Unintentional slur or not, we should all be disturbed how a few individuals from outside of Montana have so much influence over our elections simply because they have a ton of money and lust for more. They don't have Montana's long term interest at heart because they don't live or even vote here (and we don't have the resources to compete).
The TP leadership here is quite open in saying their goal is to eliminate the influence of the moderate republicans in the legislature. They are using lawsuits to strike down any barriers put up to protect us from this form of corruption, and even trying to buy judge elections to further their goals. Their money is targeted and purposeful. On another front they are working to muzzle the voice of moderates by closing the primaries and even requiring a supermajority to override the speaker's decision to kill a bill by sending it to appropriations.
Well put RobG.
Montanans have very recent reasons to despise out-of-state tea party fueled money flooding our political system.
Just 4 months ago, more money was spent on a Montana Supreme Court seat than something like the previous 3 combined. Americans for Prosperity spent 180 grand on two TV ads portraying a good Montanan, Mike Wheat, as an out of control liberal when by all rights he was a very moderate judge.
His opponent, Lawrence Vandyke, who had spent the last decade as a lawyer in D.C., waxed poetic about Montana, it's future, his connections with the state, and how much Mike Wheat didn't care about Montana. Despite out of state tea party funding spreading lies about Mike Wheat through mailers, tv and radio spots, and all sorts of literature, Wheat came out on top - thank jeebus. Turns out, we like our stream access law.
And what of his Tea Party opponent? This self proclaimed son of Montana?
Not one month after his defeat he was spouting and implementing his ridiculous theocratic right-wing garbage at his new job - the solicitor general of Nevada. Yes, his connection with MT was strong.
Sadly, the demonization of moderate republicans in Montana has worked on some of the populace - hook,line, and sinker. The flood of out of state money, both from the left and right, can only lend itself to divide and corrupt Montana in the long run. But between the two, Tea Party'ish' money is the most stupid and worst of all. Maybe because it actually has a chance in Montana.
