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Dennis Rehberg: Slow Reader or Thinker?

by Pogie on November 24, 2009 · 1 comment

in Denny Rehberg, Jon Tester

Rather than engage in substantive debate, Representative Rehberg has called for a thirty day waiting period after every stage of the health care debate. For the past few months, I’ve assumed that this was nothing more than the garden-variety talking point conservative obstructionism that has characterized Rehberg’s tenure in Washington, but today, I am less certain that’s the case.

It may just be that Representative Rehberg isn’t a terribly quick thinker. It’s not just health care. Today, at a town hall in Townsend, he told the crowd that he still hasn’t made up his mind about another major piece of legislation for Montanans, Senator Tester’s wilderness bill:

U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg said Tuesday he is still evaluating a plan from Sen. Jon Tester that aims to both expand wilderness and increase logging in Montana.

Let’s see. Senator Tester only introduced the bill 4 months ago. Aren’t four Rehberg units enough time to come to a decision?

Slow thinker? Panderer? Definitely not a leader.

Popularity: 11% [?]

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Watch Where You Post “Anonymously”

by Pogie on November 23, 2009 · 1 comment

in Lee Newspapers, The Media

The Lee Watch blog, a great source of information about Lee Enterprises, has a pretty frightening post up about the dangers of posting online when you assume your identity is safe.

It seems the St. Louis Post Dispatch’s “social media editor”  (who says papers are hurting for money?) Kurt Greenbaum decided to out a commenter who left a lewd comment on his thought-provoking journalistic masterpiece, “What’s the Craziest Thing You’ve Ever Eaten?”.

Greenbaum claims to have contacted the employer of the commenter who, with Greenbaum’s help, was able to track down the culprit, who resigned once confronted. Assuming Greenbaum’s triumphant tale is true, it’s troubling to imagine that an editor at a newspaper would act like this. Having some experience with with the subject, however, it’s certainly not surprising.

It raises a number of interesting questions, certainly. How bound are newspapers or any site to follow their privacy policies? How foolish would an anonymous source have to be to trust someone from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch? What in the hell does a newspaper need a social media editor to do?

Careful out there. Kurt Greenbaum is watching.

Popularity: 11% [?]

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Rehberg Calls For Honest Debate; Nose Grows

by Pogie on November 22, 2009 · 0 comments

in Denny Rehberg

It seems that someone in Representative Rehberg’s office got off Twitter long enough to write an impassioned, if misguided op-ed piece for the Billings Gazette. Rehberg’s so angry that the League of Conservation Voters ran a critical ad that he felt the need to respond with a series of misstatements and lies.

Rehberg’s angry that the League of Conservation Voters is spending money to influence the public:

Since 2000, LCV has spent more than $6.8 million peddling influence among elected officials. They’ve also spent untold millions on “issue ads” like this one, including approximately $150,000 to run these ads in Montana.

To clean up Montana politics, I’m certain Rehberg will soon be giving back the $33,000 he received from Oil and Gas interests in 2006, the $50,000 he received in 2006, not to mention the thousands he’s received from electric utilities over the same period of time.

Rehberg writes:

Second, we need to clarify what legislation we’re talking about. The ad refers to the American Clean Energy and Security Act, but this legislation is more commonly known as the “cap-and-trade bill” or the “cap-and-tax bill.”

Actually, it’s only on Fox News and the Wall Street Journal’s editorial pages that the bill is called that. It may be a first in American politics: Rehberg is claiming that an opponent is being dishonest by giving the real name of the bill.

Finally, Rehberg claims that the bill will cost jobs:

At a time when our economy is hemorrhaging jobs, the nonpartisan Heritage Foundation warns that cap and tax will cost more than 8,600 jobs in Montana alone. In places like Sidney or Colstrip, real Montanans work real jobs that depend on traditional sources of energy.

Calling the Heritage Foundation non-partisan is about as credible as Rehberg’s claims to be a working rancher, and their stats are terrible and misleading.

Once again, Representative Rehberg is showing his true colors: he’s a mouthpiece for conservative business interests, not working Montana families. As he closes his piece with a plaintive “ let’s do it honestly,” one’s tempted to ask why Rehberg would start now.

Popularity: 9% [?]

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Dennis Rehberg’s Firm Grasp of Economics and History Demonstrated Once Again

by Pogie on November 7, 2009 · 2 comments

in Denny Rehberg, MT Politics

Dennis Rehberg, your aspiring Senator, yesterday:

Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today reacted strongly to the release of federal unemployment figures that, for the first time since 1983, breached 10 percent. Last month alone, the economy lost 190,000 jobs bringing the total job losses since the February passage of the “so-called” stimulus to more than 2.8 million.

He continues:

“It’s well past time for better economic solutions in Washington,” said Rehberg. “From the start, I’ve said to follow the models that worked for John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan – smaller government and lower taxes that empower individuals and small businesses.”

I hate to compete with the historical knowledge of Representative Rehberg, but I am fairly certain that Ronald Reagan was President in 1983 and that his deficit-blowing tax cut passed in 1981. Let’s recap: Reagan, higher rate of unemployment  two full years after his tax cuts passed and a massive expansion of the federal deficit = a sound economic model. Obama’s plan, which hasn’t had time to fully be measured=reckless socialism that endangers our future.

Since Republicans, have for the past decade, tried to give Reagan credit for the Clinton boom, maybe they should take a deep breath, get some oxygen in their brains, and give Obama’s economic policies time to work. After all, he does have eight years of decline and structural failure to address.

Keep sending out those press releases, Representative Rehberg. It’s almost like doing something.

Popularity: 8% [?]

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Senator Rehberg? Ha!

by Pogie on November 5, 2009 · 2 comments

in Denny Rehberg, Jon Tester, MT Politics

Is Dennis spending all of his time on Facebook and Twitter because he is planning a run against Jon Tester? Politico suggests he might be:

Rehberg, who was seen exiting the National Republican Senatorial Committee’s Capitol Hill headquarters Thursday morning, is the state’s lone representative in the House.

There’s mutual interest between Rehberg and NRSC officials, according to a source familiar with both sides.

It makes sense for Rehberg to think he’d fit in with the Republican members of the Senate. With an impressive resume consisting of grandstanding stunts, stubborn opposition to helping working Americans, and a legislative record consisting of resolutions honoring football teams and Montana cities, Rehberg seems like he’d be a star member of the GOP caucus.

It’s just unfortunate for him that Montanans are much more likely to vote for a Senator like Jon Tester, who’s already doing important work in Washington, than for a glorified resolution writer who votes against the interests of his constituents far more often than he does for them.

Popularity: 5% [?]

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