Racicot talk backs Burns, Bush, war ("one of the best presidents ever")

[Barrett808]

Racicot talk backs Burns, Bush, war
By MIKE DENNISON
Gazette State Bureau

HELENA - Former Montana Gov. Marc Racicot came to the defense Friday of U.S. Sen. Conrad Burns, saying it's “highly unfair” to associate Burns with the troubles of indicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Just because Abramoff and his associates made campaign contributions to Burns, U.S. Sen. Max Baucus and U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg doesn't mean Montana's delegation has done anything wrong, he said.

“The people of Montana know Conrad and Denny and Max well enough to know that they've worked a long time on their behalf, and they know how (the lawmakers) conduct their affairs,” he said. “They're fair people. They'll judge that in a fair manner.”

In a wide-ranging discussion with the Helena Independent Record editorial board, Racicot also strongly defended President Bush and the war in Iraq, and said that he still supports utility deregulation in Montana and that the 2004 election was a “wake-up call” for the Republican Party in Montana.

“My belief in my heart is that (President Bush) is going to go down as one of the best presidents ever, accomplishing more than we would ever imagine,” he said.

(more)

http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2005/12/31/build/state/35-racicot-bush.inc

[joefree1]

1. Well, I do agree in part

... Bush is going down.

[w13rd0]

2. Oh yeah...

...he's accomplished quite a lot. Unfortunately, it's all been bad. Another fucking idiot covering for criminals. What a shocker.

[EST]

3. If the people will assuredly rate their pols fairly,

why is it so important that he point it out?
Republican = Liar

[0007]

8. This reason Racicot is pointing this out is because there are more

Democratic folks in this country than Republicans. This was told to me yesterday by a repuke while having coffee. I didn't know where to begin after my jaw dropped loudly to the floor. :wow:

[EST]

13. Oh

[susu369]

4. Racicot - former Enron lobbyist

now there's someone we can all trust.

:sarcasm:

[Strelnikov_]

21. His Statement Of Support For Utility Deregulation Just Gave The Opposition

another 20,000 votes. Guess a corporate shill, like the scorpion, can't change it's nature.

Still defending the Montana Power debacle.

http://www.montanariveraction.org/sorry.saga.mpc.html

On edit: Article snip

Racicot weighed in on utility issues, saying he opposes the proposal by a group of Montana cities to buy NorthWestern Corp. and convert it to a publicly owned utility. It's better to have “competitive enterprises” and the private sector running utilities and assuming the level of debt needed to complete the deal, he said.

The former governor, who supported and signed Montana's 1997 utility deregulation law, said he still supports the concept today - despite the aftermath that includes the financial demise of Montana Power Co., higher utility rates and scant competitive options for the average utility consumer. The negative fallout after deregulation had more to do with other economic forces, and utility deregulation was a nationwide trend, he said.

“Congress set it in motion,” Racicot said. “We couldn't stop it. It was sweeping the states.”

Other Pacific Northwest states, which, like Montana, enjoyed relatively low energy costs, did not pass sweeping deregulation or “restructuring” laws.

[intheozone]

5. What the hell as that idiot been smoking?

:wtf: Does Racicot even know what fucking planet he is on?? :crazy:

Or maybe he is playing the Opposite Game, maybe the best president ever is really the opposite of what he means! Because we all know * is the WORST PRESIDENT EVER!!!

[Mad_Dem_X]

22. LOL! I'll NEVER understand

how some people, in the face of the lies, killing, and destruction, can STILL support * - plus convince themselves that he's one of the "best presidents ever." Talk about denial! :crazy:

[billybob537]

6. Racicot That's French isn't it

the pukes already told us not to trust the French?

[saracat]

7. Max Baccus? But Reid said NO Dems took money!

[priller]

10. There's a difference...

in getting money directly from Abramoff (which Burns did), and getting it from *clients* of Abramoff (which Baucus did). Since Indian casinos and such are a big deal in Montana, it's no surprise that Baucus would get money from Indian tribes. Nothing wrong with that, even if those tribes are clients of Abramoff. Getting money and goodies directly from Abramoff, however, could be another story.

[jamesinca]

20. The other thing he is trying to do is link Dems to this

Although repugs were the ones that gained from Jack Abramhoff monetarily, they are trying to show that they are not the only ones in a culture of corruption. In an article that I recently read, Indian tribes continued to give to the Dems at about the same amount, but when Abramhoff got involved, the amount to repugs more than doubled I think.

[grasswire]

9. Racicot -- liar, chickenhawk extraordinaire

Marc Racicot, according to some investigative journalists in Montana, apparently never registered for the draft. He missed Vietnam because of that apparent foible. His number, had he registered, would have come up. And then he proffered misleading information about his military status in campaign materials.

[MagickMuffin]

11. Some Other Interesting Tidbits From the Article

Racicot called the war in Iraq a “war for the freedom of this country” and said a solid majority of Americans “know in their heart that we have to win this.”

“We either take up this battle in Baghdad or we will in Belgrade,” he said. “That's just a fact. I think the American people know that.”

So, we are going to invade Belgrade, what have they done to us?

The war in Iraq is "war for the freedom of this country", am I missing something here? Weren't we free before we went into Iraq? Or is he letting the cat out of the bag by letting us know we are no longer free, therefore we will need to fight perpetual wars to makes us believe we're free?

Racicot said it's “preposterous” to say the Abramoff scandal “confines itself to Conrad Burns,” and that much of the talk about Abramoff is “speculation, rumor, gossip and innuendo” spread by “political opportunists who will do everything in their power to try to take advantage of that, to serve their own purpose.”

He said there's “no evidence of any kind” suggesting any untoward activity by Burns, or Baucus and Rehberg, who received lesser amounts of campaign funds from Abramoff and his associates or clients.

When asked about e-mails and other statements on record that implicate links between Burns and Abramoff, Racicot said there “has been no evidence submitted, that I know of, that's publicly known, in a tribunal or a court of law that suggests anything negative about Max Baucus, Denny Rehberg or Conrad Burns.”

Well the first sentence says it all, and proves Racicot is living with his head up his ______!
The speculations, rumors, gossip, and innuendos, is why Abramoff is facing a trail come Jan. 9, 2006. :rofl:

[caduceus111]

17. Belgrade, MT, most likely...

So, we are going to invade Belgrade, what have they done to us?

Little town near Bozeman. I think he was paraphrasing the idiotic line "We fight them there so we don't have to fight them here."

=caduceus=

[MagickMuffin]

18. Well I guess that makes sense!

I thought that perhaps Belgrade was part of the PNAC plan of invasions of other countries...:rofl:

Thanks for clearing that up for me, caduceus111.

Welcome to DU:hi:

[Lisa]

12. "Best ever" -- did he hire Harriet Miers as his speechwriter? (n/t)

[scarface2004]

14. ratsass can go to irak and fight then!!

if he loves the war that much!!

[Octafish]

15. Jackabie is doin' a heck of a job.

Racicot must be smoking what certain of his partners are selling:

“My belief in my heart is that (President Bush) is going to go down as one of the best presidents ever, accomplishing more than we would ever imagine,” he said.

Abramoff is this close to spilling the beans on Congress just on his money laundering stuff.

Wait till the Mafia angle comes out in the SunCruz story.

With a little luck and some good journalism, the public will see the Bush FBICIANSA Mafia angle.

[stepnw1f]

16. WORST PRESIDENT EVER

You can bank on it...

[flordehinojos]

19. racicot needs a talk with SOCRATES who would thereafter probably be given

hemlock all over again.