For Those of You Who Haven’t Picked Up Your Copy of The Indy Yet

February 26, 2009 in Environment, John Bohlinger, Montana, Montana Republicans

by jhwygirl

At least go check out the online edition. Jesse Froehling has the feature this week with a profile of Lt. Governor John Bohlinger. It. Is. Fabulous. I may be not-so-secretly in love with the guy (Bohlinger), but really – it’s a great profile. Good insight into the Republican side of things, too. Must read.

Another must-read is George Ochenski’s mid-session review. He, too, isn’t very happy with the “offensive bills” running up the score against the environment. Ochenski, of course, discusses the issue much better than I ever could.

Do not miss either.

8 Replies

goof houlihan

February 26, 2009 at 9:09 pm

I think I’m a pretty moderate person, but even I think that a person who claims to be a republican needs to support republican candidates; just as surely as a person who claims to be a democrat needs to show support for that party’s candidates. The best moderates do walk a fine line in partisan politics, certainly, and many times they cross the line to support a moderate candidate from the other party.

But it strains my credulity to think that John Bohlinger hasn’t met a single republican candidate he could support in five years.

Reply
- jhwygirl
  
  February 26, 2009 at 9:19 pm
  
  ahh…McCain?
  
  Reply
goof houlihan

February 26, 2009 at 9:28 pm

Could be presidential, that wouldn’t be my first thought. But it could be Senator, congressman, any of the state’s row officers, heck I’d take a county commissioner candidate as an example…but NONE just doesn’t cut it.

You, jh, and I, have had this back and forth, where you’ve not seen any republican candidates you’d support when we’ve talked ” what makes a moderate”. I understand that, because you’re not an avowed Republican. Again, I’m looking for independent confirmation of his “Republicanism”. Call it an…audit.

What evidence over the last five years, other than his own claim, do we have that he is a “republican”?

Reply
- jhwygirl
  
  February 27, 2009 at 6:31 am
  
  I guess a question might be for someone like me, or Bohlinger – Who is a moderate Republican? Who isn’t susceptible to party-line politics?
  
  I’ve got to admit that my somewhat immersion this year in the legislative session has been both disappointingly and somewhat surprisingly eye-opening. I’ve seen less-than-a-handful of Republicans that crossed the aisle on bills that were certainly of a democratic mindset, and I’ve seen (disappointingly) some democrats who voted in support of stuff that they not only debated against, but where they changed their vote even as it was on the board.
  
  So there are strings pulled, and puppets – sometimes.
  
  The thing that adds a complexity to that – for me – is that not all issue is equal. There are issues that have a degree of greater importance. So, in the case of CHIP funding and HB157? And the subsequent chicanery that went on in the senate appropriations? That’s a pretty important issue to me….voters overwhelmingly approved that measure, and yet we’ve got people like Nooney – who tries to frame himself a moderate – calling it “socialized medicine.” He’s willing to play politics and talk party-line bull* with children.
  
  I’m searching, really – because in the scheme of things, I think I have a conservative side in me. Maybe not a whole side..maybe just a toe or two…
  
  But now I’ve worked myself to this question, goof – what, exactly, has Bohlinger done, ideologically, that demonstrates he’s not a Republican? I mean – the way he’s treated, I doubt a moderate Republican would approach him and ask for an endorsement. Would a political candidate want an unsolicited endorsement from someone like Bohlinger? Would a Republican?
  
  I kinda doubt it – but then again, I’ve never run for office. I have, though, been asked for an endorsement…and in the past, I’ve endorsed a Republican for county commissioner. Did radio ads for the guy for 3 terms – and you know what? When it was politically advantageous for him to drop the issue – the issue where my endorsement meant gold to him – he did it, and screwed me in the process.
  
  Reply
klemz

February 26, 2009 at 10:03 pm

We should see if he has a hedge fund connection.

Reply
goof houlihan

February 26, 2009 at 10:16 pm

Aug. 14 (Bloomberg) — Democrats are collecting more than two-thirds of the campaign donations from employees of the biggest hedge funds and buyout firms, as the party taps into one of Wall Street’s fastest-growing sources of wealth.

Of the $7.4 million contributed by employees of the 100 largest hedge funds and 50 biggest buyout firms in 2005-06, Democrats received $5 million, Federal Election Commission records show. The biggest checks went to congressional campaign committees led by New York Senator Charles Schumer and Illinois Representative Rahm Emanuel, which took in $2.8 million.

I think that would be counter productive.

Reply
problembear

February 26, 2009 at 10:19 pm

i think i have mentioned this before but many of the volunteers that i rub shoulders with in aiding the plight of the poor are republicans. some of them pretty right wing. i get along with all of them. they are good people. heroes really – who believe in certain ideals which they know are never really attained in practice. just like many good democrats have ideals that they realize cannot be attained 100%. usually what we talk about does not involve politics. it involves what we need to do to help extremely stressed people get through the day with as much help as we can with limited resources. i admire the work ethic of all of them- liberals, right wing conservatives, independents as we all work toward a common goal. in my experience from what i have seen, a person’s worth has very little to do with his politics.

sometimes the labels don’t really mean anything in the real world. i can certainly see how two men like schweitzer and bohlinger can work so well together regardless of party. happens to me all the time.

Reply
Lizard

February 26, 2009 at 10:57 pm

ahhh, the two party dysfunction rears its ugly head, yet again. plenty of struggling constituents from the right/left dynamic are beginning to realize, at the national level, party affiliation is and has been shamelessly exploited to keep the masses divided. at this point, i think the level of partisan belief is equal to the level of monetary investment one has in this failed capitalist system.

Reply

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