Baucus’ Supports Slips on the Homefront; 2014 May be an Ugly Election

Libertarian Republican notes an Editorial yesterday morning in the Billings Gazette:

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 U.S. attorney?

All of Hanes’ legal and organizational credentials have been obscured by the label “senator’s girlfriend.”

Thus, for this lapse in good judgment… Baucus gained a scandalous distraction while he is working to shepherd major health care policy legislation through the Senate.

And an Editorial from the Billings Gazette, Dec. 9:

Sen. Max Baucus has now had to reveal that he used his significant influence to recommend his lover Melodee Hanes for the U.S. attorney for Montana position.  This was happening while both of them were married and carrying on their illicit affair with impunity.

And AGAIN From the Billings Gazette:

Montana Republican Party Chairman Will Deschamps insisted the issue was “gathering more and more steam.”

“Ethics and morality still count,” he said.

While Baucus has his defenders outside of Montana, they’re not exactly the kind o people you’d invite to Sunday dinner, like (for example) Democrat Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, who  quipped to reporters “it’s a non-scandal.”

Also Newsweek defends Sen. Baucus. From Kate Daily, Columnist, Dec. 10:

Look, I’m all for ethical standards, and obviously this raises many eyebrows. But it also reveals a nasty habit of denying the intellect, experience, or merit belonging to the sexual partner of someone in power. There seems to be the impression that Hanes is a piece of ass totally unqualified for the position, and that Baucus nominated her in lieu of shelling out for concert tickets or a tennis bracelet.

Hanes sought a position for which she was a qualified candidate… sometimes, the best person for the job also happens to be the person on the other side of the bed.

Have you canceled your Newsweek subscription yet? I did last year, Thanks.

Wikipedia reports Baucus was just re-elected last year, so he has until 2014 to serve in the Senate, assuming the embarrassed and humiliated citizenry of Montana don’t see fit to somehow recall him from Washington.

Still, we can hope.

Big Honkin’ Texas Hat Tip: Libertarian Republican

~Johnny~