| When Mike Dennison's story on PSC 2 the other day earned the headline descriptor, "unusually combative," that was not hyperbole.
At the center of it all is PSC Commissioner Brad Molnar.
The irony -- or typical response -- is that it's always someone else's fault than his own. In the Dennison piece, Molnar blames his bad publicity on an "environmentalist-liberal crusade." Yet Ron Tussing, Molnar's opponent, and his campaign manager Mary Jo Fox are anything but liberal crusaders. Fox, who has several complaints out against Molnar with the Commissioner of Political Practices, is a former Republican and even worked in Marc Racicot's office during his tenure as governor.
Commenting on the eight complaints filed against him by Mary Jo Fox, Molnar cries "political harassment."
"I'm not aware of anything I've done that is wrong," he says. "(The complaints are) to make me use up time and money responding to them. It's to generate negative headlines, period: 'Molnar defends this, or that, blah, blah, blah.' "
But as you've already seen on this site, it seems clear that Molnar violated his office's trust in soliciting and receiving funds from corporations that the PSC regulates. Funds Molnar initially used to promote an energy-savings event, but then later used to help his campaign.
Molnar's interview with Montana Headlines made it clear's he's a partisan hack and a bully, with numerous unfounded and baseless personal attacks on anybody who disagrees with him. As Pogie pointed out when this interview first appeared:
In much the same way, I have to wonder why the pro-Brad Molnar Montana Headlines blog would post its interview with the man. I don't even feel like I need to make any editorial comment about Molnar-his words for speak for themselves.
For that reason, I highly recommend that you visit a few pages produced by conservatives as you consider your choices for the November election.
Brad Molnar, demonstrating his charming personality, grasp of facts, and general disposition, in two parts.
(And Molnar's jokes about his assaults? While he doesn't have any convictions, I found record of at least two incidents in which he was accused of assault. But, again, like with everything else, it's always someone else's fault.)
The latest is a Tussing/Fox request to release all of Molnar's emails sent from his PSC account. Molnar doesn't want to share his emails because some of them are "private." Mike Dennison:
Whether Molnar has any right to privacy regarding use of his office computer and e-mail account is debatable. State employees and officials sign a consent form that says their computer and its contents can be examined at any time, and that they have no expectation of privacy.
Greg Jergeson said the only privacy right he can imagine is for a third party who sends information to Molnar at his office, such as a constituent relating personal information.
"Debatable"? In that only Brad Molnar debates his government email account isn't supposed to be used for government work? And he thinks we don't have a right to know that he's been using taxpayer money to conduct business dealings or political work? That'll come as a surprise to the Missoula council members who were busted for sending email during town meetings.
Here's the Molnar money quote:
"This is not like we're giving it to the press," Molnar said. "It's like we're going to give it to someone for political purposes who can and will manipulate documents. Before we send it out, we need to be cognizant of who we're sending it to."
Attention, Brad Molnar. The press does not have a special status in our society. Your political opponents are members of the public, and as such, like the press, they have a right to know what you're up to while you're at work in a publically elected office.
But it's just another political ploy, right Brad? |
