Page 28 - Flathead Beacon // 2.19.14

28 | FEBRUARY 19, 2014
FLATHEADBEACON.COM

OPINION

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LETTERS
own actions. He was (and is) a willing on the November ballot. While it does
participant in this whole afair letting not go far enough, it is a step to let our
ONLINE STORIES
personal gain and partisan politics trump legislators know that we the people insist
any consideration of the principles that so on honesty, transparency, and reasonable
many of our citizens would like to see in campaign inance laws. Hopefully the
FLATHEADBEACON.COM
our elected oicials. This type of dishonest legislature will create these reporting
BAUCUS’ REAL LEGACY
political manipulation is sickening. The guidelines and move on to set limits on
Your cover story on Sen. Max Baucus conclusion of obvious: voting for Walsh is what individual candidates can spend in
(Feb. 12 Beacon: “The Baucus Era”), a vote for an airmation and continuation future election campaigns and eliminate
missed a key point – he was self-serving As More Oil Rides of this type of corruption.
outside money and special interest PACs
irst, and public serving second. To wit, the Rails, BNSF
Prepares For the from determining who our Montana
when he was contemplating running Mark Agather elected oicials will be.
for oice years ago, he walked into the Worst
Kalispell
The petition gives notice to our
oices of the Missoulian and asked which legislators in the 2014 session that we the
party’s lag he should run under, for better LETTER: Politics SUPPORT TRANSPARENT people want an end to corruption through
chances of winning. An opportunicrat Before Principle
CAMPAIGN FINANCING
legislation for transparent campaign
from the start.
Petitions are circulating to put inancing. For more information go to
Then, of course, as you have pointed Skiers Fall Through Initiative 168 on the November ballot.
out, his legacy with the Afordable Care the Ice at Lake This “Sunshine in Political Spending Act” http://stopdarkmoney.com. Please sign
and circulate a petition!
Act. He, the recipient of a single-payer, McDonald
is “to bring integrity back to Montana
low-deductible, taxpayer-subsidized politics through transparency and Mimi Milheim
premium health care plan for 40 years, Kalispell Legislator accountability of political contributions Dayton
said no to such a plan for his employer, ‘Shocked’ at 24/7 DUI and expenditures...”
the citizens of the state. How did he get Do we want to be a nation of, by and POLITICAL COMMERCIAL AN
away with such behavior? His employers Decision
for secret PACs, or a land of, by and for the EMBARASSMENT
let him. Thank God he’s leaving, I’ve been people? We should all be united to keep I am certain many of you have
Kalispell Airport to
Maxed out for years.
Ofer Nonstop Summer our cherished election process free from seen the very costly commercials on
Flights to Portland
false information. I-168 would eliminate TV supporting Rep. Steve Daines and
JohnMarshall “dark money,” which is unlimited and attacking interim Sen. John Walsh.
Hot Springs
A New Glacier unidentiied campaign money fueling Apparently, Daines subscribes to the old
secret organizations which often circulate adage that attempting to make others look
POLITICS BEFORE PRINCIPLE
Partnership
untrue information against candidates. bad makes him look good. This political,
Although not unanticipated, the It is a tool of both parties, so this is a expensive, primetime commercial should
news of Gov. Steve Bullock’s appointment The Baucus Era
bipartisan issue.
be an embarrassment to both Daines and

of John Walsh to the vacated Senate seat Oicials Still Some of these secret organizations the Republican Party. It is nothing more
of Max Baucus is a glaring example of the Seeking Information exist only with a post oice box address that the same old dirty polities with dark
self-serving corruption we sufer here in and were used to attack a number of money. It is quite obvious that Daines has
Montana. It conirms partisan politics About Missing Woman
candidates for public oice in Montana an abundance of money in his war chest.
mean more to our governor, senator in 2012. It is a disastrous result of the John Walsh has answered the
and senatorial candidate than genuine Canadian Dollar 2010 U.S. Supreme Court’s unanimous question regarding his military
concern for Montana and our nation.
Dips as U.S. Economy decision in favor of Citizens United.
experience and stands by his actions as
The people of Montana elected Rebounds
A federal and state election law it beneits the Montana National Guard.

Baucus for a full six-year term. Now, 11 Witch Hunter? Or attorney in Terre Haute, Ind., shepherded John Walsh served with distinction and
months short of fulilling that obligation, Citizens United through the U.S. Supreme faithfully concluded his 33-year career
Baucus has abdicated. And why? So he Not?
Court. This decision gave him the as the adjutant general of the Montana
can collect his payback from political opportunity to interfere in 60 election- National Guard. His tenure included
cronies for his support of Obamacare related cases around the country and to two tours in Iraq where he served as
and for political advantage for his party’s raise havoc in Montana.
battalion commander of 700 Montana
candidate in a desperate bid to salvage A Montana attorney with close men and women. I can’t seem to ind
LETTERS
this senatorial seat for a president whose connections to American Tradition Daines’ military record in any of the Tell us what you think. To submit a letter, please e-mail your submission
popularity has set new lows. His duty to Partnership, an organization, which military branches. He is nothing more to [email protected]. Please
our country and to our state was forgotten churned out massive false propaganda, than a political opportunist who has not keep your letter to 300 words or less.
in favor of partisan politics. Baucus, who teamed with the Indiana attorney fulilled his obligations in the House of The Flathead Beacon reserves the right
had experience and expertise garnered to successfully overturn Montana’s Representatives and now wishes to be a to edit letters for length, clarity and
through years of experience, is now Campaign Finance Law. This created senator.
to prevent libel. Letters must include
replaced by a political novice virtually an uncontrollable mechanism for It should be noted that he has the writer’s irst and last name, phone
unknown in our state. How revealing.
the secret organizations, fueled by accepted the endorsement of the Tea number and address for veriication
purposes. Only the name and hometown
Bullock knew, discussed and unidentiied “dark money,” to circulate Party Express. He has failed to support of the writer will be printed. To mail a
participated in this political sham. It untrue information against a number of a bill by Sen. Jon Tester to expand letter, please send to 17 Main Street,
was carefully planned out down to the candidates in 2012.
wilderness and mandate more logging on Kalispell, MT 59901.
last detail, including the timing of the Many individuals have been federal lands in Montana. Hunters and Fax letters to (406) 257-9231.
appointment of Baucus as ambassador to fooled into supporting these actions as anglers and communities that depend on
China. It is obvious our governor had no “freedom of speech.” Issuing slanderous their business every fall must be aware CORRECTIONS
qualms about giving undo advantage to misinformation in attacks against a that Daines has failed to support the If a Beacon story includes a factual
error, please tell us about it. Call
the Democratic candidate for the Senate candidate is ABUSE of free speech. It Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act thus Kellyn Brown at 257-9220; or e-mail to
although he had other options that would has enabled a leadership that attempts far. The next time you see the commercial [email protected]; or fax to
have left the integrity of our elections to intimidate into subjection legislators supporting Daines, remember much of 257-9231.
untainted. But, he too, as usual, put outside of its clique. This is the sort the funding comes from sources outside FLATHEADBEACON.COM
politics before principle.
of subversion we read about in other Montana.
For daily news, local community pages,
Last but not least is the John Walsh countries. Will we permit it to continue video, multimedia, story archives and
himself whose statement that “there are here in Montana?
Jerry Reckin lively online conversation, visit our Web
too many politicians who put their own You can participate in putting an end Kalispell
site at latheadbeacon.com.

political agendas ahead of doing what’s to this form of corruption. Support the
right” is an accurate description of his
petition drive to put Initiative 168 (I-168)