Ochenski busts the rumor-mongers…after the filing date

March 31, 2006 in Montana politics

In the latest Missoula Independent, George Ochenski sums up all the speculation swirling around Burns' seat — who would file, who wouldn't — all the dirt brought to you here at 4&20 blackbirds and our other vitural bretrhen. First, the Burns resignation rumors, and Racicot rumors:

Speculation ran rampant that, despite his incumbency and the burgeoning campaign war chest it has produced, Burns would be dragged down by Abramoff’s promise to “name names” before they send him off to prison. Then former governor Marc Racicot set political tongues wagging when he made a point of contacting editorial boards across the state during a Christmas holiday visit last year.For many pundits, Racicot’s reappearance could mean only one thing—he was planning to jump into the Senate race when Burns got burned in an effort to maintain Republican control of the Senate for the remainder of his friend George W. Bush’s presidency. So important was the race for Burns’ seat, said the wagging tongues, that Racicot was willing to give up his seven-figure salary as head of the American Insurance Association.

Then the Mercer rumors:

Then, just before the filing deadline, John Mercer resigned as Chair of the Board of Regents. Mercer, the longest-serving Speaker of the House in the state’s history, has long been considered a force to be reckoned with and the wagging tongues went nuts. Obviously it would be Mercer, not Racicot, who would step in when Burns went down. And just look, said the pundits, he has renounced the error of his ways on education funding, made a plea to lower tuitions, and praised the U-system as a “lean, mean, fighting machine”—which is kind of a strange description for an institution of higher learning, but right in line with the current Republican rhetoric, in which everything is some kind of war.

And, of course, the Rehberg rumor:

And finally, there was Denny Rehberg, currently Montana’s only member of the U.S. House of Representatives, who would, of course, climb the ladder of political success and, at the last minute, file for Burns’ seat—which would end the struggle of running for office every two years and give him a solid six years between races.

And in the end, of course, it's Burns against Bob Keenan. The biggest surprise of all was that there was no surprise. And Ochenski is to be congratulated for calling the race…after the filing date. Yes, we here at 4&20 (and by we I mean I) were guilty as anybody at rumor-mongering and scuttlebut examining, dirty laundry collecting and rock turning-over, but we ("I") had a good time doing it.

At this point, I want to give a shout out to my loyal reader, Mr. Ochenski, who obviously got some info from this modest site (yes, I was sure Abramoff would "name names" and out our junior Senator). I will continue to work tirelessly and indulge in wild speculation and pass on rumors when I hear 'em. One of these days, I'll be right. Even a broken clock is right twice a day.