The Walsh Record: Failed Leadership, Wasted Taxpayer Dollars

The consensus is clear: Montanans, not “politically expedient” back-room deals, should decide who represents our state in the U.S. Senate.   But now that John Walsh has filed for office, it remains to be seen whether Montanans will actually give him their stamp of approval in November. After all, they’ve now had the opportunity to “see what type of senator” Walsh would be—and his record doesn’t match up with his rhetoric.   Last week, appointed Senator John Walsh gave his maiden speech on the Senate floor and attempted to distract Montanans from his record of failed leadership.   During his brief introduction to the people of Montana, Walsh called on greater fiscal discipline from the Department of Defense, noting that“we should start by reducing waste in contracting and procurement.”   But in 2011, the Walsh-led Montana Department of Military Affairs was cited for doing a “poor job of managing the federal money it receives” – namely the agency’s failure to monitor $19 million in federal grants, its inability to identify its active contracts andinappropriately altering a nearly $1.6 million contract. (Associated Press, 07/04/2011)   Montanans deserve to know: why doesn’t appointed Senator Walsh practice what he preaches? Why should we trust him to balance our nation’s budget when he has already wasted millions of taxpayer dollars?   Walsh can try to run away from his record of failed leadership. But more lofty speeches won’t make Montanans forget Walsh’s financial mismanagement and inappropriate use of taxpayer dollars.