Brian Schweitzer in Blue Man in a Red State, by Greg Lemon


On Civil Rights: Sex is not a government matter; work on civil unions

Montana is a libertarian place. Keep the government out of our bedroom. We'll work on legal means for adults to lives their lives together--civil union, something like that.
Source: Blue Man in a Red State, by Greg Lemon, p. 25 Jun 25, 2008

On Drugs: Congress should ease drug prices for seniors

He loaded a bus of senior citizens and drove them across the border into Canada to buy prescription drugs. Pharmaceutical companies were charging nearly twice as much in America as in Canada. It didn't make any sense that these companies were lining their pockets off the elderly. He meant to draw attention to the program and shame Congress into addressing the issue.
Source: Blue Man in a Red State, by Greg Lemon, p. 79 Jun 25, 2008

On Education: Fund education adequately without new taxes

From the beginning, Schweitzer said education could be adequately funded without raising taxes. The question wasn't whether or not money should be pumped into education, the question was how much money and where it was to be spent.
Source: Blue Man in a Red State, by Greg Lemon, p. 98 Jun 25, 2008

On Tax Reform: Cuts taxes if feasible; most critical is new business in MT

I will say that I'll try and cut taxes whenever I can. I'll try and make government more efficient. I'll try and grow Montana's economy. I'm attracted new businesses to come to Montana so our economy is booming. I bring small businesses and big businesses. Montana is open for business.
Source: Blue Man in a Red State, by Greg Lemon, p.100-102 Jun 25, 2008

On Energy & Oil: America should cut energy consumption and produce biofuels

His energy plan is global. In a nutshell it stands on three legs: conservation, clean and green energy, and clean coal. With smart conservation, such as more efficient cars and less driving, Americans could cut consumption by a billion barrels of oil a year. With regard to biofuels, we could produce a billion barrels. The key would be in not reducing the food supply. The crops planned for biofuel would need to be on those acres currently not in use for domestic food production.
Source: Blue Man in a Red State, by Greg Lemon, p.113-114 Jun 25, 2008

On Energy & Oil: Promotes clean coal in Montana

Montana has a third of the nation's coal. If the emerging technology was used to treat the coal in an environmentally friendly way, sequestering the carbon dioxide underground, we could produce more than 2 billion barrels of relatively clean fuel a year. The technology is there to sequester carbon dioxide safely, but the disincentives aren't in place yet to keep coal plants from pumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Source: Blue Man in a Red State, by Greg Lemon, p.114-115 Jun 25, 2008

On Energy & Oil: We can reduce our carbon footprint and also consume energy

We have agreed that we will decrease our carbon footprint substantially. And we have agreed that we will find ways of producing and consuming energy all the while decreasing our carbon footprint.
Source: Blue Man in a Red State, by Greg Lemon, p.117 Jun 25, 2008

On War & Peace: Iraqi venture was never worth a damn

I never thought the Iraqi venture was worth a damn. [We strive to] no longer have to send both the blood of our young people and the treasure from our coffers to defend their energy systems.
Source: Blue Man in a Red State, by Greg Lemon, p.117-118 Jun 25, 2008

On Energy & Oil: Create new domestic energy and cut reliance on foreign oil

That our greatest challenge is to create new energy systems in this country, in both the way we consume & the way we produce, so that we're able to produce a clean, green domestic energy system, so that we no longer will be reliant on foreign dictators. That we will no longer have to send both the blood of our young people and the treasure from our coffers to defend their energy systems.
Source: Blue Man in a Red State, by Greg Lemon, p.118 Jun 25, 2008

On Environment: Limit cattle grazing near Yellowstone as disease safeguard

The buffalo and elk in Yellowstone often carry brucellosis. Having park buffalo mingle with domestic cattle could potentially threaten the cattle with infection. Part of Schweitzer's solution included pulling back some of the cattle that craze on the boundary of the park, creating a buffer zone.
Source: Blue Man in a Red State, by Greg Lemon, p.129 Jun 25, 2008

On Gun Control: Believes in right to gun ownership

Schweitzer and his campaign ran ads showing him walking through the weeds, clad in hunter orange and camo, holding a rifle. The sporting community is a demographic Schweitzer can relate to. He himself is a hunter and fisherman. He received an A- from the National Rifle Association.
Source: Blue Man in a Red State, by Greg Lemon, p.133-134 Jun 25, 2008

The above quotations are from Blue Man in a Red State
Montana's Governor Brian Schweitzer and the New Western Populism
by Greg Lemon.
Click here for other excerpts from Blue Man in a Red State
Montana's Governor Brian Schweitzer and the New Western Populism
by Greg Lemon.
Click here for other excerpts by Brian Schweitzer.
Click here for other excerpts by other Governors.
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Page last updated: May 01, 2013