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The Republican National Committee plans to raise money this election cycle through an aggressive campaign capitalizing on "fear" of President Barack Obama and a promise to "save the country from trending toward socialism."
The strategy was detailed in a confidential party fundraising presentation, obtained by POLITICO, which also outlines how "ego-driven" wealthy donors can be tapped with offers of access and "tchochkes."
The presentation was delivered by RNC Finance Director Rob Bickhart to top donors and fundraisers at a party retreat in Boca Grande, Florida on February 18, a source at the gathering said.
In neat PowerPoint pages, it lifts the curtain on the often-cynical terms of political marketing, displaying an air of disdain for the party's donors that is usually confined to the barroom conversations of political operatives.
The presentation explains the Republican fundraising in simple terms.
"What can you sell when you do not have the White House, the House, or the Senate...?" it asks.
The answer: "Save the country from trending toward Socialism!"
It's nice to see some actual proof that the conservative movement's cries of socialism are blatantly manufactured, although sadly this rhetoric has actual consequences in places like Montana, where anti-statist radicals like Roger Koopman have their delusional paranoia underscored by establishment Republican fund-raising pitches. The result: some real whack-a-loons get to craft legislature.
But then most of the GOP has abandoned any pretense of aspiring to govern. The important thing is to win. Win elections, win media coverage, win with bumper-sticker slogans.
Carla's post the other day reminded me of a prediction I made after Montana's Supreme Court decided that physician-aided death with dignity was not against Montana state law that state social conservatives would rush to pass a bill that make it illegal.
The rush is on, led by Republican state Senator Greg Hinkle.
Now, no one ever claimed Hinkle was the sharpest tool in the toolbox, but check out his statement on physician-assisted suicide, and why he's passing a bill outlawing it:
On top of working on drafting a bill for stricter DUI laws, Hinkle currently introduced a bill to illegalize physician-assisted suicide, which was made legal in a Supreme Court decision this past year.
Hinkle explained that physician assisted suicide does not deal with someone who is terminally ill or on a life support system where their family members can decide turn it off. Hinkle used the example of going into diabetic shock, which is under the terminally ill category and something a person can recover from. However, now that this bill has passed, a doctor can say that a person is permanently ill and can decide to kill that person, even if they could have the potential to recover.
"You no longer have control of your own life," said Hinkle. "I'm laying the groundwork, the bill has just been drafted and will get really big as time goes on."
Er...what? Senator Hinkle's obviously confusing a "living will" with "physician-aided suicide."
This is such a bone-headed "understanding" of what physician-aided suicide is that it makes me wish the state legislature had a penalty box for legislators, where the worst incompetents could be stashed away for the session and allowed to do no harm to the body politic.
In an about face or should I say if it is in my district it is ok to spend money, Republicans want the state to spend freed up general fund money on pet projects in their districts claiming that the recovery act creates jobs. Yes, Republicans claiming the recovery act creates jobs. Last time I checked Government doesn't create jobs, businesses create jobs.
Now it might be confusing to someone, but Montana was in a unique situation when congress pass the recovery act - we had money. So, the legislature created a $20 million dollar grab bag of general fund money for local governments to spend. These are not federal recovery act dollars. Remember the rubber-tilled tennis courts in Bozeman was out of this free for all.
Now Republicans are all in a fuss over Schweitzer holding and saving the remaining $3.5 million until we have a better picture of the budget. It shouldn't make anyone blink, these are the same Republicans who said we have "too much in the bank" when the Governor vetoed some unnecessary spending.
The latest pork project Republican to jump for the bacon was Sen. Jim Peterson. No one should be surprised by that -- Sen. Peterson has been living off the tax trough for some time.
Someone said it best, if you take the hypocrisy out of politics you won't have any politicians left. But you can't have it both ways - spend in my district, but cut the budget. Now I just wish reporters in Montana could pick up on this hypocrisy.
A week ago last Saturday Dennis made one of his stops through Lewistown, this one to keynote a Republican dinner in town. Denny exhorted my fellow Fergus County residents in his best Jimmy Swaggart imitation to "Start sending money!" and "Money sends a message!"
And then he proceeded regale them with stories of his father's run for Congress against John Melcher. (Isn't it great that we have our political dynastys in Montana, just like they do in Texas and Louisiana?).
He proceeded to tell the audience about his dad running against John Melcher for Congress in 1969 in a special election, and losing by 1 vote. Now I can't find a trace of an election that close involving Dennis's Daddy in 1969. But, he did lose to John Melcher in 1970 by 34,330 votes. John beat him by 29.2 percentage points in that election.
Just another one of Dennis's fantasies that he like to propogate--like the one that he actually has done anything for Montana in his decade in office.
Update: (from Jay) Got a mail from a Rehberg staffer clarifying Rehberg's story:
The race where his dad lost by one vote wasn't the 1970 race against Melcher. It was the 1969 GOP Convention at the Yugo Inn where the GOP picked its candidate for the special election to run against the Democratic nominee, Melcher. Denny's father lost the convention primary vote by a single vote to Bill Mather who then went on to lose the special election to Melcher.
The next year, his dad lost the general election to Melcher as indicated in the post. I suspect the nuance was lost in translation between the telling and re-telling of the story - an error in reporting, not in the facts of the story. There's certainly no dishonesty in the story, and accusations of lying are pretty serious. I hope you'll consider adding an editor's disclaimer to that post.
For the last week, Compassion & Choices has been airing television ads in Montana during the Olympic coverage to inform citizens about their legal right to aid in dying.
Two physicians and a Montana patient speak in the ads about choice and autonomy at the end of life.
If you have questions or need more information about end-of-life options for Montana, please call Compassion & Choices toll free at 1-800-247-7421.
Note: The following perspective is from Thomas Michael Power. Dr. Power is former Chair of the Economics Department at the University of Montana, where he currently serves as a Research Professor. Dr. Power is also the author of Lost Landscapes and Failed Economies: the Search for a Value of Place and Post-Cowboy Economics: Pay and Prosperity in the New American West.
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The development of renewable energy resources has become an increasingly important part of our nation's and states' current energy strategies. Most states have mandated that electric utilities obtain an increasing share of their electric supply from renewable sources. Federal and state governments have provided significant subsidies to those who develop new renewable energy resources, and energy firms are enthusiastically responding to those subsidies.
A source close to the Montana Democratic Party just sent me a tip that tickets for the 2010 Mansfield Metcalf event are nearly sold out and going fast.
Just the other day I had heard there were plenty of tickets, but apparently that's changed. Here's what the IR says about the event:
Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Udall of Colorado, and Stephanie Schriock, the new president of Emily's List, are the main speakers at the Montana Democratic Party's 32nd annual Mansfield-Metcalf Dinner in Helena March 13.
You'll probably recall that they've been selling a lot quicker in the last few years, but this is quicker than I thought they'd sell out.
Do yourself a favor and get your own tickets before you pass this link on to your friends.
One vote by a Kentucky senator has snatched away the social safety net of thousands of Montanans.
Meet Sen. Jim Bunning, evidently the most selfish, ridiculously partisan member of Congress.
His single vote prevents Congress from moving forward to provide a one-month extension of unemployment and COBRA benefits that will help millions of Americans in need - including thousands of out-of-work Montanans.
Senate Democrats have tried repeatedly this week to approve the extension. However, they can't act due to Bunning's objections.
As a result, nearly 1.2 million jobless workers in America will no longer have these safety nets as of Feb. 28.
In Montana, Bunning's maneuver affects 2,869 people. By June, the number will increase to 15,521.
It's an unbelievably petty act on Bunning's part. Montana workers are losing their jobs. Small businesses are struggling to stay open.
Bunning's action is a crushing blow to our already critically ailing economy. We need leaders in Congress to step up, take action and help Montanans.
Thankfully our own senators, Max Baucus and Jon Tester, have shown their support for measures to help workers here and to help get the state's economy moving again.
The so-called champion of alternative energy - what he called "clean and green" -- led the charge of the State Land Board in lowering the minimum bid price for the Otter Creek coal from 25 cents to 15 cents a ton.
His actions and his vote were bad enough. But they were accompanied by this outrageous statement:
"The policy deciding whether there will be coal-mining is not set in Helena, it is set in Washington, D.C.," he said shortly before the vote. "If this board votes not to lease coal at any price, there will still be development at Otter Creek."
So, if I understand this correctly: Policies emanating from Washington, DC, are good and must be followed?
Seems like this is the guy who has made a career of running against Washington, DC, often referring to it as a cesspool. After all, he proudly thumbed his nose at the feds over REAL ID and told the US government to shove it up its ass. He didn't like it and wasn't afraid to say so.
Hell. He was all over the national media. He basked for weeks in the glow of the spotlight even though it was a legislative resolution and he had no official role in it whatsoever. The resolution required no action on his part. None. A safe and sanitary act of defiance.
Observers erroneously concluded this bright star from the West was the real hero. Sorry. The hypocrite that he is was just acting. Most of his five years in office have been an act.
"Clean and green"? Foreget it. That was a sideshow and grist for the 2008 election cycle. No, for this guy, some national energy policies must be followed, now matter how ill-advised, no matter how dispicable. With the dirty corporate coal lobbyists leading the way, national energy policy ensures dirty coal is king. They have hundreds of millions to spend to fight any Congressional effort, no matter how lame, to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
And, the "Good Gov," as he is so reverently referred to in the postings on LiTW, did what he said he wouldn't do: Give our resourves away. Where he could have made a difference, he chose to lead by following corporate dogma and money.
Has he ever said he believes that coal contributes to climate change and global warming Don't think so. His escape is 'clean coal technology' and and a boondoggle known as carbon sequestration.
So, tell me, Governor, when an 80-car coal train passes through Helena, how many thousands of tons of carbon dioxide will be prevented because of clean coal technology? Or, sequestered by carbon sequesatration?
Like you, he knows the answer. None.
The Otter Creek episode is a tragedy that will unfold for decades and centuries to come. The December and February votes represent pandering to corporate interests at its very worst.
Off course, the issue was framed as one in support of economic development and job creation for eastern Montana. But, tell me: Is there an example of a coal-producing anywhere on this planet where coal mining produces prosperity in the region where the mining takes place?
Yes, it took two other votes to deliver the coup d grace. One Democrat led two others into the abyss. With a 66 percent approval rating, this guy can do no wrong. Or, so it seemed. Just imagine what would have happened had five Republicans occupied these statewide offices.
Oh, and one last thing: What happens when there are no bids at the 15 cent minimum bid? It is abundantly clear that the coal industry colluded not to bid at 25 cents. Since the December vote, it has had us by the testes.
In unison now, along with the the Schweitzer trio,"We want to show we can be just like Wyoming and give away our resources. Just name your price. We'll approve it. Trust us. If it doesn't all work out, we'll blame it on Washington, DC."
