Burns issues written apology (details about "altercation" emerge)

[Rose Siding]

Most of Burns’ highly critical comments, made to state employee Paula Rosenthal, were omitted from the version of her report released to reporters on Wednesday and Thursday......

Burns was at the Billings airport Sunday and approached some members of the Augusta (Va.) Hot Shots, who were also waiting to catch a plane. In what the report called “an altercation,’’ Burns told them they had done “a poor job’’ fighting the 92,000-acre blaze near Billings and should have listened to the concerns of local ranchers.

His comments prompted some U.S. Forest Service officials at the airport to call Rosenthal to come to the airport immediately to meet with Burns.
...
Rosenthal’s original report of the incident recounted how Burns pointed to a member of the Augusta Hot Shots crew across the airport waiting area and telling her:

“See that guy over there? He hasn’t done a God-damned thing. They sit around. I saw it up on the Wedge fire and in northwestern Montana some years ago. It’s wasteful. You probably paid that guy $10,000 to sit around. It’s gotta change.’’

Rosenthal wrote in both versions: “I offered to the senator that our firefighters make around $8-$12 per hour and time-and-a-half for overtime. He seemed a little surprised that it wasn’t higher.’’

http://www.helenair.com/articles/2006/07/28/montana_top/000burns.txt

Rosenthal denies that "politics" played a part in her softening of Burns' diatribe in the report that was first given to the press.

Yesterday's article, based on Rosenthal's doctored report was more innocuously titled-

Burns tells Hotshots they did a "poor job" in Billings fire
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=2417860

Hot Shots is a "very sought after, very well trained" crew that spent time helping out in NYC after the attack. John Tester, Burns' Democratic challenger issued a statement praising them-

“During this dangerous fire season, all Montanans are grateful for the thousands of firefighters who are on the front lines protecting our homes, property and wild lands,’’ he said. “These dedicated professionals are to be commended for their bravery, hard work and sacrifice. Until the rains come, Montana will remain at risk, and it is the responsibility of every Montanan to support our firefighters and let them do their job.’’

[MadMaddie]

1. Apology not accepted....this is typical of the Repugs

they say something and if they don't get grief....they say it again and again....but when they get called on it...oh they were misinterpreted or they didn't mean it...

Fuck them....

[Robb]

2. Pathetic

She said the report was intended as an internal management tool ’’and not fodder for the press.’’

Robb responds: guess what, "public information officer." You suck.

[thepurpose]

3. I confused this happen in a private setting or in a public airport?

How can some thing happen in plain view then be considered some how internal? As in the public has no need to know.

[krkaufman]

4. "He seemed a little surprised that it (firefighter payt) wasn’t higher."

Well, that's probably because Burns assumed we'd already privatized the effort, and they were being paid Halliburton wages.