What began as a poaching allegation against Montana Congressman Denny Rehberg’s staffer Randy Vogel has turned into something far weirder. I will try to simplify what I’ve read in news reports and press releases.
• News surfaces that Vogel was charged with poaching a young bull elk in Madison County a day after being named Reberg’s state director.
• Rehberg’s Democratic opponent, Dennis McDonald, sends out an e-mail questioning whether the congressman knew about the allegation before hiring Vogel. “I find it hard to believe that Rehberg didn’t know about the incident. Randy and Rehberg have been drinking buddies for 15 years.” He adds, “If Rehberg really didn’t know about the incident, then what else doesn’t he know before hiring a high-ranking official?"
• In denying the poaching charge, Vogel says the timing of the citation is highly “suspicious” and tells the Associated Press that McDonald was recorded talking about the investigation at an event in Yellowstone County before it was made public. “I don’t believe in coincidences like that in politics. It just doesn’t happen."
• McDonald tells the AP that he was just repeating rumors he had heard from other ranchers and says any allegations that he was given any information inappropriately are “absurd.” “That’s just the Rehberg spin machine at work.”
• Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks officials say politics did not play a role. in the poaching charges
• Montana Republican Party Executive Director Bowen Greenwood accuses McDonald of embellishing information for political gain and flip-flopping on defamation. “McDonald, apparently playing the role of both judge and jury, referred to Randy Vogel as ‘a poacher.’ Yet in 1975, as Jimmy ‘The Weasel’ Fratianno’s personal attorney, McDonald sued Penthouse magazine for libel for publishing a story that labeled his client as an 'infamous hit man.'"
Poaching Politics
Elk Poaching Case Takes Some Strange Turns
Commerce Department
Drama at the Commerce Department
After a state Commerce Department official released information on $3.5 million in local government grants that are currently on hold – including about $500,000 for road projects in Flathead County – he claims Gov. Brian Schweitzer’s administration forced him to resign.
Schweitzer’s administration has denied the charge. Nonetheless, Lee Newspaper’s Charles Johnson’s story on the controversy is a must read.
Several newspapers across the state, including the Beacon, published articles over the last several days on how grants freed up by stimulus money has been put on hold and is causing financial headaches for local governments. Sen. Dave Lewis, R-Helena, confronted the administration about the freeze last week.
Schweitzer’s administration has denied the charge. Nonetheless, Lee Newspaper’s Charles Johnson’s story on the controversy is a must read.
Several newspapers across the state, including the Beacon, published articles over the last several days on how grants freed up by stimulus money has been put on hold and is causing financial headaches for local governments. Sen. Dave Lewis, R-Helena, confronted the administration about the freeze last week.
Antiquities Act
Salazar: No Plans for New National Monument in Montana
U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar appeared before a Senate committee that included Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., Tuesday and answered questions regarding the Antiquities Act. He denied accusations that the Obama Administration planned on creating national monuments in Western states that critics contend are veiled “land grabs.”
A leaked memo from the Interior Department, first reported by the New York Times, found that 14 sites were listed as possible monuments, including 2.5 million acres in northeastern Montana for a possible new national bison range.
Watch the video of Tester's exchange with Salazar here.
Following Salazar’s testimony, Tester (through a press release) referred to potential national monument designations as “false rumors.”
Salazar’s testimony, however, did little to appease Congressman Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., who has introduced legislation that would require congressional approval of any new national monument designations in Montana. In a prepared statement, he said:
A leaked memo from the Interior Department, first reported by the New York Times, found that 14 sites were listed as possible monuments, including 2.5 million acres in northeastern Montana for a possible new national bison range.
Watch the video of Tester's exchange with Salazar here.
Following Salazar’s testimony, Tester (through a press release) referred to potential national monument designations as “false rumors.”
Salazar’s testimony, however, did little to appease Congressman Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., who has introduced legislation that would require congressional approval of any new national monument designations in Montana. In a prepared statement, he said:
“Public input is certainly important, but it’s not enough if that input is ignored or comes after a policy has been written or implemented. When it comes to executive action, we’ve already seen this administration shoot first and ask questions later, and now that the sights are on millions of acres in Montana, the responsible action is to reassert congressional oversight, just like Wyoming has already done.”
Governor Fires Back on State Funding Criticism
Schweitzer on Commerce Grants
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Gov. Brian Schweitzer called me yesterday, concerned about my story on how state grants from the Commerce Department, that have been put on hold, are causing problems for Flathead County and Columbia Falls, which are now on the hook to pay for road projects mostly completed last fall.
Emphasizing that the funding was merely on hold, the governor defended his cost-cutting measure, and said Columbia Falls and Flathead County were among the last municipalities to submit contracts to the state for the roadwork, and that most other cities and counties around the state have been reimbursed at up to 90 percent of what they spent with only 10 percent of their remaining compensation held back. Regardless of when the road work was done, which projects' funding were put on hold depended on when those municipalities sent contracts to the state. Kalispell and Whitefish have been reimbursed for similar projects, he added.
Flathead County, Schweitzer said, was "way, way late in the process."
"If you wait a year, to get around to getting a contract in, Montana's finances changed in a year," Schweitzer said. "There hasn't even been a contract signed."
Nor did Schweitzer, a Democrat, ignore the political angle of the issue, pointing out that Flathead Republican legislators voted against this funding at every turn in the 2009 session, but now he is hearing complaints from officials in those same regions saying they aren't receiving this funding fast enough.
"You can't have it both ways," Schweitzer said. "You can't say the money showed up late and then have legislators who voted against getting any money."
"Go figure, I guess," he added.
Emphasizing that the funding was merely on hold, the governor defended his cost-cutting measure, and said Columbia Falls and Flathead County were among the last municipalities to submit contracts to the state for the roadwork, and that most other cities and counties around the state have been reimbursed at up to 90 percent of what they spent with only 10 percent of their remaining compensation held back. Regardless of when the road work was done, which projects' funding were put on hold depended on when those municipalities sent contracts to the state. Kalispell and Whitefish have been reimbursed for similar projects, he added.
Flathead County, Schweitzer said, was "way, way late in the process."
"If you wait a year, to get around to getting a contract in, Montana's finances changed in a year," Schweitzer said. "There hasn't even been a contract signed."
Nor did Schweitzer, a Democrat, ignore the political angle of the issue, pointing out that Flathead Republican legislators voted against this funding at every turn in the 2009 session, but now he is hearing complaints from officials in those same regions saying they aren't receiving this funding fast enough.
"You can't have it both ways," Schweitzer said. "You can't say the money showed up late and then have legislators who voted against getting any money."
"Go figure, I guess," he added.
U.S. 93
Giving Credit for the Bypass
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has been targeting Montana Congressman Denny Rehberg and many of his Republican colleagues for taking credit for securing stimulus projects in their districts after voting against the larger recovery package.
In fact, my colleague Dan Testa asked Rehberg’s staff about accusations of hypocrisy back in November. Then, the congressman countered that in his role on the House Appropriations Committee he often inserts earmarks that may benefit his delegates even if he opposes spending legislation, which is common practice in Congress. And now that the stimulus has passed, many Republican lawmakers who voted against the bill have argued that they still feel like its their duty to make sure their constituents get their fair share since they’re already going to pay for it.
Still, a Montana Democratic official forwarded the following newsletter from the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce and wrote: “Rehberg being praised for Kalispell bypass funding ... which he voted against. That's what I call ‘securing funding.’”
The 93 Bypass is a huge project for Kalispell. And one would expect the Chamber of Commerce to thank Montana’s entire U.S. delegation for helping direct any dollars its town’s way. But each time Rehberg is seen getting credit for anything involving the stimulus, he should expect a similar response.
In fact, my colleague Dan Testa asked Rehberg’s staff about accusations of hypocrisy back in November. Then, the congressman countered that in his role on the House Appropriations Committee he often inserts earmarks that may benefit his delegates even if he opposes spending legislation, which is common practice in Congress. And now that the stimulus has passed, many Republican lawmakers who voted against the bill have argued that they still feel like its their duty to make sure their constituents get their fair share since they’re already going to pay for it.
Still, a Montana Democratic official forwarded the following newsletter from the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce and wrote: “Rehberg being praised for Kalispell bypass funding ... which he voted against. That's what I call ‘securing funding.’”
The 93 Bypass is a huge project for Kalispell. And one would expect the Chamber of Commerce to thank Montana’s entire U.S. delegation for helping direct any dollars its town’s way. But each time Rehberg is seen getting credit for anything involving the stimulus, he should expect a similar response.
Legislature
Where are All the Legislative Candidates?
With less than a week left for candidates to file for state Legislature, dozens of races are still uncontested. Call me naïve, but I had expected the exact opposite with the political polarization over health care legislation, property taxes, budget cuts and so on. From Lee Newspapers’ Mike Dennison:
In 13 of the 26 contested Senate races, Democrats have yet to field a candidate…
Republicans have fielded candidates in 21 of the 26 Senate races, and in six of those, there are multiple Republican candidates, setting up contested primarily elections on June 8.
In the House, Democrats are lacking candidates in 33 of the 100 races, while Republicans have come up short so far in 27 spots.
Graphs
How Bad is This Recession?
From calculatedriskblog.com
Well, compared to every economic downturn since World War II, it's really bad (see above graph). With the latest jobs report, where the national unemployment rate held steady at 9.7 percent, economists are now discussing whether its getting better and if recent East Coast snowstorms skewed unemployment data. From calculatedriskblog.com, which is essential reading for any amateur number cruncher:
For the current recession, employment peaked in December 2007, and this recession is by far the worst recession since WWII in percentage terms, and 2nd worst in terms of the unemployment rate (only early '80s recession with a peak of 10.8 percent was worse).
Note: the impact of the weather on the survey is unknown, but was probably minimal. Census hiring was 15,000. So 51,000 jobs lost ex-Census.
Antiquities Act
Rehberg: Antiquities Act Could be Used for ‘Land Grab’
Montana Congressman Denny Rehberg has introduced legislation that would exempt Montana from the Antiquities Act. What’s the Antiquities Act? Before last month, when Utah Congressman Rob Bishop discovered a “secret” Interior Department memorandum, I couldn’t tell you. Basically, it grants the president the right to declare any area of the country a national monument and there is little anyone can do to stop him. In the memorandum, thousands of acres, including 2.5 million in Montana, were listed as potential monuments and it has put the Interior Department on the defensive. From the New York Times:
Rehberg, who says he sees the potential for a federal “land grab,” sent a letter to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar asking him to provide details of the proposals and wrote a bill that would require Congress to approve any new national monuments in Montana. He sent out the following statement Thursday:
Here’s a link to the Interior memo (.pdf).
A spokeswoman for the Department of the Interior, Kendra Barkoff, said the list was not secret at all, but simply a “very, very, very preliminary,” internal working document resulting from a brainstorming session that Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, a Democrat and former senator from Colorado, had requested about the lands in the West.
“No decisions have been made about which areas, if any, might merit more serious review and consideration,” Ms. Barkoff said in a statement.
Rehberg, who says he sees the potential for a federal “land grab,” sent a letter to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar asking him to provide details of the proposals and wrote a bill that would require Congress to approve any new national monuments in Montana. He sent out the following statement Thursday:
“For more than a century, the Antiquities Act has served a valuable function in the preservation of America’s natural treasures, making it all the more tragic that it’s now being misused for a 13 million-acre land-grab. When it comes to land in Montana, we’ve got a long-standing tradition of working together to find consensus-based solutions. Circumventing that tradition by unilaterally carving out millions of acres with the stroke of a pen is not the American way. The President is not a king, and we are not his subjects, which is why congressional checks and balances are so important.”
Here’s a link to the Interior memo (.pdf).
