Temper Tantrum

Sam, like it or not, Schweitzer's actions are how things are done in politics. You can't have Roy Brown, the Republican leader of the House, complain on one hand that the Governor is not "working together" with the republicans and on the other brag about how the republican caucus in the House will vote against every significant Democratic measure just to keep Schweitzer from claiming victory. The Ethanol Bill in the House (HB-464) was a prime example. This measure would have provided real jobs (i.e not the Wal-Mart variety service sector jobs) and would have helped provide another market for Montana grain. Even most republican economists in the state backed this measure, but it was defeated on a straight party-line vote. Schweitzer is certainly within his rights to visit the home districts of those House members voting against this measure to inform the voters (i.e. grain growers) that party loyalty means more to "their" member than their constituents. Did Bu$h not visit Great Falls in an effort to woo Senator Baucus on his social security privatization scheme? Did the republican's in the U.S. Senate not threaten the republican chairman of the judiciary committee with his "chairmanship" if he did not support Bu$h's judicial nominees? Perhaps it's the Montana GOP that needs to learn how to grow up and stop whining. Why does the old axiom, "Whats good for the goose is good for the gander," not suddenly apply because the Democrats hold political power in Montana? Maybe, to Sen. Keenan the "difficult job" he is referring to is being out of power, and he is only projecting his political flacidity onto the Governor.
Mike

I vaguely remember reading one of the articles in the BG you linked to above. I found the following:

House Republican Floor Leader Mike Lange, R-Billings, said Schweitzer has been telling new Republican legislators that he will personally campaign against them during 2006 election season and will veto their other bills if they don't toe his line on ethanol, wind energy and ethics laws.

Seems what Schweitzer is doing is OK by me...not too much different from what Bu$h and his surrogates did to Daschle over in SoDak. Generally I like the reporting in the BG, but why couldn't they get an actual quote from one of these "freshman lawmakers?" Why rely solely on the Minority Floor Leader for information? I mean it can't be that hard to figure out that there are only a handfull of actual "freshman" lawmakers of either party. Let me try to get a list together of all the "freshman" and perhaps one of us could get them on the record :-}
Mike

Found the following on the MT Legislative website regarding the vote on HB-464. I don't have the time at the moment to cross-reference it with the "freshman" list, but thought it might be interesting to point out how the republicans, on a number of issues, vote against Schweitzer proposals which would benefit their constituents back home.
Mike

Unofficial vote tally as initially recorded. For official copy, see the journal.

Bill: Date: 2/18/2005 Time: 3:11:10 PM
Vote Sequence Number: 017
Motion: MOVE HB464 TO 2ND READING

Ayes: Becker, Bergren, Bixby, Branae, Buzzas, Caferro, Callahan, Campbell, Clark,
Cohenour, Dickenson, Dowell, Driscoll, Eaton, Facey, Franklin, Furey, Gallik, Galvin-Halcro,
Golie, Grinde, Groesbeck, Gutsche, Hamilton, Harris, Henry, Hiner, Jacobson, Jayne, Jent,
Jopek, Juneau, Kaufmann, Lenhart, Lindeen, Maedje, McAlpin, Noonan, Parker, Raser,
Sesso, Small-Eastman, Stahl, Villa, Wanzenried, Wilson, Windham, Windy Boy, Wiseman,
Mr. Speaker.
Total 50

Noes: Andersen, Arntzen, Balyeat, Barrett, D. Brown, R. Brown, Butcher, Everett, Glaser,
Hawk, Heinert, Hendrick, Himmelberger, Jackson, L. Jones, W. Jones, Keane, Klock,
Koopman, Lake, Lambert, Lange, MacLaren, Malcolm, McGillvray, McKenney, McNutt,
Mendenhall, Milburn, Morgan, Noennig, A. Olson, B. Olson, Peterson, Rice, Ripley, Roberts,
Ross, Sales, Sinrud, Sonju, Stoker, Taylor, Wagman, Waitschies, Ward, Warden, Wells, Witt.
Total 49

Excused: Musgrove.
Total 1

Absent or not voting: None.
Total 0