Debby Barrett Hates Big Government (Except for Farm Subsidies, Which She Loves)
Senator Barrett and Representative Welborn faithfully toe the party line about Big Government. They've repeatedly said that it's too intrusive, too heavy on programs for undeserving people, too expensive.
This hasn't stopped them and other Republican politicians from benefitting mightily from tax-payer supported farm subsidy programs. Debby Barrett, between 1995-2009, raked in $123,378.00. Welborn, new to the game, has garnered only $972.00 so far.
This data comes from a study done by The Policy Institute in Helena. It highlights the hypocrisy of right-wing politicians railing at costly Big Government programs while enthusiastically taking advantage of them.
Representative Denny Rehberg was chosen by UMW's administration to give the commencement address at this year's graduation ceremony. He bailed out, though, when he learned that his daughter's graduation ceremony was on the same day.
So the hundreds of Western students who receive Pell Grants were spared the experience of hearing from a commencement speaker who thinks they're a bunch of bums.
In an interview given in late March to Blog Talk Radio, Rehberg said: "So you can go to college on Pell Grants -- maybe I should not be telling anybody this because it's turning out to be the welfare of the 21st century. You can go to school, collect your Pell Grants, get food stamps, low-income energy assistance, Section 8 housing, and all of a sudden we find ourselves subsidizing people that don't have to graduate from college. And there ought to be some kind of commitment and endgame."
That Rehberg, who inherited wealth and has never had to worry about paying for college or anything else, has contempt for lower-income people is obvious.
Denny Rehberg, Other Extremists, Vote to "Redefine" Rape
H.R. 3, passed in the House of Representatives by all Republicans (and twelve anti-choice Democrats), sought to redefine rape, especially for poor women who depend on Medicaid.
If the bill had become become law, the government would not have been allowed to assist women paying for abortions under the following situations: (1) if they were drugged or verbally threatened before being raped, (2) if they were minors impregnated by adults, (3) if they said no but didn't physically fight off their rapists for fear of being murdered.
By their vote, Rehberg and the other extremists signaled their belief that there's nothing wrong with drugging women and having sex with their unconscious bodies. Or having sex with minors. Or frightening women enough that they're afraid to fight back against their rapists.
Fortunately, this bill didn't go very far. Senate Democrats blocked it. If it had somehow gotten through the senate, President Obama would've vetoed it.
What the vote reveals is how thoroughly Denny Rehberg has abandoned ordinary morality to gratify his extreme right-wing backers.
And this guy wants to replace Jon Tester, a man whose morality has never been in question, as one of our senators. We must do all we can to make sure this doesn't happen!
Rehberg Considers Pell Grant Recipients Parasites
Beaverhead Democrats Elect New Officers, Plan 2012 Events
In a December 3d meeting, Beaverhead Democrats elected Louise Bruce the new chairperson and Mike Mosolf the new vice-chair. Jane Maddock will continue to serve as secretary and Richard Turner will continue as treasurer.
George Johnston and Mary Jo O'Rourke will retain their positions as state committee delegates.
It was also decided that a Jefferson-Jackson Dinner will occur sometime in April. We'll be sure to invite Democratic candidates for state and national offices to the dinner.
Other topics -- drafting advisory position statements on a number of issues, supporting candidates, fund raising, and campaigning strategies -- were discussed.
NY Times: Denny Rehberg Gets Mining Industry Backing While Endangering the Lives of Mine Workers
Eric Lipton, writing in the New York Times on December 23d, describes in some detail how deeply Denny Rehberg is in the pocket of the coal industry. In exchange for large donations from that industry, Rehberg is willing to risk the lives of workers and cost the federal government billions of dollars in disability payments.
Rehberg, writes Lipton, "pushed through a provision for the 2012 federal budget that blocks the enforcement of a new regulation that would have cut in half the amount of ambient coal dust permitted in mines. Inhalation of the tiny coal particles is blamed for pneumoconiosis, or black lung, a preventable disease that has taken thousands of lives and cost the federal government an estimated $44 billion in federal disability payments since the 1970s."
Lipton's piece details Rehberg's obeisance to the mining industry, how he has pushed for land swaps that would benefit mining companies at the expense of taxpayers, lobbied against safety regulations that protect miners, and fought to open copper mining in pristine Montana wilderness.
Mining companies have rewarded Rehberg with the seventh-most donations of all House and Senate members. Just in the two past years, mining industry executives and companies, including Murray Energy, Arch Coal, and Cloud Peak Industry, have donated nearly $100,000 to Rehberg's senate campaign against Jon Tester.
