to believe that regulation is stopping business growth in Montana, all evidence to the contrary. But it’s not “stifling regulation” when it keeps your property values high; it’s not “bureaucratic red tape” when it keeps your water safe to drink, and it’s not “job-killing” when it keeps your kids’ schools adequately funded.

It’s common sense—and the recognition that Montana was not better off a century ago.It’s ensuring that Montana remain not only a place to work in, but a place we want to live in.

Ethically-Challenged TEA Party Hypocrite Running for Legislature

by Don Pogreba on January 31, 2012 · 97 comments

in 2012 Statewide, Education, Ken Miller, Montana Politics

Jhwygirl has the news that Ken Miller will be announcing the selection of conservative320px-Billie_Orr education opponent activist and Republican House candidate Billie Orr as his running mate in his futile bid for the governor’s chair.   (Correction below)

Republican legislative candidate Billie Orr is certainly going to have some explaining to do when it comes to her views on education.

I can’t wait to hear Ms. Orr come out against the “education establishment,” given her record as someone who took millions of dollars from the federal government, enriching herself and misappropriating taxpayer dollars during the education reform racket that President Bush’s misguided No Child Left Behind legislation ushered in.

A lot of details below the fold.

Keep Reading

Fox to Enter Race for Attorney General

28 January 2012

It’s pretty difficult to go anywhere in Helena without running into a lobbyist or politico of some sort—in fact, usually groups of them, as they tend to travel in packs. The one thing I keep hearing from them is that it’s all but certain that Tim Fox will be announcing another bid for Attorney General [...]

Read the full article →

Brad Johnson’s Campaign Releases Impressive Photo

26 January 2012

While I’m just a humble classroom teacher and not a campaign strategist, I feel confident saying that posting this photograph might not have been the best public relations strategy for whatever office Brad Johnson is planning to lose the race for this year. In case you can’t read it, the caption reads Successful DC fundraiser [...]

Read the full article →

← Previous Entries