I Cogitate

Schweitzer dares to be himself
By FRANK MIELE
Managing Editor - The Daily Inter Lake
Feb 11, 2006

Politics these days is too much about political correctness, which is why it was refreshing for the governor of Montana recently to show up at a meeting with the editorial board of the Inter Lake with a gun.

No, he was not brandishing the gun; that would not be so nice.

But it turns out that Brian Schweitzer had stopped at a local sporting goods store prior to visiting us, and before we could ask questions about his plans for coal liquefaction or school funding, he just had to show off his new Browning handgun. He was as giddy as a schoolboy who had just got his first BB gun, and whether you care for guns or not, it was fun to watch his excitement.

That’s one of the many nice things about Gov. Schweitzer. He doesn’t mind being himself. He doesn’t mind saying what’s on his mind, and he doesn’t mind offending people who might not agree with what’s on his mind. Which is to say, he really doesn’t fit into the mold of this politically correct age.

He wears blue jeans to work at the state Capitol, and brings his dog to work with him, too. Some people take offense.

He tells the education lobby enough is enough. There’s no more money to “cough up” unless you want it covered with blood. Some educators take offense.

He says Washington politics has the whiff of the skunk about it. Some skunks take offense.

But don’t make the mistake of thinking Brian Schweitzer is all show and no substance. That coal-to-liquids program the governor is proposing for Eastern Montana is just the kind of creative solution that can make Montana a major player in the national economy instead of a bench warmer.

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