Everyone has experienced the neighborhood barking dog. You know – the poor pup, chained outside, that just barks, barks, barks. At first you may be concerned, then perhaps just irritated. At some point, you realize you’ve stopped paying attention and don’t even hear it anymore.
That’s what’s going on with the Democratic candidates vying for Montana’s new Congressional district. They know they will face Ryan Zinke and they’re afraid. We’ve sent him to Congress twice before and they know if we send him again, he’ll hit the ground running.
So, they bark and bark, and bring up or make up illegitimate allegations of wrong-doing and half-truths from his time as Interior secretary. But they know each of those charges was thoroughly investigated and all were found to be baseless.
A recent op-ed said “Montanans Deserve the Truth” about Ryan Zinke. But, instead of the truth, it was the barking dog again, with false allegations, misrepresentation of fact, and outright fabrications. And, to what purpose? Why, to fool us and try to “cancel” Zinke as a candidate, simply because he answered the call to serve in Donald Trump’s Cabinet.
The truth is that Ryan Zinke was one of the most successful Interior secretaries in recent memory. Having grown up hiking and camping in Glacier, he knew – first-hand – public land issues from fire management and endangered species to aging visitor facilities and needed infrastructure.