Most of Dennis Rehberg's answers to the Clark Fork Chronicle questionnaire to all Republican congressional candidates could be called at best "creative" if he hadn't used them so often.
For example, his third most ridiculous claim in the questionnaire was:
I am a fifth-Generation Montana rancher from Billings.
When in reality, we know that Rehberg is a wealthy trust-funder who inherited millions then turned the family ranch into a subdivision. In fact, Rehberg is so used to the finer things in life that he tried several times to stick us with the $54 million dollar bill for elite luxury gulf-stream jets to fly lawmakers around. The ultimate luxury perk, these jets are powered Rolls-Royce engines and feature divans that transform into double beds, telephones, pop-up 26 inch LCD monitors, fax machines, DVD players, multiple oversized restrooms and a full service galley.
His second most ridiculous claim was this:
Yet, in just one year of controlling the White House and both chambers of Congress, national Democrats have quadrupled the national deficit as a share of the economy.
THE FACTS:
During rehberg's first term in office, the deficit as a share of the economy quadrupled, during his second term it more than doubled again. In fact, under Dennis Rehberg's watch (not even including the last year he mentions above) the national deficit has increased by 1000% (ten times) as a share of the economy. You can see it for yourself here.
You've already read on this blog how Rehberg and his staff proved themselves liars when Jed Link, a clown and a liar for Rehberg, said he "doesn't believe" a different kind of alcohol policy would have prevented the accident that seriously injured two members of Rehberg's own staff.
"The staff members "were not working."
Rehberg's hack "doesn't believe it" because it is a blatant lie.
Some friends of mine from DC were in town this weekend visiting, and over dinner we were talking about local politics. Both friends had worked for members of Congress in years past--one for more than 10 years. They found the recent story about Rehberg, the accident and the alcohol issues "absolutely mind-blowingly ludacris."
They filled me in on what it means to work for a member of Congress and why Rehberg's actions then and now are indefensible.
The part of the latest Rehberg story infuriated them the most was the claim that the staff "weren't on the clock." They told me that when they were staffing their "member," they were always on the clock - and not just because they are salaried. It was their job to stick to her or him like glue, no matter the time, place or situation. That's they whole reason they were hired.
They said it doesn't matter whether or not it was a "working dinner." When a staffer is with the "member" - s/he is working. Reporters are welcome to ask this of any congressional staffer anywhere. Apparently, this is how it is in every state. Period. End of story.
Second, Rehberg has a responsibility for his staff, he shouldn't put them in dangerous situations where they really can't walk away. He obviously doesn't want to admit his staffers were obviously staffing him, because according to the Department of Labor:
"Employers also have a general duty under the Occupational Safety and Health Act to provide their employees with work and a workplace free from recognized, serious hazards."
What kind of choice were those two staffers offered? Get in the boat being driven by a drunk, or abandon the Congressman, embarrassing him in front of Barkus, and then figure out how to get back to Bigfork on foot? Risk their jobs?
Rehberg put his staff in serious danger and he has never taken responsibility for it. Apparently, in no other state would Rehberg have been allowed to get away with this. But here in Montana, when you combine Rehberg's absurd sense of big-fish-in-a-small-pond entitlement, with a compliant editorial corps that wants its reporters to function as stenographers rather than journalists, you get a big ol' liar and the merry band of liars with whom he's chosen to surround himself.
Birthers, white power militias, Paultards, NotMyBathroomers, Tea Partiers, Truthers-- it's hard to keep track of all the fringe groups that have popped up across the state. But what to do when the extreme ideas of some of these groups take the reigns of the politics of public officeholders?
As a multi-millionaire with a penchant for spending money like a drunken sailor in his personal and political life, Rehberg has always tried to find his pretend "conservativeness" by appealing to the outer limits of the political stratosphere. Since he can't claim to be a fiscal conservative, the fight is now on between Denny Rehberg and his primary opponent as to who is more of a right-wing nut job.
The fight started when a Paultard pretending to be Democrat (Dane Clark) was spotted distributing literature in support of Mark French, the Republican candidate for Congress challenging incumbent Rep. Denny Rehberg.
Only a complete dimwit like Dennis Rehberg would think it was a good idea to pander to these extremes, and far as I am concerned, abject lunatics to try to cover for his reckless spending in Congress.
Even if they don't find out about his duplicity now, Rehberg will pay a price for it in the general election and when he runs for Governor in 2012--when he'll have to answer to the great center of the state.
A friend just forwarded me the latest Dennis Rehberg campaign email, sent out this morning, March 25, 2010, extolling Montanans on the need to practice 'virtues' such as, get this:
"Being a responsible citizen" and "caring for your family."
Dennis Rehberg talking about 'virtue' is like Tiger Woods talking about fidelity.
Rehberg has also been spotted at Bobcat games with the man at the center of the Bozeman prostitution scandal that the national news program Nightline said had political links. (Rehberg donor Bill Martel.) It is unknown on what other outings Rehberg has accompanied Martel.
For these reasons, and so many others, it's unlikely that anyone's going to be asking Dennis Rehberg for a lesson on "virtue."
Montana's only Congressman is out there touting his support for a ban on earmarks (also called "appropriations") for fiscal year 2011. In case you missed this tweet from Dennis Rehberg:
"I supported the GOP-wide EARMARK MORATORIUM. It's time for an all-of-the-above approach to TRUE spending reform. This is only a first step."
So, this means we can expect Dennis Rehberg not to request/support/tout any earmarks for fiscal year 2011, right? That's interesting, considering his fiscal year 2011 earmark request form is on his website. And it's interesting considering he told the Great Falls Tribune just a few weeks ago:
"Earmarks are not the problem... They direct money that already exists within the program to a particular area, because who knows their district more than we do?"
So which is it? Is Congressman Rehberg against earmarks, as he wants Montanans to think, or is he for earmarks, as he wants Montanans to think?
Confused? You're not alone.
Just last year, Dennis Rehberg took credit for "securing" an earmark for the Watson's Children's Shelter in Missoula. That earmark was tucked away in H.R. 2847, a congressional appropriations bill. Here's what Congressman Rehberg said at the time:
"I'm pleased I was able to secure this crucial funding to help make a real difference in the lives of Montana children."
Of course, that was after Congressman Rehberg voted against H.R. 2847... and against funding for the Watson's Children's Shelter.
I guess only a professional politician can "secure" funding by voting against it. Let's see how much funding he "secures" for fiscal year 2011, even though he supports "the GOP-wide EARMARK MORATORIUM."
Dear Republican senators Charles E. Grassley, Orrin Hatch, Richard Shelby and your 52 other colleagues in the Senate and House of Representatives who steadfastly and on principal oppose a public option, despite being on Medicare:
Must be nice.
Not only do you have access to what has to be considered the Rolls Royce of Cadillac health plans, you are also eligible for and take advantage of America's original public option, Medicare. In fact, according to New York Representative Anthony Weiner, a total of 150 of you lawmakers in Washington "currently receive government-funded, government-administered single-payer health care", also known as Medicare.
But you know what? I don't have a beef with the other 95 of your colleagues. It's you 55 I'm interested in.
This is what I call an online two timing double talking phony.
Congressman Rehberg's hypocrisy reached his Facebook page yesterday when he posted his support for Breast Cancer Awareness month on Facebook. (Note: You must be a "fan" to see the post.") In reality, Rehberg voted to deprive Montana women of the mammography benefit that makes a patient aware of breast cancer.
If you are looking for someone who epitomizes hypocrisy, look no further than Representative Rehberg. Montana's lone Congressman voted for H.R. 525 to allow insurance companies not to honor Montana's legal requirement that mammograms be covered, and has recently reiterated his support for allowing insurance companies to purchase insurance across state lines (and therefore ignore Montana laws that assure our benefits).
So, Senate Guru posted a video rounding up all the national Republican scandals in 2007. What have we had here in Montana? I can think of the following:
Former Gubernatorial candidate and party muckity-muck Pat Davison sentenced for massive fraud.
Red Lodge Representative Scott Boggio gets a DUI for driving with a .14 BAC while his passenger (a member of the Yellowstone County DUI Task Force) Rep. Elsie Arntzen pleads ignorance of his drunkenness.
Billings Republican (and U.S. Senate candidate) Rep. Mike Lange tells the Governor to "stick it up his ass" while on camera.
House Republican leadership derailed the budget process forcing a difficult special session, costing the state thousands of dollars to pass a budget that could easily have been done during the session.
The party managed to anger a lot of grassroots by cutting them out of the Presidential nominating process, excluding citizens in order to build their own power.
Does it seem like there's a new Republican scandal in the news every single week? Well, that may be because there is.
That seems like an awful lot of corruption, scandal, hypocrisy, impropriety, and jail-worthy crime, huh? A lot of corruption. One might say an entire Culture of Corruption.
