The Denver Post is running a background article about Brian Schweitzer, Montana's governor. From the article, "And when sorting through the reasons Democrats have taken hold in a conservative state, fingers frequently point first at Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer. Midway through his first term, Schweitzer, a relative political newcomer, is a self-described 'pickup-driving, God-fearing, gun-toting, red-meat- eating, take-responsibility-for-my- actions, invest-in-education kind of Democrat.' In a state where cattle outnumber people nearly 3-1, Schweitzer's prairie populist message, gift for storytelling and homespun charm have won him approval ratings upward of 70 percent. His ability to suddenly shift from flattery and enticements to hardball tactics and steely negotiations have led to comparisons to former President Lyndon B. Johnson. It has also led some Republicans to label him a bully, contending Schweitzer uses his popularity to threaten and intimidate freshman GOP lawmakers - or anyone else who stands in his way. 'He's a political gangster,' said state Senate Minority Leader Bob Keenan...
"Two days with him reveal a man obsessed by the challenges his state faces today but intrigued enough about his own future and national politics to spend hours reading blogs or watching simulcasts of Don Imus, the New York radio talk host...
"But what really makes the 52-year-old Schweitzer tick is energy independence and the jobs it can bring to Montana. The cattle rancher and mint farmer received a master's degree in soil science and spent seven years in Saudi Arabia developing crop irrigation systems. 'We have to be self-reliant. We can't keep relying on dictators,' he said. His Volkswagen Jetta runs on biodiesel; small windmills sit on his window sills, and tubular devices that among other things turn sunlight into hydrogen are scattered across his desk...
"Later, he downplays talk that he might run for the U.S. Senate in two years - 'don't hold your breath' - and says he finds the bloggers' trying to recruit him to run for president entertaining. For now, his main concern is bringing jobs and infrastructure to Montana, and he has a warning for other governors. 'If you ever see me getting off a plane in your city, know that I'm there to steal jobs,' he says."
"2008 pres"
8:47:29 AM 
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