HELENA -- A Bozeman Republican's group is running broadcast ads criticizing Gov. Brian Schweitzer for his out-of-state fund-raising trips while the Legislature meets.

GiveItBack.com, launched last month by Steve Daines of Bozeman, began running television and radio ads late this week. The ads urge Montanans to call Schweitzer and insist that he not approve any tax plan that doesn't give taxpayers back at least half of the $1 billion state general fund surplus.

The TV spot shows a milk carton with a panel, but instead of a missing child, it says, "Missing. Have you seen this governor?" The photo is of Schweitzer. House Republicans have used similar milk cartons to highlight some of Schweitzer's out-of-state trips.

Here is what the narrator says in the TV ad as a cow moos:

"So now we're having a special session. It seems our milk carton governor has gone missing again and is more interested in raising funds for himself than staying home to fight and get Montanans their hard earned-money back.

"Now he wants to shortchange us with 20 cents on the dollar, Tell Governor Schweitzer to reject any proposal that doesn't give at least half of the overcharge back to the people of Montana. Half the overcharge.

"Tell the governor -- if he's around -- to give it back."

The ad shows a revolving milk carton and highlights Schweitzer's campaign fundraising trip to San Francisco April 18-20 and his trip to Louisville, Ky., last weekend for the Kentucky Derby where the Democratic Governors Association had a fund-raiser. Schweitzer is the group's finance chairman.

The ad shows Schweitzer's office phone office number and urges people to call him to insist that legislators return at least $500 million in tax reductions to Montanans.

In response, Schweitzer took issue with legislators complaining he was gone when the House took a long weekend before the final week of the failed regular session. He said he returned to Montana and attended a Montana soldier's funeral in Philipsburg on Sunday, April 22, and was back in the office Monday. The Republican-led House took Saturday, a usual work day, off and didn't come back until late Monday.

"I already did my work," he said. "I gave a budget when the session started. I can't do anything till they send me a budget back."

Schweitzer said he draws criticism for meddling if he's around the Legislature too much and catches flak for being an absentee governor if he's keeps his distance from the Legislature. He said he can't win either way.

"I do have a job to do," he said. "My job comes whether the Legislature is here or not," he said. "My office isn't sitting in the Capitol building. My office is the rest of Montana."

He also took a shot at GiveItBack.com, calling it a secret group that raises money from out of state.

"They're good at that," he said of Republicans. "They do not appear to be good at legislating. They're good at raising out-of-state money and saying mean things about people."

Although Daines has donated to Republican candidates and the GOP in the past, including House Speaker Scott Sales' re-election campaign, he has insisted the effort is bipartisan.

"It's striking a chord here," Daines said in an interview last month. "We're encouraging people to call Helena, call the governor, call the legislators and tell them we want a significant portion of the surplus to go back to the people who created it."

Daines, a fifth generation Montanan who had a management career with Proctor and Gamble, returned to Montana. After working in his father's construction business, he is now vice president of RightNow Technologies Inc., a Bozeman high-tech firm.

In the 2006 election cycle. Daines donated $2,000 to U.S. Sen. Conrad Burns' unsuccessful re-election campaign, $750 to U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg's campaign and $750 to the Republican National Committee. He also gave $100 to Sales' campaign and $520 to four other Gallatin County Republican legislative candidates.

The ads are available on the Internet at: http://www.giveitback.com/index.php.