Updated. Lt. Governor John Walsh announced this morning that he’s running for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senator to “…to tackle the national debt and defend those who don’t have a voice: Our seniors, our veterans, our children.” The full press release is below.
Walsh said nothing about the shutdown of the federal government or the impending disaster that will occur if the debt ceiling is not raised two weeks from now — but he should have said something. The shutdown and possible default are too important to go unremarked by a man who would be Senator. Update. Thanks to the AP’s Matt Gorus, Walsh is now on record on Daines and the shutdown:
Walsh, the former adjutant general who has said he never considered a run before Schweitzer bowed out, predicted his likely opponent — Daines — could have trouble because of his role in a Congress that shut down the government amid stalemate.
“I don’t know Congressman Daines real well. I think he is a nice man. But I believe he is part of broken system back there,” Walsh said. “I am a little disappointed that he hasn’t stepped up to come up with a solution to the problem.”
His website is still a single page with his announcement video, a sign-up for updates, and a link for donating money. His campaign has had plenty of time to put together a comprehensive website, but apparently just doesn’t think having a complete website now is important. The same is true for John Lewis, who’s running for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. House, and announced weeks ago (and got punked by the GOP). I find this incomprehensible.
Walsh’s announcement will deflate the Draft Baucus movement, which meets for the first time tonight in Billings (the meeting may be called off, or the organizers may meet and endorse Walsh). It’s possible Walsh announced today to do just that, although I never would expect him to say so.
Walsh’s military background and deep Montana roots set him apart, and in what I find a pleasing way, from his primary opponent, Dirk Adams, a rancher and former manager of a bank shut down by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Does Walsh have a fighting chance against the expected Republican nominee, Steve Daines? In July, I found that prospect fanciful. But today I don’t. Daines became a food stamps Scrooge and anti-Obamacare zealot, joined the suicide caucus in the House, and helped instigate the shutdown of the federal government that, reports the Billings Gazette, has thrown more than 10,000 Montanans out of work. Those are rotten planks to run on. Walsh needs to raise a ton of money, to marshal — and to marshal with alacrity — a savvy political operation, and to campaign aggressively and with purpose, but I believe he has at least a fighting chance, and maybe even a better chance than that.
John Walsh: I’m running for U.S. Senate
Montana’s Lt. Gov., former commander of the Montana National Guard, announces run amid historic dysfunction in Congress.
Watch the announcement video here.
HELENA, Mont. — As the nation deals with another day of historic dysfunction in Congress, John Walsh, Montana’s lieutenant governor and former adjutant general of the Montana National Guard, on Thursday launched his campaign to become the Treasure State’s next United States Senator.
“Too many lawmakers back in Washington put their own agendas ahead of their responsibility to their constituents and to all Americans,” Walsh said in an emailed announcement Thursday. “They put their political party, and their personal careers ahead of the people they are supposed to be representing. They’ve forgotten their obligations and responsibilities.”
Walsh today also released an announcement video, online at JohnWalsh2014.com.
Prior to running with Governor Steve Bullock last year, Walsh spent 33 years serving in the Montana National Guard. Governor Brian Schweitzer appointed him to serve as Adjutant General of the Guard in 2008. And as a battalion commander, Walsh led more than 700 Montana men and women into combat in Iraq.
“Every day I worked with Montanans who have an unshakable duty to our state and nation, and who exemplify the values of selfless service, courage, and duty,” Walsh said. “These are Montana values and exactly the type of leadership Washington desperately needs now.”
As Montana’s lieutenant governor, Walsh and Bullock worked together to “put politics aside to balance the budget, create good jobs and opportunity, and protect our freedoms.”
“We all know it’s going to take people with a sense of duty to stand up for what’s right, the idea of selfless service to put our country on the right path again, and the courage to tackle the national debt and defend those who don’t have a voice: Our seniors, our veterans, our children,” Walsh said.
Walsh, 52, is a native of Butte, Mont. He and his wife Janet have been married for 28 years. They have two grown children and a new granddaughter, Kennedy.
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