L'affaire Baucus is a story that just won't die, despite some claims otherwise by prognosticators.
For starters, in the post of links to the story, I missed editorials from three of Montana's biggest newspapers. The Billings Gazette is surprised at Baucus' judgment. "What was Max Baucus thinking? That his personal relationship with his state director, Melodee Hanes, wouldn't matter when he forwarded her name for consideration as Montana's US attorney?" (The Gazette also provided a handy timeline of the affair.)
The Missoulianexcoriated Baucus for actively suppressing knowledge of his relationship with Hanes during the vetting process of his US attorney nominations:
Eight months ago, when Hanes' name surfaced as one of the nominees for the U.S. attorney's job, the Missoulian asked Sen. Max Baucus' spokesman whether Baucus was involved in a romantic relationship with Hanes - as her ex-husband was alleging - and if so, why Baucus would pursue a course that posed such a clear conflict of interest.
Not only would Baucus not speak directly to the Missoulian, but his then-spokesman, Barrett Kaiser, refused to address the issue and strove to keep any story at all about Hanes' nomination from print. Indeed, the night before the story was to run, Kaiser called the paper and told us that Hanes' nomination had been withdrawn.
With nothing from Baucus on the record, and no way to prove the veracity of Hanes' husband's assertions, the Missoulian couldn't responsibly print the allegations.
(Is it me? Or did they totally drop the ball on this story? What kind of reporter stops investigating a story when the investigated subject refuses to speak about it? They couldn't find anyone else to confirm Baucus' relationship to Hanes? Really?)
Indeed, this isn't the only instance of personal preference getting in the way of ethical politics in the nation's capital. There seems to be a culture of disconnect on what is acceptable behavior in Washington, D.C. Maybe this type of behavior is "above-board" by the standards of the Senate, but not in Montana, and not in places where integrity reigns strong.
For certain, Baucus has done much good for the state of Montana, and for America, having served as a senator since 1979. He's been instrumental in sustaining many of the aspects we enjoy as Montanans and Americans.
But nominating his girlfriend for a high-power position can't be defended. This was a significant lapse in ethical judgment by Baucus, and Montanans should hold him accountable for it.
The Helena IR editorial mentions Jodi Rave's allegation, that Hanes' name was withdrawn, not because she was moving to Washington DC, but was in response to her directly asking Baucus' office about the relationship and the nomination.
And then there's the allegations that Hanes already showed how a too-close relationship negatively affected her job performance. According to Kossak brooklynbadboy (and appearing magically two days later in a Time column by Pat Dawson), Melodee Hanes, as an Iowa prosecutor, refused to reconsider questionable testimony on a child abuse case by a medical examiner with a checkered ethical history - who happened to be her husband.
And it was conservative Ed Morrisey who noted Baucus spent taxpayer money bringing state director Hanes on an international trip - which only adds to the revelation in Politico today that Baucus gave Hanes a $14K taxpayer raise:
Around the time when her relationship with Baucus reportedly "intensified" in the summer of 2008, Hanes's salary jumped $13,687, according to public documents covering the April 1-Sept. 30, 2008, period, to among the highest on the senator's payroll.
The report does go on to mention the rest of his staff received similar raises.
Today, the Missoulian also ran a report that Hanes got involved in Baucus' recent divorce...
I have to say, the lesson here - as always - is that it's the coverup that causes scandal. After all, no one gives a rat's *ss who Baucus is sleeping with, or even that he nominated Hanes for an attorney job - a position she seems well qualified for. No, the anger and irritation from Montana editors and other commenters is how, when, and why Baucus finally disclosed his relationship with Melodee Hanes.
I'm sorry, I tried to be all breezy and cynical about this, but it's time for Democrats to tell Max Baucus that it's time for him to resign. Not because he had an affair with an employee, which doesn't bother me as long as it doesn't bother the employee. But nominating your girlfriend for US Attorney, and then withdrawing the nomination when a paper says they're about to break the story, clearly indicates that you know it's unsavory.
Certainly this whole affair gives liberal Senators the cover they need to remove Baucus' chairmanship of the Senate Tax and Finance committee...
One thing's for certain, this affair makes Christine Niedermeyer's accusations seem more plausible, doesn't it?
