Not one mention of his strong support for Obamacare. Not one mention of the fact that Walsh admitted the budget deal hurt veterans, yet supported it anyway. Yet, The Billings Gazette featured a video of newly-appointed US Sen. John Walsh (D-MT) without fact-checking any of his claims. When it comes to the media coverage of 2014 US Senate Race in Montana- the spin cycle has already begun.
Lee Newspapers’ Chuck Johnson and Mike Dennison did; however, point out that Governor Steve Bullock (D-MT) deflected reporter questions for weeks, adding:
A number of people offered their services for the Senate post, Bullock said, but he interviewed no one, not even Walsh, for the seat.
Meanwhile, the Montana GOP has a new video out showing Walsh in his own words:
Walsh in 2012: “I know the Governor will hear people say cronyism or it’s a political appointment, that, an appointment like that would only make the Governor look bad.”
From the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC):
Politico: John Walsh appointed to Montana Senate seat
Will Deschamps, Montana Republican Party chairman, criticized the appointment process in a statement.
“Instead of handling this process openly and honestly, Governor Bullock has chosen to embrace back room deals from Washington and put politics ahead of what’s right for Montana,” Deschamps said. “Montanans deserve better.”
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2014/02/john-walsh-montana-senate-103256.html#ixzz2svf6f9KF
GEORGE OCHENSKI: Politics trumps policy in John Walsh U.S. Senate appointment (h/t The Western Word on Twitter)
In short, Montanans will now be represented in the U.S. Senate by a man with virtually no policy experience who will primarily be trying to do at least two jobs at once a couple of thousand miles apart.
…Walsh, as well as the Democrats, will have to deal with the obvious implications of placing politics over policy with Walsh’s appointment.
Roll Call: Will Incumbency Help Walsh?
The conventional wisdom is that Gov. Steve Bullock has done his hand-picked lieutenant governor and fellow Democrat a phenomenal favor by sending him to Washington now. The post offers guaranteed visibility that will enhance his name recognition, the benefits of being on the inside that will boost his fundraising and the powers of the job that will allow him to deliver in ways that will prove the power of incumbency impossible to beat.
But if Walsh is defeated, it will bring to an end a recent winning streak for appointees. The last seven who have stood for election succeeded, four of them after intense contests, and all remain in office today. (That string started with Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski in 2004; the most recent addition was fellow Republican Dean Heller of Nevada in 2012.) The last loser, in 2002, was Missouri Democrat Jean Carnahan, who was appointed when her husband, Gov. Mel Carnahan, was elected to the Senate three weeks after perishing in a plane crash.
AP: Bohlinger Will “Probably” End Senate Run
Former Lt. Gov. John Bohlinger says he will probably drop out of U.S. Senate race after his Democratic opponent was appointed to replace Sen. Max Baucus.
Bohlinger says he has until March 10 to decide. He says he will stay in only if he receives a large amount of financial support before then.