Posted By: Madame Fleur

August 25, 2008

While everyone is debating the pros and cons of Obama’s pick of Joe Biden for VP, a small scandal is erupting in Montana surrounding Governor Schweitzer.

The scandal won’t make the national headlines, but the issue underlying it is at the heart of Obama’s message: American politics are in dire need of change. When what is right for the American people takes a backseat to political one-upmanship, there is something very wrong.

In April, the Montana Republican State party filed a complaint against Brian Schweitzer for distributing a Public Service Announcement for Ag Week, a week of recognition and thanks for Montana ’s farmers and ranchers.

Montana law bans the use of state funds to produce PSAs featuring an officeholder who has officially declared his candidacy and the GOP alleges that Schweitzer did just that.

The Governor’s office argued that no state money was used to buy advertising time and stated:

“The governor believes it’s important to tout Montana, and one way he does that is by communicating. (The law) was not designed to stop the governor from asking the people of Montana to thank farmers and ranchers.”

University of Montana Law Professor William Corbett , who was appointed as hearings examiner for the case, recommended this week that Governor Schweitzer pay a fine of $750 for violating the state law. The official ruling will be made at a later date by Commissioner of Political Practices Dennis Unsworth.

Corbett allowed that part of the state ethics law is ambiguous, but he found that using state employees and facilities to produce the PSA constituted the use of state funds and that Governor Schweitzer should be found guilty and fined.

If found guilty, what will this mean for Montana and its Governor?

In Idaho, Governor Butch Otter is a great promoter of the Idaho Meth Project. In Wyoming, Governor Dave Freudenthal is promoting the Wyoming Energy Council. According to the Helena Independent Record:

“Since the complaint was filed, Schweitzer has turned down requests to do PSAs to promote the Butte Folk Festival, to be in a video production greeting Montana troops in Iraq, to congratulate Montana high school graduates and to appear with the U.S. surgeon general to discourage under-age drinking.”

Is that what the Republicans want?

A technicality to prevent our Governor from greeting our troops in Iraq ? To keep him from making TV ads that discourage teens from drinking alcohol? In light of this case, it can be easy to forget which party has made such an issue of supporting the troops. And which party was it again that claimed to be the party that represents “family values?”

"It's not enough to change the political party in the White House," Obama said. "We need to change how politics are done and open it up to the American people."

Let us put an end to political competition overwhelming public service. It’s time that we select leaders who can lead by example, leaders who value ethics above personal gain.

Obama speaks of change, and the above story exemplifies exactly why change is so sorely needed in Washington, Montana and America.