Flathead Valley Continental Divides: Kalispell, Montana News

Montana's lone Congressman Denny Rehberg met with the National Republican Senatorial Committee Thursday and is considering challenging U.S. Sen. Jon Tester's seat in 2012. From POLITICO:

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

Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) said Thursday night that Tester's represented his constituents well and will be formidable when he seeks re-election in three years.

"I don't think it would be wise" to challenge him, Baucus said.

This is big news. Rehberg is perhaps the most well-known Republican in the state, with every major state office and both U.S. Senate seats held by Democrats. And if he does decide to run for Senate, who will campaign for his congressional seat? Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer, who will by then be term-limited as governor, certainly comes to mind.

Montana Sen. Max Baucus, who was previously said he had “serious reservations” about a climate change bill being crafted by his colleagues Democrat Sens. John Kerry and Barbara Boxer, was the lone Democrat to vote against the bill Thursday in the Environment and Public Works Committee. The measure was still approved 10-1, despite the fact that Republicans boycotted the session and didn’t show up to vote. From Reuters:

Baucus' vote against the bill reflected the difficulties ahead in crafting a measure that would attract the 60 votes needed for passage by the Senate.

As an influential moderate Democrat, Baucus laid out changes he would seek, including a weaker carbon-reduction target. Other Midwestern and Southern senators from states heavily reliant on coal will seek their own changes, which could upset liberals now supporting the bill.

Baucus will get a chance to craft his own version of the bill as the chair of the Senate Finance Committee.

The Wall Street Journal has a roundup of reactions to Warren Buffett’s acquisition (the American investor’s biggest and, perhaps, riskiest move ever) of Burlington Northern Sante Fe Corp.

Over at Salon, Andrew Leonard wonders what motivated Buffett to purchase the company. Is the billionaire betting on climate change or coal?

Carbon sequestration technology is not, by anyone's estimation, ready for a large-scale roll out. Seems to me that the bet that properly priced carbon will boost railroad freight doesn't work so well when what the railroad happens to be carrying is a whole lot of coal.

Maybe Buffett just likes playing with trains?

In Montana, Gov. Brian Schweitzer and the state’s U.S. delegation have already asked that the company consider lower shipping costs, but don’t seem too concerned about the new owner.

"Warren Buffett is known for investing in the future of America, and you can be sure I'll be keeping a close eye to make sure Montana producers get a fair shake on shipping rates," (U.S. Sen. Max) Baucus said.

KTVQ television in Billings recently caught up with former Montana U.S. Sen. Conrad Burns, who is still unpacking boxes from his move to Billings from the nation’s capital. Three years ago, the Republican lost to Sen. Jon Tester by less than 3,600 votes. And he didn’t mince his words when criticizing President Barack Obama.

“He’s probably as close to being a pure socialist as any president that we’ve ever had,” Burns said.



Check out part two of the interview here.

Aaron Flint, host of the Northern Broadcast Network's, "Voices of Montana" radio show, (which always seems to have a healthy number of callers from the Flathead on), interviewed three Vietnam War veterans in the post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Talking Circle of the Flathead. These Native American vets – Wilbert Michel, Bernie Azure and Roger Shourds – went on the show today to talk about the trip they are taking to return to Vietnam. The Char-Koosta News has more:

Two of the veterans will be accompanied by their wives on this journey to heal their physical and mental wounds suffered during their service in the Vietnam War. They will journey to the exact locations they fought in. While in Vietnam they will stay with some of their former enemies and allies.

During the broadcast, a Kalispell-area Vietnam vet identifying himself as Mike, who took a similar trip a few years ago, called in to discuss it with the vets, and it sounds like a pretty fascinating discussion.

My apologies, but due to the way our Web site is set up, I'm not able to post the audio here, but here's a link to the file on the "Voices of Montana" Web site.

Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, the head of the Democratic Governors Association, was the keynote speaker at the Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner in Charleston, W.Va., over the weekend. Schweitzer said Montana and West Virginia (both rural, coal-producing states) will “lead the country to coal that is cleaner and greener.”

Schweitzer was joined by many of that state’s highest-profile Democratic politicians, including U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller. Speaking to a partial crowd, the governor charged that the GOP was the party of obstructionists. From the Charleston Gazette:

"If there was a vote on Christmas, they'd vote ‘no’ on that," Schweitzer said.

And he doesn't like it ...

“At my sixteen town hall meetings this August, thousands of Montanans voiced their opinions about health care reform. Time and time again, I heard from Montanans that they stand with me in opposition to a government-run public option and government-forced insurance. While there is a need for health care reform that will increase access and affordability of coverage to those who want it, Montanans have the right to be heard, not only on what’s in the bill, but also what’s missing. This morning, House Democrats unveiled a brand new $900 billion health-care plan that’s almost 1,000 pages longer than the last one. In the coming days, I look forward to invaluable input from Montanans on this 2,000-page bill.”

The congressman said he will be hosting an emergency health care reform town hall in Billings on Saturday morning to discuss the legislation.

The Wall Street Journal wades into a wide-ranging dispute between General Motors, which received $58 billion in federal bailout funds, and the politicians who have subsequently served as a de facto board of advisors for the company.

The palladium contract GM dropped with Montana’s Stillwater Mining Co. is just one example of politicians butting heads with the American carmaker. Across the country, congressman have pressured GM to reconsider voiding contracts, closing factories and shuttering dealerships as it aims to cut costs. From WSJ:

GM for years was supplied by the Montana-based Stillwater Mining Co., which bills itself as the country's only supplier of the precious metal. In early July, Frank McAllister, the mine's chief executive, received news that GM, as part of its bankruptcy proceedings, planned to sever its ties with Stillwater in favor of cheaper suppliers in Russia or South Africa.

"I thought, for heaven's sake, this doesn't make any sense," says Mr. McAllister. "Taxpayer dollars are keeping GM alive, just so it can turn away from U.S. workers?"

In some cases, the political pressure has worked. In Stillwater Mining’s case, it hasn’t yet.