I have often been disrespectful of Democrats here, saying things like they are a poor excuse for a political party. That’s because I think they are a piss-poor excuse for a party and ought to just fold their tent and clear the way for something that this country has long needed: A second party.
I just spent the last hour and a half here in Billings, Montana walking the perimeter of Riverfront Park while listening to Governor Brian Schweitzer on my IPad. He hosted David Sirota’s morning talk show in Denver.
He is a fighter. He used the platform this morning to promote two things: the Keystone Pipeline and single payer health care for Montana. (He knows the SP cannot be done in DC, as everyone is bought there, but can be done locally.) He would base it on the Saskatchewan model. The similarities between that province and Montana are many, in population density, occupations and income levels. However, Saskatchwanians (?) all have health care when they need it at half per capita what we pay and live two years longer than Americans. They also have lower infant mortality. (In terms of health care, the US now ranks 38th, behind Costa Rica.)
Enough about that. I don’t know what to think about Keystone, and want to know more. Schweitzer gave the forum to the president of the company that wants to build it, no opposition or questioning allowed. That was bad.
But here is the thing about Schweitzer: He fights for things. He’s not bought on the pipeline, but rather believes it is a good thing. He’s a different kind of Democrat, strong, aggressive and smart. He knows the art of compromise, but not the Obama reach-around*. Schweitzer will indeed reach around in compromising with you, but only to lift your wallet.
That’s all it takes to be a good Democrat – be strong, clever, believe in things, and fight for us. He’s the only one I have met that has those qualities.
He had a few good lines as well. He is really entertaining. Before cutting to a Denver traffic report, he gave the Montana report: “There are three cars at a four-way stop and they are trying to decide who goes first.” Also, “Remember if you are driving in Montana, that sign says 75 MPH, and we mean it. Set cruise control on 82, and leave it there”
How refreshing.
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*The idea that Obama compromises is mythology. He is merely a con man, and not even bought. He is a Republican.
Piece of Mindful 
Keystone XL is a horribly divisive project. The unions in montana support it because of all the union construction jobs it will create. But then there are all the environmental problems, from what is happening at the tar sands, and the ogallala aquifer that it will cross, and groundwater contamination from leakages. Then there’s the social issues of the tribes in canada being exploited and health issues from the tar sands, water pollution. Political problems with oil coming into the U.S. and whether not it is just going to get shipped to China. Exxon/Imperial Oil’s moving huge pieces of gear from construction in Korea to Canada via highways in Montana.
So yeah, Schweitzer is smart to stay our of all the crap surrounding Keystone, and just support he unions. Because it doesn’t matter wht happens in Montana, the decision is going to be made by Obama and the State dept, and there’s plenty of pushback there about greater issues than union jobs.
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I have been told ad nauseum that I can’t have everything I want and should settle for less. I agree with that. The problem has always been that we get nothing in return for something. My point is that I don’t get everything I want with Schweitzer. If he was in agreement with me on most things, he would not be electable.
But I get something, and not nothing and not a fake liberal like Obama, fighting for the other side.
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Schweitzer has been an environmental nightmare. Neoliberal, crony-capitalist on most all environmental issues. Deregulated Montana Environmental Policy Act, once Montana’s only real regulatory mechanism to keep polluters, rapers and scrapers in check. That’s gone now thanks to Schweitzer. Coal on school trust lands was handed over to developers at .15 cents a ton. Logging quotas doubled. Wolves are being slaughered. And not a single impaired waterbody (not meeting state water quality sandards) has been taken off the “impaired” Clean Water Act list in his term as governor. Over 1,100 are listed. He is a showman, but there’s plenty of other entertainment out there. There’s only one governor, and he blew it. Not since Metcalf has any Democrat in Washington, or the governor’s office, given a damn about Montana’s environment. Good riddance.
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I needed that. Thanks. I’m just not up to speed.
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Right now people are dying for lack of health care, so we need a single payer system. However, one of the reasons people are dying is that industries have polluted our food, water, and air so that disease is all around us. And drug companies no longer are interested in cures . Our elected officials shovel money at these devils. So we are totally screwed. It’s crappy that we are forced to choose the less stupid and evil feudal lord. But I do prefer an upfront politician to a con artist, as you say. With the Hope decimater we already have a crap health insurance scam and, if re-elected, he would allow Keystone. More oil grabs like Libya. More mineral grabs in Africa. Ratcheting up militarism in Australia. More surveillance of Americans. More Monsanto. Ugh. I prefer to read stories of mutual aid at the Occupies.
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