Friday, September 01, 2006

 

Impotent old gun-slinger politicians shoot selves in feet

The myth of the American West still exists in the mannerisms and posturings of too many politicians. Maybe it’s the Barry Goldwater Syndrome.

People like Allan Simpson, Ted Stevens, Dick Cheney, and Conrad Burns love to stand up, hitch up their britches, and make some hard-ass pronouncement about something or other that’s usually completely idiotic. What they are is old men, afraid of being seen as in decline and impotent, trying to act like the fastest young guns in the west. Stumbling old bull elk who are destined to become coyote food.

Lately, Montana’s senator, Conrad Burns has been shooting off his mouth—and, actually, doing a fine job of hitting himself in the foot.


Election Central
MT-SEN: Burns Urges Gov To Declare Fire Emergency -- A Month After Gov Had Already Done So
By Greg Sargent
http://electioncentral.tpmcafe.com/blog/electioncentral/2006/sep/01/mt_sen_burns_urges_gov_to_declare_fire_emergency_a_month_after_gov_had_already_done_so
GOP Senator Conrad Burns -- already reeling from a string of gaffes -- has done it again. It appears that he sent a letter to Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer urging him to declare a fire state of emergency. But there was just one problem: Schweitzer had already done so -- more than a month earlier. Whoops! Another gaffe involving fires -- and one that made him look out of touch with his constituents, to boot. More clowning with Burns after the jump.

From the Montana Missoulian:

U.S. Sen. Conrad Burns urged Gov. Brian Schweitzer to declare a fire state of emergency Thursday and activate the Montana Army National Guard for firefighting -- more than a month after Schweitzer had already done so.

In a brief letter faxed to the governor's office Thursday, Burns expressed his concern about the 156,000-acre Derby Mountain fire near Columbus.

“Entire ranches have been consumed and homes have been lost,” Burns wrote. “Based on these conditions, I am requesting that you declare a state of emergency.”

However, Schweitzer had declared such a state of emergency on July 11 - thus activating the Montana Army National Guard. He issued a second declaration on Aug. 11.

Though a Burns spokesman defended the action as an effort to make sure all bases were covered, Schweitzer, a Dem, couldn't resist a tongue-in-cheek dig at the flailing Burns:

Schweitzer spent part of Thursday at the Derby Mountain fire.

“Senator Burns has a lot of important things (he's) doing in Washington, D.C.,” he said. “So maybe the things we've already been doing on the fires for the last 45 days, well, it just slipped by him.”

Comments: Post a Comment

<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?