This Is A MUST READ, Folks

[ruggerson]

This guy just gets better and better reviews.

http://www.grist.org/news/maindish/2006/01/18/bass/

Wild to Be Born
Montana's landscape is changing -- will America's be next?
By Rick Bass
18 Jan 2006

The governor is a politician of such breathtaking dexterity, ability, and raw, hungry, political instinct that your first thought upon witnessing him -- no matter whether you're a Republican or Democrat -- is likely to be, "When does he explode, and in what manner?" For rarely in American politics has anyone this good been that way indefinitely.

Gov. Brian Schweitzer. Brian Schweitzer has only been the governor of Montana for a year, but already, among Democrats in the state and beyond, I sense a Clintonesque déjà vu creeping in, a relief that all will be all right, that our values are protected. We are not considering how fast and bright such stars burn.

As was Clinton, Schweitzer is incredibly likeable -- he seems sometimes to be leaning forward on his toes, beaming in advance of an audience's appreciation -- but while Clinton was often guilty of working over-hard to placate his enemies, it's easier to envision Schweitzer responding with a real bristle factor when someone gets in his face, tries to be a bully or a malcontent, disruptive of a project that builds economic or community or social strength. Schweitzer single-handedly trounced the Republican Party in 2004, not just driving them from the capitol, but leading the charge to regain the state House and Senate as well -- but, bridge builder that he is, he chose state Sen. John Bohlinger, a progressive Republican, as his running mate.

The new governor displays a flair for visual, even cinematic, politics, and Montanans have become accustomed to above-the-fold photos of him knocking back a shot of sunlit amber whiskey to celebrate the 10 a.m. reopening of a historic bar in Butte, or popping a cork to celebrate the initial stages in the removal of a dam on the Clark Fork River. Already, there seems no end to the roll call of his greatest hits, and no lessening of his appetite for (or ability to provide) them.

[LisaM]

1. Was this the guy Franken had on last week?

If so, I agree. He was great, on his toes, on top of the issues, smart as could be, and seemingly very very nice. He has the ability Clinton does of winnowing an issue down to its core.

[ruggerson]

2. Yep, that's him

[snowbear]

3. He's the reason they now call it "Blue Montana"

He's doing a GREAT job! ~~

[babylonsister]

4. I like his looks; he looks kind to me. nt

[NVMojo]

5. Damn, I want to move to Montana anyways. This is more reason!

[skids]

8. Fire up that 8-track and dig out the Zappa :-)

I might be movin' to Montana soon
Just to raise me up a crop of
Dental Floss

Raisin' it up
Waxen it down
In a little white box
That I can sell uptown

By myself I wouldn't
Have no boss,
But I'd be raisin' my lonely
Dental Floss

Raisin' my lonely
Dental Floss

Well I just might grow me some bees
But I'd leave the sweet stuff
To somebody else . . . but then, on the other hand I would

Keep the wax
'N melt it down
Pluck some Floss
'N swish it aroun'

I'd have me a crop
An' it'd be on top (that's why I'm movin' to Montana)

Movin' to Montana soon
Gonna be a Dental Floss tycoon (yes I am)
Movin' to Montana soon
Gonna be a mennil-toss flykune

I'm pluckin' the ol'
Dennil Floss
That's growin' on the prairie
Pluckin' the floss!
I plucked all day an' all nite an' all
Afternoon . . .

I'm ridin' a small tiny hoss
(His name is MIGHTY LITTLE)
He's a good hoss
Even though
He's a bit dinky to strap a big saddle or
Blanket on anyway
He's a bit dinky to strap a big saddle or
Blanket on anyway
Any way

I'm pluckin' the ol'
Dennil Floss
Even if you think it is a little silly, folks
I don't care if you think it's silly, folks
I don't care if you think it's silly, folks

I'm gonna find me a horse
Just about this big,
An' ride him all along the border line

With a
Pair of heavy-duty
Zircon-encrusted tweezers in my hand
Every other wrangler would say
I was mighty grand

By myself I wouldn't
Have no boss,
But I'd be raisin' my lonely
Dental Floss

Raisin' my lonely
Dental Floss
Raisin' my lonely
Dental Floss

Well I might
Ride along the border
With my tweezers gleamin'
In the moon-lighty night

And then I'd
Get a cuppa cawfee
'N give my foot a push . . .
Just me 'n the pygmy pony
Over by the Dennil Floss Bush

'N then I might just
Jump back on
An' ride
Like a cowboy
Into the dawn to Montana

Movin' to Montana soon
(Yippy-Ty-O-Ty-Ay)

[Brundle_Fly]

13. wow!

that's an oldie!

[0007]

6. Schweitzer rocks and will become a big hit in the Democratic party

We're getting some damn good people. That guy from Indiana has got to go.

[spun_in_montana]

7. Ya'll mind if we keep him till

the end of his term? After 14 years of Republican,ah,leadership, we need him to fix a few more things before letting him go. Read the mans bio, incredible human being and a real class act.

[stevedeshazer]

10. After Judy Martz and Marc Racicot, you deserve to keep him.

For now.

[snowbear]

11. Speaking of Marc Racicot...

I completely forgot all about that scumbag! But when you brought him up, I did a quick Google to see what he was up to.

There's a GREAT article in the Missoula Independent written today about him... LOL!!

AWESOME article!!! Talks about the Abramoff scandal, why Racicot was in Montana, and more...

"Like a bubble of swamp gas rising from the stinking miasma of corruption that Washington, D.C. has become under the Bush administration, Montana’s former Gov. Marc Racicot resurfaced in Montana last week. Employing the typical “attack the attackers while ignoring the issues” strategy he has honed so well in his sycophantic relationship with the president, Racicot spewed pure methane to Montanans about Bush, Iraq, Conrad Burns and the benefits of GOP-style deregulation. But the Montana of today is considerably different from the Montana Marc Racicot left half a decade ago—and we have little reason to believe his inane drivel any longer."

continued ~~~~> http://www.missoulanews.com/News/News.asp?no=5427

[ebayfool]

14. Wow! This paper is a treasure!

It's safely nestled in my browser's links, now. Did some looking around on their site ... they are way more progressive (& out-spoken!) than any I've seen in my part of Calif - I'm jealous!

[stevedeshazer]

21. Thanks, Larissa!

That was a great article. Stinking miasma of corruption, indeed. :thumbsup:

[Free the Press]

16. um, what if AG & Yoo tell * it's lawful to send D's and DNC to G as EC's?

AG - Attorney General
* - the Emperor
D's - Democrats
DNC - "currently undergoing metamorphosis"
G - Guantánamo Bay
EC's - Enemy Combatants.

[snowbear]

17. Can you 'splain?

Sorry.. you lost me somewhere between the Yoo and the EC's..

[0007]

19. I shouldn't laugh, but we know junior would start with Zell

[stevedeshazer]

9. I met him by accident in 2002

We were in Great Falls at the Montana State Fair. He walked up to us (me and Ms. Steve), stuck out his hand, and said, "Hi, I'm Brian Schweitzer, and I'm running for Governor. I'd like to be the next Governor of Montana."

Well, we aren't from Montana and told him so. Never broke stride, just said, "Welcome to Montana!".

We had NO idea who he was, or which party he belonged to. But there was something about the guy you just had to like. He definitely has charisma in person. When I returned home, I looked him up. He's been on a roll ever since.

For what it's worth, I really believed the guy. I think he's for real.

[TygrBright]

12. Goobers are WHERE IT'S AT for the Dems...

...fergit those lame ol' Senators, people. Mark Warner in VA (and now Tim Kaine) Schweitzer in Montana, Vilsack in Iowa, Richardson in New Mexico, Easley in North Carolina, Gregoire in Washington...

The GOOBs are the rising stars, the ones to watch. Outside the insane Cuisinart of the Beltway, they're accomplishing things and turning states around and proving over and over again that Democratic policies and ideas are effective, humane ways to solve budget problems and govern complex states.

There's some good people in Washington, sure, but too many of them are caught in the Cuisinart, and the rest are vain, self-inflating windbags posing for the cameras while scheduling their next fundraiser.

It's the Goobs who will pull this sorry-ass party out of the gutter and put it through detox and get it back on track again.

jadedly,
Bright

[loudsue]

18. Easley (my Gov), and Richardson (formerly my Gov) are GOPers in

disguise.

I can't stand either one of them. They may as well be republicans.

:kick:

[Adelante]

15. I love this guy

Ever since Salon did a profile on him last year.

[Lochloosa]

20. Now here is a guy I would like to have a beer with

[AX10]

22. The Democratic Party has a bright future.