12/19/13

Baucus to China, Schweitzer in Iowa


Montana: you're It.

Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), is expected to be named Ambassador to China by President Barack Obama.
Baucus was thought to be facing one of his most difficult political races. His poll numbers had plunged since he guided the Affordable Care Act through the Senate on behalf of the Obama administration. He said he believed the health law “is going to be well-appreciated down the road.” [Chuck Johnson, Lee Newspapers of Montana]
WBUR's On Point is discussing China this morning.

In a smart political move, Montana's Democratic Governor Steve Bullock is expected to name Lieutenant Governor John Walsh to finish Baucus' term. Yet to be known is whom Bullock will name to replace Walsh.

Democratic former Governor Brian Schweitzer addressed the 2013 Progress Iowa Holiday Party in Altoona yesterday:
Visits to Iowa from Democrats eying the presidential race have been sparse this year, with many hopefuls watching to see whether former Sen. Hillary Clinton decides to run. The former first lady, U.S. senator and secretary of state would be the leading contender for the Democratic nomination if she got in. But Iowa Democrats said that even if Clinton is in the race, voters will want to consider their options, and that could provide an opening for someone like Schweitzer, who has little name recognition in the state. [AP, Billings Gazette]
Schweitzer isn't a progressive by any stretch of the imagination.

Sen. Baucus had to shut down a rant from the disrespectful Sen. don Juan Thune (earth hater-SD).
The matter involves a relatively small segment of the insurance market -- the 5% of Americans who buy individual policies, unlike the vast majority who get their coverage through their jobs or government programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and others. While only a sliver of the overall market, it still involves 12 million people, including more than 1 million who have received letters from their insurers telling them current policies are being discontinued. [CNN]
Thune would rather boost funding for a bloated military, one that enjoys free birth control and abortions no less, than ease medical insurance burdens on those least able to pay.

Montana political scientists David Parker and Robert Saldin teamed up for a piece in the Washington Post. Discuss.





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