Brian Schweitzer is coming to your neighborhood!

Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer is takin' it to the road for the next couple of weeks, representing Montana and pushing his energy/economy projects at various locations around the country.

Of course, the Montana Republicans have to throw their usual 'hissyfit,' again demonstrating how bereft the GOP in the Big Sky State is of ideas to improve the lives of Montanans and those in the rest of the United States.

Schweitzer begins tour around U.S.
By CHARLES S. JOHNSON of the Missoulian State Bureau

HELENA - Gov. Brian Schweitzer will be out of the state for most of the next two weeks for the winter meeting of the National Governors Association and a series of speeches and meetings in New York, Washington and Denver.

“It's going to be a very successful trip in that there's going to be an enormous amount of interest,” said Eric Stern, Schweitzer's senior counselor who's accompanying the governor. “He's really gotten Montana a lot of attention as far as businesses go.”

But State Republican Party Chairman Karl Ohs, a former lieutenant governor, questioned the length of time Schweitzer will be away.

“It's seems like an awful lot of time to be spending out of state,” Ohs said. “That's always of concern when a chief executive has his mind on other things than governing the state.”

Stern countered, saying when Schweitzer travels, he remains in contact with his office “many times a day” through phone calls and e-mail.

Schweitzer has said that without a legislative session, he intends to travel extensively in-state and out-of-state promoting Montana business opportunities

Schweitzer flies to New York Wednesday, and on Thursday he stops by for a get-acquainted meeting with New York Attorney General Elliott Spitzer, a Democratic candidate for governor. Spitzer “has prosecuted a lot of companies in which the state through the Board of Investments has been heavily invested,” Stern said.

Later Thursday, Schweitzer will address the Columbia University Earth Institute's Center for Sustainable Energy, which Stern called one of the nation's most prestigious energy and resources program. Schweitzer will speak about the future of energy and the role of the West.

On Friday, Schweitzer will meet with investment bankers, analysts and investment advisers from companies interested in energy issues and possibilities. It's a chance to visit with a number of bankers and investment advisers at once, Stern said.

“The governor has done an extraordinary job of publicizing the energy opportunities in Montana,” Stern said. “We want to gather people around so the governor can sell Montana.”

He has a similar meeting set with Citigroup, a major investment bank, before traveling to Washington later Friday.

On Saturday, the National Governors Association convenes for a “Healthy America” seminar for two days, followed by its annual two-day winter meeting of the 50 governors.

On Tuesday, Schweitzer and three other Democratic governors will discuss energy policy at a meeting sponsored by the Center for American Progress.

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