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<div class="image-container" style="width:800px"><div class="image">AP<keyword id="228092" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Brian-Schweitzer">Brian Schweitzer</keyword> (left) and Jon Tester in happier times in 2006.</div></div>
Last Friday night, a small group of about five people were still hard at work preparing for the launch of former Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer's run for <keyword id="42801" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Montana">Montana</keyword>'s open <keyword id="6355284" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="senate">Senate</keyword> seat. 
One person was editing a "folksy" video of Schweitzer talking about how "messed up" things are in Washington, D.C. One was emailing with Markos Moulitsas, the founder and publisher of the liberal Daily Kos, in an effort to splash out the message. 
The rollout was supposed to happen on Monday.
On Saturday morning, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/brian-schweitzer-not-running-montana-senate-control-democrats-2013-7" target="_blank">Schweitzer announced that he would not run for Senate</a>. It happened so swiftly that even the small team still plugging away on Friday found out about it just minutes before it happened. 
"It shocked everyone," said one source involved in the planned rollout.
Now, people from that team and who were preparing Schweitzer's candidacy are blaming his sudden departure on Democratic infighting and bad blood among Schweitzer and the state's two current, Democratic senators. And now, Democrats are worried that Schweitzer's exit from the race cost them their only chance in Montana — and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/nate-silver-senate-2014-election-republicans-gop-takeover-2013-7" target="_blank">could end up costing them control of the Senate</a>.
The main target of their ire: U.S. Sen. Jon Tester (D). In the week before Schweitzer decided not to run, Democratic leaders began have doubts about Schweitzer's candidacy. Multiple sources close to Schweitzer pointed to Tester and his chief of staff, directly, as the source of that doubt — something that Tester's staff denies.
"It's already a big lift to ask Brian to leave his beautiful land in Montana and join a dim Senate where almost nothing gets done under current filibuster rules," one source directly familiar with Schweitzer's thinking told Business Insider. 
The source said Tester was "sticking knives" in Schweitzer's potential run. In the days before Schweitzer decided to drop his potential bid, a number of stories emerged about Schweitzer's ties to "dark" and "secret money" groups.
Three sources close to Schweitzer's campaign fingered Tester's camp as the source of two unflattering stories that popped up in the past week — <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2013/07/brian-schweitzer-montana-democrats-93990_Page2.html" target="_blank">one in Politico</a> and one in the <a href="http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20130714/NEWS01/307130022/Web-relations-belies-aide-s-denial-Connecting-Montana-s-former-governor-dark-money?nclick_check=1" target="_blank">local Great Falls Tribune</a>. These sources singled out Tester and Tom Lopach, his chief of staff.
Tester's office vehemently denies that he had any role in Schweitzer's decision at all — or in the stories.
"Jon Tester and his entire organization had nothing to do with the bad press that Brian Schweitzer got last week," said Andrea Helling, Tester's press secretary. 
"Jon Tester and his chief of staff have never provided a single anonymous quote attacking Brian Schweitzer."
The National Republican Senatorial Committee has also taken credit for building a mountain of opposition research on Schweitzer.
"We did our homework and there was a lot of rust under Schweitzer’s hood – a lot of rust," NRSC spokesman Brad Dayspring said last weekend.
The clash between Schweitzer and Tester's parties expose schisms in Montana's Democratic Party that have been prevalent for years. Schweitzer had a rocky relationship with Baucus during his two terms as governor. And he's also clashed with Tester, who has subtly accused him of not doing enough last year to get him re-elected. Tester and Schweitzer have not spoken since before the 2012 election.
<div class="image-container float_right" style="width:480px"><div class="image">APBrian Schweitzer</div></div>Because Schweitzer believed the stories came from Tester played a role in him dropping out of the race. According to a person familiar with his decision, he was not willing to endure a year and a half on the campaign trail with constant friendly fire — let alone the hits he'd be taking from Republicans eager to steal back a Senate seat.
"The Politico story was the tip of something that runs deep in Montana Democratic <keyword id="6358883" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Politics">politics</keyword>," said one source who was involved in Schweitzer's campaign rollout. 
"Everybody was expecting a primary campaign with [Schweitzer] primarying Baucus. That's been expected for a couple years. The battle lines have been drawn for long time. ... But when Baucus dropped out, the assumption was that everybody would come together to hold his seat. In reality, people on the other side of that chasm realized that they'd be better off with Daines than Schweitzer."
"Daines" is Rep. Steve Daines, a Republican who is currently mulling a run. Now, those close to Schweitzer are privately resigned to losing the seat. 
<a href="http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/2013/06/schweitzer-racicot-make-montana-senate-race-tight.html" target="_blank">A Public Policy Polling survey</a> taken in late June showed that Schweitzer was the only possible Democratic candidate who consistently beat most of the possible Republicans. Schweitzer was viewed favorably by 54% of Montanans, compared with just 40% who viewed him unfavorably.
They'll now have to turn to other candidates. One high-placed Democratic source source said that the potential list includes EMILY's List President Stephanie Schriock, State Superintendent Denise Juneau, Commissioner of Securities and Insurance Monica Lindeen, and Montana Supreme Court Justice Brian Morris.
For Schweitzer's team, at least, none of those candidates have much of a chance. 
Said one source involved with Schweitzer's planned rollout: "Hopefully there will be accountability for people who torpedoed the campaign for the one person that could've held the seat."

Inside The Democratic Infighting That May Cost Democrats Control Of The Senate

<div class="image-container float_right" style="width:480px"><div class="image">AP</div></div>A surprise decision by popular former <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/brian-schweitzer-not-running-montana-senate-control-democrats-2013-7" target="_blank">Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer not to run for Montana's open Senate seat in 2014</a> has made control of the <keyword id="6355284" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="senate">Senate</keyword> a complete toss up.
<a href="http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/15/senate-control-in-2014-increasingly-looks-like-a-tossup/?smid=tw-fivethirtyeight&amp;seid=auto" target="_blank">The New York Times' Nate Silver thinks</a> that <keyword id="66537" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Republicans">Republicans</keyword> are right on the cusp of gaining enough seats in the 2014 election to hold a Senate majority in 2015. Silver projects a "best guess" of the GOP holding either 50 or 51 seats. The difference is crucial, because theoretically Vice President Joe Biden would be the tiebreaking vote in a majority-vote situation. 
Republicans will likely have to win six seats to get to 51 and take control of the Senate. Such a swing could be huge, because it would mean that Republicans would control both the House and Senate while President Barack Obama finishes the last two years of his second term in the White House.
The three likely pickups come from vacancies in Montana, West Virginia, and South Dakota, where Democrats are all retiring. Meanwhile, Silver projects that seats in North Carolina, Lousiana, and Arkansas — all with incumbent Democrats — are toss-ups. A win in Alaska, which Silver considers the "tipping point" state, would give Republicans 51 seats. Right now, Silver considers the seat held by Sen. Mark Begich (D) to lean Democratic.
Meanwhile, <a href="http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/articles/a-republican-senate-it%E2%80%99s-much-easier-to-imagine-now/" target="_blank">Kyle Kondick at the University of Virginia also</a> says that a GOP-controlled Senate is now "a lot easier to imagine."
Here's how the analyst, who is a member of Larry Sabato's "Crystal Ball" team, has the Senate situation shaping up:
<div class="image-container" style="width:800px"><div class="image"><a href="http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/articles/a-republican-senate-it%E2%80%99s-much-easier-to-imagine-now/">Larry Sabato's Crystal Ball</a></div></div>

NATE SILVER: The GOP Is On The Verge Of Gaining A Senate Majority In 2014

<div class="image-container float_right" style="width:480px"><div class="image">AP<keyword id="228092" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Brian-Schweitzer">Brian Schweitzer</keyword></div></div>Popular Democratic former Gov. Brian Schweitzer <a href="http://missoulian.com/news/local/article_45e6eb26-ebce-11e2-96bb-001a4bcf887a.html#.UeF0vHwG7vo.twitter" target="_blank">told the Associated Press</a> that he will not run for <keyword id="42801" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Montana">Montana</keyword>'s open <keyword id="6355284" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="senate">Senate</keyword> seat — something that serves as a major blow for Democratic hopes of keeping control of the body in 2014. 
Montana's seat is now a little more wide open in the race to replace Sen. Max Baucus, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/max-baucus-retiring-2014-election-brian-schweitzer-2013-4" target="_blank">who announced earlier this year that he would retire</a>. Polls showed that Schweitzer, who was still popular in the red state, was the only hypothetical Democratic candidate who led potential Republican candidates.
Republicans need to flip six Senate seats in 2014 to gain back control of the body. Now three red states with retiring Democratic senators — Montana, West Virginia, and South Dakota — look like promising potential flips for Republicans, who reacted to the news with glee.
"Just two days ago, Senate Democrats were quoted promising Brian Schweitzer tremendous resources to get in the race," said Brad Dayspring, the communications director at the National Republican Senatorial Committee, in an email.
"Fact is Schweitzer looked at the race and realized he wouldn't win in light of how unpopular the Democrat agenda of higher taxes, bankrupting spending, and the ObamaCare train wreck is in Montana these days. Republicans will have a great candidate to ensure the Treasure State equal representation in the Senate."
Democrats are spinning the news by suggesting that Schweitzer was an ultimately flawed candidate. But in April, they painted Baucus' retirement <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/democrats-in-2014-senate-control-republicans-max-baucus-2013-4" target="_blank">as one that made them stronger in 2014 because it cleared the field for Schweitzer</a>.
"Montana was never going to be an easy state for us to defend," one high-placed Democratic source told Business Insider. "But Schweitzer is the much stronger candidate."
<a href="http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/2013/06/schweitzer-racicot-make-montana-senate-race-tight.html" target="_blank">A Public Policy Polling survey</a> taken in late June showed that Schweitzer was the only possible Democratic candidate who consistently beat most of the possible Republicans. Schweitzer was viewed favorably by 54% of Montanans, compared with just 40% who viewed him unfavorably.

Democrats' Chances Of Keeping Senate Control Just Took A Brutal Hit

<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image">APFormer Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer.</div></div>Former Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, who is mulling a potential run for president in 2016, took to Facebook Thursday to apologize for lewd comments he made concerning House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Senator Dianne Feinstein.
"I recently made a number of stupid and insensitive remarks to a reporter from the National Journal. I am deeply sorry and sincerely apologize for my carelessness and disregard," Schweitzer wrote.
In a National Journal profile of Schweitzer <a href="http://www.nationaljournal.com/magazine/the-gonzo-option-20140618">published Wednesday night,</a> the Democrat suggested Cantor sets off his "gaydar." 
"They just have effeminate mannerisms. If you were just a regular person, you turned on the TV, and you saw Eric Cantor talking, I would say-and I'm fine with gay people, that's all right-but my gaydar is 60-70 percent. But he's not, I think, so I don't know. Again, I couldn't care less. I'm accepting," he said of Cantor. 
Schweitzer made his remarks about Feinstein while implying she was being hypocritical in her criticism of the government's domestic spying programs. 
"She was the woman who was standing under the streetlight with her dress pulled all the way up over her knees, and now she says, 'I'm a nun,' when it comes to this spying!" he said. 
Schweitzer didn't respond to a request for comment from Business Insider Wednesday.

Brian Schweitzer Apologizes For Saying Eric Cantor Set Off His 'Gaydar'

<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image">AP</div></div>After <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/hillarys-liberal-challenger-hanging-out-with-mitt-romney-2014-6">traveling down to Utah</a> for Mitt Romney's annual donor confab, former Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer is very confident the 2008 and 2012 Republican presidential candidate won't be making a third White House run anytime soon.
"Mitt Romney is not running for president or anything else. I spoke to some of the family and they said some of the things that my family tells me. They don't want it, they don't like it, and they're not going to do it again," Schweitzer, a Democrat pondering his own potential presidential bid, told Business Insider Monday. "If I were a betting man, I'd give you 4-to-1 odds."
Schweitzer then offered up $100 as terms for this hypothetical bet, noting $1,000 would be too much for him. That's quite a contras with Romney, who <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/post/mitt-romneys-10000-mistake/2011/12/11/gIQA9aEQpO_blog.html">infamously tried to bet a rival</a> $10,000 at a Republican primary debate in 2011. 
Romney has strenuously denied interest in another run for the White House even as he ups his national profile by promoting GOP candidates across the country. On <a href="http://www.mediaite.com/tv/romney-talk-of-me-running-in-2016-silly/">"Meet the Press" Sunday</a>, Romney called the idea "silly" and said, if he were indeed running, he wouldn't have invited many of the top 2016 Republican contenders to meet his top donors in Park City, Utah last week.
Schweitzer discussed his speech at the Romney's event with Business Insider. According to Schweitzer, he decried the war in Iraq, touted natural gas a cheaper and greener alternative to coal, and pressed the case for decreasing the role of insurance companies in the American healthcare system. Schweitzer said he did this all while speaking to "300 of the biggest Republican donors in the planet" who were seated in elevated seats around the speaking platform.
"I was thinking to myself as I was standing out there in the middle … that I now know what the gladiators feel like," Schweitzer quipped.
Schweitzer also stressed he did not use the platform to criticize Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state and first lady who is by far the front-runner in the Democratic presidential primary.
"I see some of the press wrote that I was critical of people. Actually, during my speech, I didn't mention anybody's name except Rand Paul, who I said I agreed with on the NSA, " said Schweitzer. "I think in some ways, I talked to them like a businessperson because I am a businessperson."
Clinton did come up for Schweitzer at Romney's confab. During a question-and-answer session, Schweitzer said he was asked a three-part question about Clinton's <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/hillary-clinton-first-gaffe-2016-2014-6">"dead broke" gaffe</a>, whether, <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2014/01/hillary-clinton-says-she-hasnt-driven-a-car-since-1996/">unlike Clinton</a>, he had driven a car in the last 20 years, and whether he finds himself more relatable than Clinton.
For the first question, Schweitzer said he had also had times where he struggled financially. For the second, the populist former governor described recently driving around with his truck and bulldozer. As far as his relatability goes, Schweitzer gave an artful dodge.
"I said I'm not sure what you mean as 'relatability,' but I said I have 61 first cousins," he recalled, "so I'm related to a lot of people."

Brian Schweitzer Would Bet You $100 That Mitt Romney Isn't Running In 2016

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="12416504" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="meta" source="Orion">Meta</keyword> is limiting <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/25/business/meta-abortion-employees-discussions.html">employee conversations</a> about abortion on its internal platforms.</li><li>At the same time, <a href="https://www.workplace.com/diversity-and-inclusion">Meta</a> states that it creates open spaces for employees to express themselves.</li></ul>There are certain things you just can't talk about at work. At Meta, that now includes abortion. <keyword id="11892960" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="facebook" source="Orion">Facebook</keyword>'s parent company is directing employees against widely sharing their opinions about abortion on the job. But staying quiet is a tough sell for some workers at a platform that one of every three people on the planet uses to communicate. Ethics professors and business consultants also warn that it's a short-sighted request for leaders of any company to make.Limiting worker conversations on sensitive issues could chip away at employee morale and even innovation, because workers might be less willing to share their thoughts in an environment they don't believe supports them.According to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/25/business/meta-abortion-employees-discussions.html">The New York Times</a>, Meta — which also owns Instagram and WhatsApp — sent a message to employees that underscored the "strong guardrails around social, political and sensitive conversations" at work. The move followed last month's Supreme Court decision that threw out nearly 50 years of constitutional protections for abortion.The policy at Meta removes public employee posts on the company's internal platform with keywords like "abortion" and "Roe v Wade." Meta allows employees to talk about the topic only in private forums with up to 20 people, the Times said. "While it's theoretically each company's right to decide how to handle workplace conversations, this is still some version of <keyword id="12151246" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="censorship" source="Orion">censorship</keyword> any way you look at it," <a href="https://www.ericyaverbaum.com/">Eric Yaverbaum</a>, a Fortune 500 CEO-communications consultant, told Insider. "Employees are going to justifiably feel that they are being silenced and that their voices don't matter. Some may think they are just cogs in Meta's machine."Experts said it can also appear hypocritical. <a href="https://www.workplace.com/diversity-and-inclusion">Meta</a> states that it creates open spaces for employees to express themselves. A <a href="https://www.workplace.com/diversity-and-inclusion">tagline</a> on its website reads "Giving every employee a voice." <h2>A decision with repercussions </h2>At least one Facebook employee has spoken out publicly against the policy. "Today is a massive regression in women's rights (and human rights) for the United States," Ambroos Vaes, a software engineer at Meta, wrote in a now-deleted June 25 Linkedin post. "What saddens me as well is that internally at Meta we are not allowed to discuss it." Meta did not respond to Insider's request for comment. In a previous <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/businesses-react-supreme-court-overturn-of-roe-v-wade-2022-6">statement</a>, the company said it plans to reimburse travel expenses for employees who need to access out-of-state reproductive care. The tech behemoth isn't the first company to monitor and control employee conversation around political issues and face pushback for it. In September 2020, Brian Armstrong, the CEO of the cryptocurrency company Coinbase, announced that employees should not take political stances at work. Not everyone <a href="https://www.latimes.com/business/technology/story/2020-10-01/coinbase-ceo-says-no-politics-at-work-some-peers-disagree">agreed</a>.At Basecamp — a project-management tech company — Jason Fried, the CEO, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/basecamp-jason-fried-political-talk-summer-four-day-workweek-2022-4">barred employees</a> from speaking out about social or political issues in company forums in April 2021. At least 20 people, more than one-third of Basecamp's roughly 60 employees at the time, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/05/07/994812274/basecamp-blowup-banning-politics-at-work-prompts-over-a-dozen-employees-to-quit">accepted</a> severance packages from the company.Some experts argue that a company should, of course, prohibit hate speech or harassment, but that it should not stop difficult conversations from taking place. Maurice Schweitzer, a business-management professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, said he understands the intention of trying to create a peaceful work environment, but thinks Meta's policy is "a mistake." "I appreciate that Meta is trying to create a workplace with less friction and less conflict, but this isn't the right way to do that," he said. "Ultimately they're going to be stuck with employees who feel censored, monitored, and muzzled by this policy." Yaverbaum agreed, calling Meta's policy "extreme." "Americans are kinda big on the First Amendment and the right to our unique freedom of speech, and now the boss is going to tell you what you can and cannot talk about?" said Yaverbaum. "I'll make a wild guess that won't work out so well for anyone."Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a <keyword id="11893566" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="leadership" source="Orion">leadership</keyword> professor at the Yale School of Management and a "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jeffrey-sonnenfeld-the-ceo-whisperer-2021-11">CEO whisperer</a>" who consults with corporate chiefs on important issues, doesn't agree with Meta's policy. "It's well-intentioned, but misguided. Companies should never be predatory in limiting speech," Sonnenfeld said. <h2>Silence can be at odds with company policies</h2>Other business experts said that while CEOs are free to ban political conversation, leaders should show consistency with other company policies. For example, Basecamp does not take political stances except on ones that directly affect its business, and it prohibits employee discussions about such issues on company platforms. Therefore, according to <a href="http://explore.georgetown.edu/people/hasnasj/?Action=View&amp;PageTemplateID=319">John Hasnas</a>, a professor of ethics at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business, both policies are consistent and not a problem. But Meta's policies are not aligned in this case, Hasnas suggested, and that's an issue. Meta, by the nature of its social-media products, facilitates conversations. Billions of people share ideas, debate topics, and connect on issues important to them through Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. In addition, the tech giant positions itself as a global leader in diversity, equity, and inclusion that espouses the virtue of connection and differences. Its leaders have commented on a number of social issues, ranging from <a href="https://hypebeast.com/2020/6/facebook-10-million-donation-racial-justice-groups-charities">racial justice</a> to <a href="https://news.abplive.com/technology/meta-making-joint-925-million-commitment-to-reach-net-zero-emissions-goal-by-2030-end-says-mark-zuckerberg-1525613">climate change</a>. "There can be no equality without diversity and inclusivity. That's why we're dedicated to creating a future where every employee feels seen, heard and valued," <a href="https://www.workplace.com/diversity-and-inclusion">Meta's website</a> reads. Hasnas said that a company shouldn't single out one issue as being off limits, and that all political issues require consistency."If a company says, 'We want the most open environment we can have. We want you to really relate to each other. Talk about anything you want,' and then they say, 'No, but don't talk about abortion,' then that's problematic," Hasnas said. According to Schweitzer, to create a peaceful work environment, leaders shouldn't muzzle employees, but instead should hold mediated face-to-face conversations, moderated town-hall meetings, or listening sessions. He called it "ironic" that Meta was the first major employer to roll out such a policy, noting how its platforms aspire to promote free speech. He added that he wouldn't be surprised if Meta reversed the policy. "I think by actually having conversations, we're likely to find that there's actually more common ground with people with different opinions than we initially think," Schweitzer said. "These conversations can help us build those bridges and learn from each other."

Meta's limits on employee abortion conversations could easily backfire. Here's what leaders should do instead.

<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image">screengrab via MSNBC</div></div>Former Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer is ratcheting up his rhetoric against Hillary Clinton as he attempts to stake out space to her left in the 2016 presidential race.
In a <a href="http://time.com/2824620/brian-schweitzer-montana-governor-2016-presidential-campaign/">Time magazine profile</a> detailing his own 2016 ambitions Thursday, Schweitzer hit Clinton for her 2003 vote for the Iraq War and for taking money from Wall Street. During an interview that same night on MSNBC, Schweitzer reiterated his attacks and directly suggested Clinton is "beholden" to special interests.
"Well, unfortunately we've come to a place in <keyword id="6358883" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Politics">politics</keyword> that you win elections by raising more money than the other person," Schweitzer said on "The Ed Show" when asked about his comments in the Time article. "Whether they're Democrats or they're Republicans, you rush to where the money is. You go to the pharmaceutical companies, the insurance companies, the big banks. You go to Wall Street. They're the ones who can write the fat checks."
Schweitzer went on to claim these campaign contributions have led to "a Democratic Party that is corporate-lite."
"Here's the problem: If they've been writing you the fat checks, you're beholden to 'em. So what we need is a Democratic Party that stands up for workin' people - who says, 'We need to have a strong middle class again.' We can't have a Democratic Party that is corporate-lite. And that's the risk that we're faced with right now," he continued.
Schweitzer is widely considered a long-shot against Clinton, who has already amassed the support of much of the national Democratic establishment for her still-unannounced bid. However, Schweitzer, who insists he would be a viable candidate, is hoping his populist message can compete against the Democratic front-runner.
"We already have a Congress full of people who have been bought by corporate America. We need chief executives that'll stand up to corporate America and say, 'I'm putting America first, not your profits,'" Schweitzer said on MSNBC.
For her part, Clinton's team seems uninterested in taking shots back at Schweitzer. When the Wall Street Journal <a href="http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304178104579534112388261686">asked her spokesman</a> to respond to Schweitzer's criticisms in May, a Hillary rep simply said, "She's proud to have spent a lifetime fighting for equality and opportunity for all people, from jobs and education to health care and voting, and will continue to do so."
Watch Schweitzer's "Ed Show" segment below.

Dem 2016 Hopeful Keeps Making The Liberal Case Against Hillary Clinton

<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image">AP</div></div>Former Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer and 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney make a decidedly odd couple. 
Schweitzer is an unabashedly liberal Democrat who has been <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/brian-schweitzer-liberal-case-against-hillary-clinton-2014-6">aggressively staking out ground</a> to Hillary Clinton's left as he considers a potential 2016 presidential bids. Meanwhile, Romney is one of the most high-profile representatives of the Republican establishment and one of the richest business people in <keyword id="6358883" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Politics">politics</keyword>. 
None of this has stopped Schweitzer from developing a relationship with Romney. In fact, he's joining some of the country's biggest GOP names for Romney's annual retreat this week in the ski resort town of Park City, Utah. According <a href="http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/politicsnow/la-pn-romney-top-donors-gather-gop-2016-contenders-20140609-story.html">to the Los Angeles Times</a>, Schweitzer is even set to speak to the group, which includes some of Romney's most influential donors..
"Mitt called and asked me if I would come down. Of course Park City is easy for me to get to," Schweitzer recalled to Business Insider Tuesday.
Schweitzer said he and Romney bonded during <a href="http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=15639">their international trips</a> together when Schweitzer was governor of Montana and Romney was governor of Massachusetts. He also pointed to <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0912/80880.html">his 2012 speech</a> at the Democratic National Convention where he offered some praise for Romney, who was in the midst of his GOP presidential bid.
"In that speech I said, 'I know Mitt Romney. Mitt Romney and I traveled to Iraq, Afghanistan together.' And when you travel together for several days, a week I suppose, you get to know them. What I said to 30,000 people in that audience, who were trying to elect someone other than Mitt Romney ... was that Mitt Romney is a good family man and a loyal American," said Schweitzer.
"We agreed on some stuff," he added. "For example, he and I believe that there ought to be a year and a half of national service after finishing college."
Of course, Schweitzer also had plenty of criticism for Romney in 2012.
"Mitt, you can't Etch-A-Sketch away your record. Taxes: up. Cost of college: up. Debt: up. New business starts: down. Manufacturing: down. Median household income: down. Economic growth: down. If private equity Mitt Romney met Governor Mitt Romney, he'd do what he says he likes to do. He'd fire 'um, and outsource the job!" he exclaimed to the DNC crowd, according to <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0912/80880.html#ixzz34LWx9MWb">his prepared remarks</a>.
This week's Romney retreat, which begins Thursday and occurs just as Clinton is rolling out <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/inside-the-launch-of-hillary-clintons-non-campaign-2014-6">her national book tour</a>, will feature a series of panels and speeches. According <a href="http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/politicsnow/la-pn-romney-top-donors-gather-gop-2016-contenders-20140609-story.html">to the Times</a>, the event will focus "on the themes of American competitiveness and America's role as a leader around the world, as well as some political topics including the Republican Party's deficit among women voters," according <a href="http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/politicsnow/la-pn-romney-top-donors-gather-gop-2016-contenders-20140609-story.html">to the Times</a>. Along with Schweitzer, several potential Republican 2016 presidential hopefuls are slated to attend the retreat including; New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, and Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan.
Schweitzer's appearance at the Romney confab surprised some. The former Montana governor has in recent weeks been a frequent fixture on MSNBC, where he draws notice by being one of the few Democrats <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-ex-governor-of-montana-has-a-bizarre-strategy-for-challenging-hillary-2014-6">willing to openly critique</a> the front-running Clinton as he accuses her of being too close to corporate money.
"Schweitzer (!) is speaking at Romney's Utah donor retreat?" Dave Catanese, of U.S. News &amp; World Report, <a href="https://twitter.com/davecatanese/status/476461210784006144">wrote on Twitter</a>.
But Schweitzer told Business Insider that reaching across the partisan aisle is simply what leaders are supposed to do.
"If you want to change the world, if you want to change this country," he said, "you have to be able to talk to people who don't agree with."

Here's Why Hillary's Liberal Challenger Is Hanging Out With Mitt Romney 

<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image on-image"></div></div>Presidential candidate and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) has been <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/rand-paul-theres-a-secret-hillary-clinton-scandal-2015-4">raising eyebrows</a> lately by predicting a "secret" Hillary Clinton scandal will soon derail the former secretary of state's Democratic bid for the White House.The New York Times <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/20/us/politics/new-book-clinton-cash-questions-foreign-donations-to-foundation.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&amp;smid=nytcore-iphone-share&amp;_r=0&amp;assetType=nyt_now">reported Sunday</a> night that Paul was referring to a new book by Peter Schweitzer: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Clinton-Cash-Foreign-Governments-Businesses/dp/0062369288">"Clinton Cash: The Untold Story of How and Why Foreign Governments and Businesses Helped Make Bill and Hillary Rich." </a>According to The Times, the tome is "proving the most anticipated and feared book of a presidential cycle still in its infancy." Schweizer, described as a former conservative political operative, will reportedly connect the Bill, Hillary &amp; Chelsea Clinton Foundation's foreign donors to special favors delivered by Clinton's State Department. The author will also attempt to tie the Clintons' lucrative speaking fees to government favors. "His examples include a free-trade agreement in Colombia that benefited a major foundation donor's natural resource investments in the South American nation, development projects in the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake in 2010, and more than $1 million in payments to Mr. Clinton by a Canadian bank and major shareholder in the Keystone XL oil pipeline around the time the project was being debated in the State Department," The Times' Amy Chozick reported. The book's promotional materials label it a "blockbuster exposé." "Schweizer detailed patterns of official corruption in Washington that led to congressional resignations and new ethics laws. In 'Clinton Cash,' he follows the Clinton money trail, revealing the connection between their personal fortune, their 'close personal friends,' the Clinton Foundation, foreign nations, and some of the highest ranks of government," its <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Clinton-Cash-Foreign-Governments-Businesses/dp/0062369288">Amazon description promises</a>. "Meticulously researched and scrupulously sourced, filled with headline-making revelations, 'Clinton Cash' raises serious questions of judgment, of possible indebtedness to an array of foreign interests, and ultimately, of fitness for high public office."The Clinton campaign dismissed the Schweizer book, however, for "twisting previously known facts into absurd conspiracy theories," The Times reported. Clinton campaign spokesman Brian Fallon connected the new Clinton book, out May 5, to previous books last year that made a number of dubious claims about the Clinton family family. At one point last summer, Clinton spokesmen issued a joint statement calling three different books <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/clintons-claim-tell-all-books-are-complete-crap-2014-7">"complete crap."</a> And at another point, a Clinton insider harshly criticized author Ed Klein for his <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ed-klein-hillary-clinton-inner-circle-despicable-2014-7">"despicable" lies.</a>Fallon said Schweitzer's work "will not be the first work of partisan-fueled fiction about the Clintons' record, and we know it will not be the last." <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/barack-obama-morning-routine-reggie-love-aide-president-2015-3">Here's how President Obama starts every morning</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="9weDl1czrZHZflgF7tKxKEBGnOyKlnZO" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

This is the 'blockbuster expose' Rand Paul says will wreck Hillary Clinton's campaign

<div class="image-container float_right" style="width:400px"><div class="image"></div>AP</div>U.S. Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) will retire and not seek re-election in 2014, the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/04/23/baucus-to-retire-rather-than-seek-re-election-in-2014/" target="_blank">Washington Post's Paul Kane reports</a>.
Baucus recently was one of four Democrats to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/gun-control-vote-democrats-against-background-checks-2013-4" target="_blank">buck the party and vote against an amendment</a> that would have expanded background checks on gun purchases. He also recently said that the implementation of Obamacare <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/04/19/about-the-obamacare-train-wreck/" target="_blank">was on track to be a "train wreck."</a>
Baucus becomes the fifth Democratic Senator to announce his retirement ahead of the 2014 <keyword id="6355644" type="EVENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="elections">elections</keyword>, joining Michigan's Carl Levin, West Virginia's Jay Rockefeller, Iowa's Tom Harkin, and South Dakota's Tim Johnson. Three of those five — Rockefeller, Johnson, and Baucus — come from traditionally red states.
The likely Democratic candidate to succeed Baucus will be former Gov. Brian Schweitzer, who stood a chance against Baucus if he decided to go head-to-head against him in a Democratic primary. A recent Public Policy Polling <a href="http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/2013/02/montana-senate-race-looks-competitive.html#more" target="_blank">survey</a> found that Schweitzer leads Baucus 54-35 among Democratic primary voters in the state.

REPORT: Another Democratic Senator In A Red State Is Retiring

<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right click-to-enlarge"><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="AP/Jeff Roberson" title_caption="Police advance through smoke in Ferguson, Mo." class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53ed302f6bb3f7f54f1f4227-960/ap583695775914-1.jpg"></a>AP/Jeff RobersonPolice advance through smoke in Ferguson, Mo.</div></div>As raucous protests and an aggressive police crackdown in Ferguson, Missouri dominate <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/eric-holder-ferguson-police-should-consider-becoming-more-racially-diverse-2014-8">headlines across the country</a>, some of the likely candidates for president in 2016 have weighed in.
No potential White House contender has commented more forcefully than Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky), who <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/rand-paul-blasts-increasing-police-militarization-after-ferguson-protests-2014-8">wrote an op-ed</a> for Time magazine decrying the increased "militarization" of U.S. police forces and the unfair racial bias of the justice system.
The other leading candidates, including Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas), have been more reserved in their rhetoric. Rubio told Business Insider in a statement that he was "very concerned" about the violence and the arrests of two reporters Wednesday night in particular.
"Michael Brown's family is in my prayers during this terrible time in their lives. I'm very concerned by recent events in Ferguson, including the violence that has gripped that community and the inexplicable jailing of two reporters. As the FBI looks into allegations regarding the police department there, I hope Americans all over the country will voice their opinions through peaceful means and not resort to violence," Rubio said.
Cruz's statement, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SenatorTedCruz/posts/593610474084590">published in a Facebook post</a> earlier in the day, also focused on the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ferguson-police-chief-freaked-after-cops-arrested-reporters-2014-8">jailed journalists</a>.
"All of our prayers are with the citizens of Ferguson, that the violence will subside and peace will be restored. Reporters should never be detained - a free press is too important - simply for doing their jobs. Civil liberties must be protected, but violence is not the answer. Once the unrest is brought to an end, we should examine carefully what happened to ensure that justice is served," Cruz said.
Business Insider's requests for comment to other top Republicans - including 2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R), former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R), and Congressman Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) - received no response.
On the Democratic side of the aisle, front-runner Hillary Clinton's office acknowledged the inquiry but did not offer further comment. Two potential Clinton challengers - Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) and former Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D) - did not return requests for comment. However, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), who has repeatedly said she is not running for president yet is still mentioned by as a potential contender, strongly condemned the police militarization over Twitter.
"This is America, not a war zone," she <a href="https://twitter.com/elizabethforma/status/499904279961149440">wrote</a>. "The people of Ferguson just want answers. We all want answers."

2016 White House Hopefuls Weigh In On Ferguson Protests

<div class="image-container float_right" style="width:400px"><div class="image"></div>APSen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.)</div><keyword id="1127786" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="gun-control">Gun control</keyword> advocates have come out swinging against the four Senate <keyword id="6534156" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Democrats">Democrats</keyword> who voted last week against a measure that <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/gun-control-background-check-senate-vote-live-2013-4" target="_blank">would have expanded background checks on gun purchases</a>. 
They are looking to hold the Democrats accountable for what they see as a betrayal on a key wedge issue for progressives. And the only way that many in this camp think it will change is if there are real electoral consequences.
To that end, Progressive Change Campaign Committee has launched a six-figure ad buy against each of the four Democrats who voted against background checks — Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Mark Begich of Alaska, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, and Max Baucus of Montana.
"When you vote against an overwhelming majority of your constituents, that won't be met with silence," Adam Green, the PCCC's co-founder, told Business Insider in an interview last week. "That will be met with accountability."
But Green wouldn't go as far to threaten a primary challenge against any of the Senators who voted no on background checks. And when Baucus announced this week that he <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/max-baucus-retiring-2014-election-brian-schweitzer-2013-4" target="_blank">would retire and not seek re-election next year</a>, the PCCC launched a high-profile campaign in support of former Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer, despite the fact that Schweitzer is very pro-gun Democrat <a href="http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/brian-schweitzer-the-great-progressive-hope-20130424" target="_blank">who recently told National Journal</a> that he has "more [guns] than I need and less than I want."
"We are confident that when he sees polls showing that 79 percent of Montanans support common-sense background checks, he would do the right thing," Green told Business Insider.
And Mayors Against Illegal Guns — the gun control Michael Bloomberg-backed group — announced this week that the group will also launch an extended ad buy targeting Pryor, who is up for re-election in 2014. 
With Pryor, the group's thinking is two-fold: According to internal polling, it has found that 84 percent of Arkansans believe background checks should be expanded. And if the group highlights the fact that Pryor voted against those constituents, it believes that could turn into a problem for him.
"It's a combination of his vote and when he's up," said Erika Lamb Soto, MAIG spokesperson. "We're reminding voters of who was with them and who wasn't. He's one of the folks who did not vote with his constituents."
But so far, there's little way to tell if the Democrats will actually suffer political consequences over the background check vote. 
For one, gun-control groups are relative newcomers to the political fray. Pro-gun rights groups like the <keyword id="181918" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="NRA">NRA</keyword>, for example, spent hundreds of thousands of dollars more than gun-control groups in the first quarter of 2013, <a href="http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/295715-nra-ups-lobbying-spending-as-gun-politics-grip-capitol" target="_blank">according to the Hill</a>.
Ultimately, what might foil any attempt at retribution could be the concern within the party that fighting a Democrat over gun issues could put the party in worse shape — with a worse candidate — in the general election.
A recent Gallup <a href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/161813/few-guns-immigration-nation-top-problems.aspx?utm_source=alert&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=syndication&amp;utm_content=morelink&amp;utm_term=All%20Gallup%20Headlines%20-%20Politics" target="_blank">poll</a> found that just 4 percent of voters nationwide consider new gun legislation a top priority, compared with 24 percent who think the economy should be the focus. And as one Democratic Senate aide put it, it's hard to run general elections in Montana, Arkansas, Alaska, and North Dakota on a gun control platform. 
"The national party is trying to elect Democrats," the aide said. "And the ultimate irony in that is that they frequently vote against the wishes of their own party."
"They just spent a ton of money electing Heidi Heitkamp — and then she went out and voted with Republicans."

Liberals Prepare To Punish The Four Democrats Who Voted Down Gun Control

<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image"></div></div>The Iraq War was a major issue in the last three presidential races and many of the likely candidates in the next election are already staking out their positions on the new U.S. military operations that launched in the country last week.
In statements issued since American airstrikes were launched in Iraq against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS or ISIL) last week, many of the likely 2016 candidates have weighed in on the the military operations and affiliated humanitarian missions to aid members of the Yazidi religious group <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/this-yazidi-community-northern-iraq-2014-8">who are being targeted </a>by the jihadists. However, some of the presumed presidential hopefuls have declined opportunities to comment on the issue. 
"I support the airstrikes against ISIS as well as providing humanitarian aid to Iraqis in harm's way. ISIS poses a real threat to our national security, and we must deal with it sooner rather than later," Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin), the 2012 Republican vice presidential nominee, told Business Insider in a statement on Monday.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), who many believe could make it to the White House by running to the left of other Democrats, also expressed support for the military operations while speaking to reporters last Friday.
"It's a complicated situation right now in Iraq, and the president has taken very targeted actions to provide humanitarian relief that the Iraqi government requested, and to protect American citizens," she said, <a href="http://www.lowellsun.com/news/ci_26306452/warren-behind-president-iraq-airstrikes">according to The Lowell Sun</a>.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is widely considered the Democratic front-runner, took things a step further in a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/hillary-first-break-from-obama-administration-2014-8">widely-circulated interview</a> published Sunday by The Atlantic. In the piece, Clinton criticized President Barack Obama for not being more proactive in fighting ISIS by arming a moderate opposition to the Syrian regime.
Several of the Republicans openly exploring 2016 White House bids combined their support for the air strikes with an even broader critique of the Obama administration's foreign policy. According <a href="http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/2016-republican-field-offers-obama-advice-on-iraq-20140810">to the National Journal</a>, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) "praised" the air strikes but slammed Obama for lacking a "coherent strategy when it comes to dealing with ISIS." Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) <a href="http://time.com/3093021/marco-rubio-obama-isis-iraq/">penned an op-ed</a> declaring Obama made the "right" call to bomb ISIS but said the president "avoided taking decisive action" previously. Gov. Rick Perry (R-Texas) similarly criticized Obama's foreign policy worldview as <a href="http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/2016-republican-field-offers-obama-advice-on-iraq-20140810">"not distinguishable from anything."</a> However, Perry also noted the air strikes were <a href="http://qctimes.com/news/local/perry-tells-q-c-republicans-he-supports-iraq-air-strikes/article_dda12626-cb8a-5648-abdf-3a65ed72c879.html">"the right" thing to do</a>. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said he was "glad that President Obama is finally beginning to take the threat of ISIS seriously" while simultaneously criticizing him <a href="http://time.com/3096874/republicans-iraq-isis-obama-cruz-santorum-huckabee-jindal/">for not seeking congressional approval</a> for the operations. 
Not all of the 2016 hopefuls appeared eager to comment on the air strikes.
Huffington Post reporter Sam Stein <a href="https://twitter.com/samsteinhp/status/498815438441422848">took to Twitter</a> on Monday to note his outlet asked Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky), <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/04/07/rand-paul-in-09-cheney-pushed-iraq-war-to-benefit-halliburton/">an Iraq War critic</a>, for his thoughts on the matter last week and has not received and answer. Business Insider reached out to Paul's office on Monday as well and, as of this writing, has yet to receive a response.
Michael Drewniak, a spokesperson New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), who has already displayed a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/chris-christies-explains-why-hes-ducking-national-issues-2014-7">tendency to avoid</a> hot-button national issues, told Business Insider the governor was not in a position to comment on the situation in Iraq.
"He was on vacation with his family during the recent developments," Drewniak said of Christie. 
Business Insider also contacted other hypothetical presidential contenders - including Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley (D), former Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D), former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R), 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney. As of this writing, none of them have weighed in, but we will update this post if they respond.

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