Private eye checks on Schweitzer (Demo Candidate for Governor in Montana)

[Khephra]

HELENA - Someone has hired a Kalispell private detective to dig up dirt in Democratic candidate for governor Brian Schweitzer's past, but it isn't clear who's paying for the probe.

Schweitzer is miffed about the investigation into his background. He said such inquiries by private detectives into political candidates in other states "have blown up in their face."

Republican candidate for governor Bob Brown's campaign adamantly denied hiring private investigator William Eisentraut of Moonlighting Detective Agency of Kalispell, campaign manager Jason Thielman said.

"I know we have not done that," Thielman said. "That's utter nonsense. I don't know of anyone else doing it."

http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2004/09/09/build/state/35-private-eye-schweitzer.inc

[Judi Lynn]

1. These Republicans ARE desperate. Just as Schweitzer suspects.

Harvey Valentine, spokesman for the Republican Governors Association, declined to say if his group retained the detective to look into Schweitzer's background. This national group has made third-party independent expenditures to help GOP candidates in governor's races in other states.

"We're not going to have any comment on it," Valentine said. "We can't confirm or deny."

However, Valentine did say the Republican Governors Association expects to be involved in the Montana governor's race because "it's a competitive race in a Republican state."

Eistentraut, the private detective, didn't return a message left at his office by The Gazette State Bureau on Wednesday.

Schweitzer said he heard that the private investigator visited a Forsyth title company trying to get information on the sale of his ranch and flashed a California police officer's badge.

"It wasn't the first time," Schweitzer said. "I've heard about it all over the state - at courthouses and private things too. I think this is a little over the top. It's usual for candidates to research the public record, the voting records, of other candidates. To my knowledge, not even (U.S. Sen. Conrad) Burns did this kind of baloney."

There's a law against impersonating an officer, isn't there? This is so SHABBY.

[MagickMuffin]

2. This is classic

straight from the KKKarl Rove Handbook. Hire PI's, start whispering/rumor campaigns and attack your opponents strengths.

If you haven't seen Bush's Brains the movie you should go see it if it is showing in your communities. You can witness first hand at the level the repubs will sink to, especially KKKarl.

[xchrom]

3. the brown shirts at work

not that there was any room for doubt -- but if there was -- can any one deny that repukes have well crossed the fascist line?