The rhetoric in the race for Montana’s congressional seat had already reached laughable levels. But it somehow intensified further after Rehberg Ranch Estates – owned by incumbent Rep. Denny Rehberg and his wife, Jan – filed a lawsuit against the city of Billings alleging that it didn’t do enough to protect the subdivision from a wildfire that consumed 1,200 acres two years ago.
No homes were engulfed but land, fences and water pipes were scorched because, according to the lawsuit, the fire department “carelessly abandoned the scene of a fire that it had not adequately suppressed during hot and windy conditions.”
Billings officials have defended the fire department’s response and one city councilor even e-mailed his colleagues: “Sounds to me like another lawyer looking for a payday. Maybe we need a rule to require Rehberg Ranch LLC to keep the brush down.”
A battle of press releases ensued. The Republican congressman and his attorney, Cliff Edwards, took pains to emphasize their adoration for firefighters and stress that this wasn’t their preferred course of action, while Rehberg’s Democratic opponent, Dennis McDonald, jumped at the chance to paint the incumbent as ungrateful.
McDonald: “The taxpayers of the city of Billing are outraged and frankly, I can’t blame them. Rehberg’s lack of character and silver spoon mentality is going to make life tougher for the taxpayers of Billings.”
Rehberg: “It’s unfortunate that some folks are mischaracterizing this situation for political gains. The appreciation I expressed to the front-line firefighters back in 2008 is the same appreciation I feel today.”
Then the state Republican and Democratic parties filled the inboxes, with Dems asserting Rehberg had sullied our most patriotic of holidays:
Dems: “For most Montanans, grilling, fireworks, celebrating our freedom and quality time with family comes to mind. Not for Denny Rehberg. While the rest of us were celebrating Independence Day, Denny decided it was a good time to sue Montana firefighters. That’s right, firefighters.”
GOP: “It’s become evident that Congressional Candidate and San Francisco Trial Lawyer for the Mob Dennis McDonald has opted to sling mud instead of engage in substantive discussions about the issues that matter to Montanans. Instead of explaining to Montanans why he thinks Obamacare isn’t liberal enough or telling us what happened to the jobs the stimulus bill he supported was supposed to create, he’s taken the low road with an endless parade of negative attacks.”
Only in the bizarro world of this congressional race can a story about a sitting congressman suing a city over lack of adequate fire protection include references to the mob, personal freedom, silver spoons and barbecuing.
Of course, the “mob lawyer” label is a jibe at McDonald for representing notorious criminal “Jimmy the Weasel” in the 1970s. It’s criticism that the Democrat will have a difficult time skirting between now and the general election. But now it’s apparent that McDonald has found his own anecdote to back up his assertion that Rehberg is at once greedy and detached.
The Democrat is likening Rehberg’s lawsuit to former Republican Sen. Conrad Burns’ outburst in 2006, when he told a group of Virginia firefighters at the Billings airport that they were doing a “piss-poor job.” Burns later apologized, but he faced heavy backlash for the comment and later narrowly lost his reelection bid against Democratic Sen. Jon Tester.
This race isn’t quite like that one, though. It’s not on the national radar and is so far a race considered to be a lock for Rehberg. But what it may lack in competitiveness it has made up for with its spite.
If you believe all the accusations, McDonald is a “California attorney” who makes suspect personal decisions, including becoming best friends with a mobster. And Rehberg is a “fake rancher” who makes suspect personal decisions, including boarding a boat that crashed into the shore of Flathead Lake while its captain, a sitting state senator, was allegedly too inebriated to drive.
These candidates are currently falling over each other to demonstrate who appreciates firefighters more. Here are the options from your two major political parties. Any takers?