Montana Senator Does It Again

Conrad Burns: Terrorists Drive Taxis By Day, "Kill At Night"

(CBS/AP)  Republican Sen. Conrad Burns, whose recent comments have stirred controversy, says the United States is up against a faceless enemy of terrorists who "drive taxi cabs in the daytime and kill at night."

During a fundraiser Wednesday with first lady Laura Bush, the three-term Montana senator talked about terrorism, tax cuts and the money he has brought to his state. Burns is one of the more vulnerable Senate incumbents, facing a tough challenge from Democrat Jon Tester.

He has drawn criticism in recent weeks for calling his house painter a "nice little Guatemalan man" during a June speech. Burns, whose re-election campaign is pressing for tighter immigration controls, also suggested that the man might be an illegal immigrant. The campaign later said the worker is legal.

Burns, 71, also had to apologize after confronting members of a firefighting team at the Billings airport and telling them they had done a "piss-poor job," according to a state report. In July, the Hotshot crew had traveled 2,000 miles from Staunton, Va., to help dig fire lines for about a week around a 143-square-mile wildfire east of Billings.

At the campaign event with Bush, Burns talked about the war on terrorism, saying a "faceless enemy" of terrorists "drive taxi cabs in the daytime and kill at night."

The campaign said Thursday that the senator was simply pointing out terrorists can be anywhere.

"The point is there are terrorists that live amongst us. Not only here, but in Britain and the entire world," said spokesman Jason Klindt. "Whether they are taxi drivers or investment bankers, the fact remains that this is a new type of enemy."

Another GOP senator, George Allen of Virginia, twice referred to an opponent's volunteer using a term for a monkey, considered by some to be a racial slur. "Let's give a welcome to Macaca here," Allen said. "Welcome to America and the real world of Virginia."

Allen has since apologized to S.R. Sidarth, who was born in Virginia and is of Indian descent.

But Republicans hardly have a lock on offending minorities. Former Democratic congressman and civil rights leader Andrew Young, who is black, said this month that Asian, Jewish and Arab shopkeepers in black neighborhoods sold shoddy goods to blacks and drove away their businesses.

And, responding to Democratic complaints about Burns' verbal gaffes, Republicans argued that his Democratic rival made a comment earlier this week that was derogatory toward American Indians.

In an interview with The Seattle Times, Jon Tester talked about the faith he has in his staff, and said, "Nobody has done anything to make me think they're trying to tomahawk me."

Brock Lowrance, spokesman for the Montana Republican Party, said American Indians have long found "tomahawk" a derogatory term. American Indians are the state's largest minority group.

[lochlan-2009]

Yup, sounds like a typical Republican representative, and their blatant discriminatory remarks. Sounds to me like the union for taxi drivers should be filing a class action suit for defamation.

[cinbad66]

Good for the Senator. It's about time everyone stops walking on eggshells because 'someone might think I am racist if I mention any race' if the commenting person is anglo and American... while simply making a point.

[rogeranewton]

We all unwisely make politically incorrect statements from time to time, and politicians are only human. I like to make a spoof about PC by pointing to my dogs and saying, "They're not dogs, they're Canine Americans." If anyone, including a politician, apologizes for his or her unwise speech, the apology should be accepted and the matter forgotten.

[briannln]

I am an independent voter that won't be voting for any republican anytime soon because Bush lied about going to war in Iraq, but there is nothing wrong in what the Senator said. People are nutcase when it comes to what people say. Every American has some kind of ethnic blood in them except the American native. The jews are the worst. If you call them a jew that get AIPAC and ADL to try to destroy you morally and financially. Go get them senator!

[edjohn66]

Should the Senator be excommunicated for his remark? No. Should he grovel for forgiveness from taxicab drivers in America? Probably not.

BUT, do the comments about terrorists being taxicab drivers and about his house painter being a "nice little Guatemalan man" demonstrate something important about the Senator? DEFINATELY.

He quite obviously sees people from Central America as child-like, and he also obviously believes that every taxicab driver is of Arab (or other Middle Eastern) descent, and that every Arab is automatically under suspicion for being a terrorist.

Is this the type of person that Montana wants as a representative? We will see in November.

[dickl3]

Mahmud Abu Halima was a cab driver convicted in the 1993 WTC bombing, so it appears that Burns was absolutely correct when he stated that terrorist drive cabs. More to the point, a taxi driver represents the everyday man on the street that you routinely trust your life to without further thought. Read Jill Carroll's story of her abduction in Iraq, and clearly her abductors took great pain to blend into society, and fit the everyman persona vs terrorist persona.

Given that Conrad has it exactly right, maybe the article should be re-titles "CBS News Does it Again", as your republican hatred/democratic mouthpiece role has slipped through again. Did Dan Rather vet this article?

[debbienapier]

I think that if politician Don Perada can call white people "crackers" and not have to face any media backlash than every other race is fair game as well. It seems the only time racist comments are really called racial comments is when the receiver is not white. I for one am just sick of it. GET OVER IT.

[debbienapier]

If politician Don Perado can call white people "crackers" with absolutely no media backlash or punishment of any kind for his racist statement than every other race if fair game.

Why is it only racist if the reciever is not white.
GET OVER IT.

[apdepetris]

"At the campaign event with Bush, Burns talked about the war on terrorism, saying a "faceless enemy" of terrorists "drive taxi cabs in the daytime and kill at night."

The campaign said Thursday that the senator was simply pointing out terrorists can be anywhere."

I don't think anybody is going to believe that is what he meant by that comment but it's a nice try. I got a laugh out of it. Reminds me of my grandparents at family gatherings. They tended to use some racial slurs and comments of this type when talking about politics, etc. I thought of pointing out that they shouldn't talk that way but you have to realize that they, along with this Senator, come from a different time period where phrases like that weren't so controversial. Instead of focusing on the racial aspect of his remarks, I just think it demonstrates he's a bit of a dinosaur and maybe it's time for some new blood. People can make all they want out of it but I don't think you're going to teach an old dog any new tricks. If people are really displeased with him then they have a constitutional right to voice their opinion - by voting for someone else.

[hawkjoel]

Isn't it amazing the amount of racists who get into politics (Dem & Rep)??????

[kooth]

Given the current racial hatred expressed by many Republican politicians serving today in general, and most of Bush's cabinet in particular, it is clear to me that the comment was at least stereo-typical in its nature, if not down-right bigotry.

You would think that the Republican spin machine would issue talking points about their not making stupid comments like these instead of tired clichis like %u201CStay the Course%u201D. But what is really happening here is the attempt to rally the Republican base by inciting hatred.

[jacehoch]

I am a Independent At this point the Dems. can just sit back and let the republicans collapse in on themeselves

[cajetano]

What's more to say than out of the mouth of politicians comes GARBAGE!!!!!

[gossimer]

I agree with apdepetris' comment 100%. My dad, to this day, sees nothing wrong with the "N" word, even though our uncle, his brother-in-law, is black. Except he KNOWS it's wrong, as he never says it when our uncle is visiting.

What surprises me is 1), HOW this guy came to be a "three-term" Senator in the first place! 2), just how many foreign born taxi cab drivers live and work in MONTANA!?!

[MizQue]

Is anyone else as sick of these warmongering/fearmongering neocon nut jobs as I am?

[MizQue]

@janem

Hillary Clinton never made any anti-Jew comments. The neocons are lying to you and confusing you; they're good at that. And just what is your point? That if some make racist remarks, it's o.k. for this senator to do it too?

I will never understand conservative apologists for bad behavior.

[newsjeff-2009]

If Senator Burns from Montana and other GOP members are unphappy with performance of firefighers and the illegal immigrant problem I have a simple solution that most GOP leaders won't like though. Make all U.S. companies and all U.S. employers pay fair,decent wages and benefits and enforce legal citizenship and registration. Make sure all fire departments in rural America are well fundend to pay firefighers decent wages and benefits and hire more firefighers to beef up staffing. Notice I said fair,decent,equal wages, not high wages like Republicans accuse all Democrats of pushing for. All American workers need to be paid fair and equally, legal immigrants and Americans.