The pandering lobbyist who wants an apology

[havocmom]

Marc Racicot is a greedy, Robber Baron enabler with a history of sticking it to the citizens and cashing big checks from his corporate patrons. A telegenic dark horse who is probably an unknown to most Americans, he has a past which needs to be publicized. We need to politically neuter this man. Show him up to be just like the sox in the flight suit or the inedible turkey.

This is the man who wants Kerry to apologize. This is the sterling example of the ethics of bush*/cheney 2004.

<snip> "When the Florida recount fiasco was in full-throttle, the Bush team called in one of its top fixers to deal with the media and help put the finishing touches on the brusque strategy that helped seal the election. That man was Marc Racicot, the former governor of Montana

<snip> "While Racicot slashed services and taxes, he also funneled what little money remained in the Montana treasury into costly projects that benefited political donors....

<snip> When Montana's schools began to falter from the budget squeeze, Racicot offered a quick fix: log off the remaining old growth on state lands and cycle the receipts to the schools. This scheme, dubbed clearcuts for classrooms by local environmentalists, ravaged Montana's forests, but did almost nothing to help the state's beleaguered school system. Using the same rationale, Racicot also began selling off state park and forestlands near urban areas to his corporate cronies for shopping centers, office buildings and subdivisions.

<snip> "One of Racicot's chief clients during those tumultuous early days of the Bush administration was in dire need of a well-placed hand: Enron. Even after Racicot was selected to head the RNC, he refused to drop Enron as a client. "

Read a thumbnail portrait of the man who dares to act offended.
http://www.counterpunch.org/stclair08092003.html

Just this morning Havocdad and I were looking at the local news and trying to figure out the difference between the relative prosperity in Wyoming (along with amazingly clean conditions despite the heavy activity of extraction industries) and the dire situation in Montana. The two states have very similar resources and economic bases. Wyoming didn't have Racicot selling it down the river.

Racicot wants an apology? How about he apologizes to the people of Montana, the employees and shareholders of ENRON and the families of the military causalities in Iraq? He was the 'fixer' in 2000 after he fixed utility customers, school kids, retirees and taxpayers in Montana.

[jean]

1. thanks for this expose' on Racicot - bush has drawn so many creeps

like him from the state level (we should make a list).

Racicot's spot in the national spotlight is the perfect venue for splattering his record far and wide.

[havocmom]

2. More fun reading on Racicot the Chicken Hawk

http://sf.indymedia.org/news/2004/02/1676299.php

<snip> Marc Racicot, like George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Rep. Tom Delay and many in the Bush administration, is a chickenhawk. These are fellows who evaded the draft of the Vietnam Era but who are now beating the drums of war.

<snip> According to a press release on the Republican National Committee website, “Marc Racicot graduated from Carroll College in 1970, where he was an Army ROTC Graduate and Class President.” Which is intriguing, since Carroll College had not had a ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) program since World War II. ** boldface mine

Who was it a week or so asking about where Racicot could have registered for the draft as he couldn't find him in records for Lewis & Clark County (Helena, MT)? Did anybody ever track down Racicot's Selective Service registration?

Article also mentions the swell </sarcasm> things Racicot's energy deregulation did for Montana.

And did you know Montana grain producers pay the highest rates for rail transportation? Did you know Racicot got paid $57,000 in 2003 by BNSF (Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad)? Oh yeah, and 4,400 shares.

http://www.montanaforum.com/rednews/2003/12/19/build/ethics/gop-bnsf.php?nnn=2

BNSF also contributed $50,000 to a group running ads against Martz rival in 2000. Martz is the 'corporate lapdog' (her term, not mine) who was Racicot's Lt Gov. and the sitting governor of Montana who boasts a 23% approval rating.

What is the line The Magistrate uses in his post? Something like:
'Let's get those bastards'

Amen, Brother Magistrate. Amen

[havocmom]

3. Shameless kick cuz Racicot needs to be exposed as puppet he is

:kick: