Walsh completed the paper, what the War College calls a "strategy research project," to earn his degree in 2007, when he was 46. The sources of the material he presents as his own include academic papers and books that are almost all available online.
A line-by-line analysis of Walsh's thesis shows that he took much of it from other sources without giving them credit. Most strikingly, the six recommendations Walsh laid out at the conclusion of his 14-page paper, titled "The Case for Democracy as a Long Term National Strategy," are taken nearly word-for-word without attribution from a Carnegie Endowment for International Peace document on the same topic.
Daines says Walsh "supported shipping American jobs to China," referring to President Obama's economic stimulus. But Walsh wasn't in the Senate at the time and didn't vote on the legislation. A small portion of the stimulus did go to Chinese firms, but Walsh had nothing to do with the award of stimulus contracts.
Walsh says Daines worked to build factories in China "at the same time Daines' company was firing thousands of American workers here." Daines did help Procter & Gamble expand in China in the 1990s, but the company says Daines was not involved in strategic corporate decisions. Moreover, the implication that expansion in China came at the expense of U.S. jobs is unsupported.
Here's the Q&A from April 17 that Daines refers to:
Reporter: Do you think there would ever be a circumstance where the privatization of Social Security would make sense?
Walsh: You know, I'd have to take a look at all the options--but not for those that are currently in Social Security right now. I can see, you know, maybe if there may be an option where they look at it for new employees coming into the workforce--that they may look at that--but it's not something that I'm going to support with those that are currently on the program or currently working in the program.
Debo P. Adegbile's office, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, represented Mumia Abu-Jamal, a black Philadelphia journalist accused of murdering a police officer. They proved that Abu-Jamal's death sentence violated the United States Constitution. They saved his life as his sentence was reduced to life without possibility of parole.
For his work, which was in the tradition of John Adams, the U.S. Senate denied Adegbile's appointment to be head of the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division. He lost by three votes. Sen. John Walsh cast one of those votes.
If courage is to be the centerpiece of Walsh's campaign, then he should demonstrate it on the floor of the Senate.
Walsh also noted Daines' support of HR 1091, which declares that human life begins at conception and extends the rights of equal protection under the 14th Amendment to "each born and preborn human person." The bill was introduced a year ago and has seen no action in a House subcommittee.
Walsh leveled his strongest attack yet against his likely challenger, Republican Steve Daines, calling Daines the purveyor of a "cruel ideology" that "only seeks to preserve privilege."
Walsh slammed Daines for votes to "privatize Medicare," cut tax rates for the wealthy, shut down the federal government last October and cut food stamps. He pointed to Daines' 2013 vote for the proposed House Republican budget, which would have converted Medicare to a system of subsidies to help the elderly buy private insurance or traditional Medicare, as well as reduced tax rates for the wealthy and most taxpayers.
Walsh, speaking to the annual Democratic Mansfield-Metcalf Dinner in Helena Saturday evening, slammed Daines for votes to "privatize Medicare," cut tax rates for the wealthy, shut down the federal government last October and cut food stamps.
But Walsh saved his sharpest words for Daines, who national Republicans consider as one of their best chances to pick up a Democratic-held seat in the U.S. Senate.
He pointed to Daines' 2013 vote for the proposed House Republican budget, which would have converted Medicare to a system of subsidies to help the elderly buy private insurance or traditional Medicare, as well as reduced tax rates for the wealthy and most taxpayers.
"John Walsh is Hard to Find These Days..." says the NRSC's website, which goes onto claim "That's because he doesn't like to answer questions about his disastrous record, his ability to lead, and a management record dominated by a culture of poor morale, inappropriate relationships and horrific personnel problems."
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee was quick to defend Walsh and criticize the NRSC. "Only a Washington insider like Steve Daines would call on his NRSC handlers to smear John Walsh's distinguished 33-year record of service leading the Montana National Guard," said the DSCC press secretary.
Walsh was already running for the seat, but he'll now run as the incumbent senator. That change could provide some inherent advantages in his quest to hold one of the party's most vulnerable seats. "I wanted to appoint someone who I truly believed would wake up each and every day wanting to put Montana and Montanans first," Bullock said in a news conference to announce the appointment.
National Democrats recruited Walsh to run after former Gov. Brian Schweitzer took a pass on the race. The open seat is a top target of national Republicans, who landed a top-tier candidate in Rep. Steve Daines. Two other Democrats, former Lt. Gov. John Bohlinger and rancher Dirk Adams, are also seeking the nomination.
Four different Montana Adjutants General held that position during my career in the Guard. Each one emphasized the importance of membership in the National Guard Association to one extent or another. In each case, certain Guardsmen expressed reluctance and even opposition to being a dues-paying member. I know of no one who experienced any unfair treatment or adverse consequences as a result of opting not to be a member of the National Guard Association. Those Guardsmen merely benefited from the association's advocacy on their behalf without having to contribute.
Treat the petty criticism just as the former governor did: toss it into the round file!
Under Montana law, Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock can appoint whomever he wants to fill the Senate seat until the next election. National Democratic sources expect that appointment to be Walsh, who polls show has been trailing Republican candidate Steve Daines.
Democrats argue that appointing Walsh to the Senate seat nearly a year before the election would give him a leg up against Daines. Republicans, meanwhile, have begun painting Walsh as a D.C. insider, calling him Senate Majority Leader "Harry Reid and Barack Obama's handpicked US senator." They also have blasted the news of his potential appointment as Washington backroom dealing, dubbing it the "big sky buyoff"--an approach that could ultimately hurt Walsh, who's been running as a Beltway outsider.
"I can tell you that we're here today to celebrate the fact that Montana is open for business," Walsh said. "Eastern Montana is the land of opportunity. It is home to the biggest energy boom in America. That's something we can be proud of."
"I can tell you that we're here today to celebrate the fact that Montana is open for business," Walsh said. "Eastern Montana is the land of opportunity. It is home to the biggest energy boom in America. That's something we can be proud of.
|
The above quotations are from Winners and Losers Senate candidates from Montana. Click here for other excerpts from Winners and Losers Senate candidates from Montana. Click here for other excerpts by John Walsh. Click here for a profile of John Walsh.
John Walsh on other issues: |
Abortion
|
Budget/Economy Civil Rights Corporations Crime Drugs Education Energy/Oil Environment Families Foreign Policy Free Trade
Govt. Reform
| Gun Control Health Care Homeland Security Immigration Jobs Principles Social Security Tax Reform Technology War/Peace Welfare
Please consider a donation to OnTheIssues.org!
| Click for details -- or send donations to: 1770 Mass Ave. #630, Cambridge MA 02140 E-mail: submit@OnTheIssues.org (We rely on your support!) | |||||||