2004 was aberration, Republicans believe

GREAT FALLS -- Over and over, speakers at the Republican state convention tried to reassure the party faithful that the GOP's poor showing in the 2004 Montana elections was an aberration.

They blamed it on gerrymandered legislative districts, lack of unity, an ineffective state party message and a failure to focus on the grass-roots. Republicans pledged to work hard in the upcoming campaign on all but the redistricting, which is outside their control.

Last fall, Democrats captured the governor's office for the first time since 1984. They grabbed control of the state Senate for the first time since 1993 and tied in the House, which had been in GOP hands since 1993. All this happened despite President Bush winning by a huge margin here.

Bob Brown, a former lawmaker and the GOP's unsuccessful 2004 nominee for governor, tried to buck up the crowd with memories of his first state Republican convention 30 years ago. Republicans were regrouping after their 1964 presidential candidate Barry Goldwater lost decisively and took many GOP candidates down with him everywhere.

Montana Republicans lost 16 legislative seats in 1964, said Brown, now a senior fellow at the Center for the Rocky Mountain West in Missoula.

"The term 'unity' was used ad nauseam in that convention," Brown recalled. "I think we were unified because of the loss we took. We left that convention absolutely unified and galvanized,"

The groundwork Republicans laid in 1965 paid off in 1966, when Montana Republicans gained 17 seats, Brown said, hoping history repeats itself.

Here are some other odds and ends from the convention:

Republicans did not forget Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer at their convention. There were the occasional digs at Schweitzer about the need to restore dignity and decorum in the governor's office. That was a swipe at the jeans-wearing Schweitzer, who often brings his dog, Jag, a Border Collie, in the Capitol with him.

Speaking of Jag, Republicans on Friday night auctioned off a stuffed black and white dog that bore a close resemblance to Schweitzer's dog. One difference is the stuffed animal wore a pair of miniature cowboy boots on two legs. The winning bidder: Secretary of State Brad Johnson, who paid $120.

Also on the auction block was a Schweitzer bolo tie, with a sterling silver medal featuring the state seal, the governor's name and his slogan: "It's a new day in Montana."

Schweitzer's chief legislative critic, Senate Minority Leader Bob Keenan, R-Bigfork, donated the tie, which was a gift from Walter Schweitzer, a volunteer aide to his brother, the governor. The winning bidder at $75: Leo Giacometto, a Washington, D.C., lobbyist and formerly a Montana lawmaker, U.S. marshal for Montana, and a top appointee of U.S. Sen. Conrad Burns and Govs. Judy Martz and Marc Racicot.

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The hotel convention center was festooned with politicians' banners and posters.

The poster that grabbed the most attention belonged to Greg Franks of Billings, who lost a bid for state Republican Party chairman.

A takeoff on a 1950s or 1960s advertisement, the color poster featured a drawing of a freckle-faced, red-haired boy about to take a big bite out of a hot dog. "Don't be a weenie," the poster said. "Franks for state GOP chairman."

U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg had many of his bright blue and gold banners hanging around the convention. Those, of course, also are the colors of the Montana State University Bobcats. In response to concerns of Missoula Republicans, Rehberg had a few banners done in the maroon and silver colors of the University of Montana Grizzlies. A lone maroon and silver Rehberg banner hung amid many blue and gold ones here.

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Delegates applauded former U.S. Rep. Rick Hill of Helena when they learned he had passed the tough California bar exam on his first try. Hill, a former state GOP chairman who served four years in Congress, graduated with honors from Concord University School of Law, an online school.

"I'm proud of the accomplishment," said Hill, a nontraditional student at age 58.

He is completing the requirements to be licensed to practice law in California, where he and his wife, Betti, live part of the year. To obtain a Montana law license, he will have to petition the Montana Supreme Court because he graduated from a law school not accredited by the American Bar Association.

Hill said he doesn't want to open a traditional law practice, but would like to do some legal work for causes that interest him.

Charles S. Johnson is the chief of the Lee Newspapers State Bureau in Helena. He may be reached by telephone at (800) 525-4920 or (406) 443-4920 or by e-mail at csjohnson@qwest.net.