Baucus' girlfriend met with his divorce lawyer before Max & wife separated

[havocmom]

http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/article_ab99e90e-e61a-11de-91c9-001cc4c03286.html

“HELENA — Sen. Max Baucus’ former state director — and now his live-in girlfriend — met at least twice with the senator’s divorce attorney to discuss the Baucuses’ divorce eight months before the senator and his wife, Wanda, separated.

...

Contacted this week by the State Bureau and asked about the documents, Wanda Baucus said she knew nothing about those discussions in 2007 and that the couple by then had not had a discussion about getting a divorce.

..

Melodee Hanes, Baucus’ former chief of staff and current girlfriend, met at least twice with Ron Waterman, the Helena lawyer who worked on the senator’s April 2009 divorce, the billing documents show. At the time, Hanes was a lawyer and high-ranking aide to the senator.

...

“Melodee Hanes’ interactions were in her official role as state director and focused on scheduling and logistics, including how a potential separation between Sen. Baucus and (his ex-wife) Wanda could impact the senator’s travel and work,” Matsdorf said in a statement.


...

Ya know, years ago I read a study about the differences between why most men who initiate divorce do it v why women who initiate divorce do it. Most women did it because they could not tolerate the conditions of their marriages any more; they wanted/needed out. Most men who initiated did so because they had become enamored of someone else; men tended not to leave a marriage unless they had someone else waiting. (yeah, I know there are flames coming, and no, I don't have a link, as I read it eons ago before I ever touched a computer) The study also said a lot of married women considered emotional infidelity more unforgivable than sexual infertility.

Hmmm, ya think Max's current girlfriend had an agenda for a long time before they officially 'became involved'? I've seen such campaigns in the past.

Isn't it is amazing what some people will do to advance their careers. Perhaps ol Max is just an idiot pawn in someone else's agenda?

Personally, I think Melodee Hanes needs some close scrutiny. Not letting Max off the hook, but Melodee seems less than ethical.

Girlfriends, Insurance Industry, who else is leading Max around by whatever appendage he is led by?

Montana only has one House Rep and two Senators. Only one of the three works for the people of Montana, and America. The way things are going, a DEM won't be able to oust the House Rep Rehberg; DEMs on the Hill are just not being effective enough to give us any momentum. Max was just re-elected last year, so we are stuck with his spineless, self-serving weaslery for a spell.

Small population, small cash drawer, MT voters are stuck with the reps $$ from outside can buy. Denny & Max seem to work pretty cheap.

[Mass]

1. I dont really care about Baucus's sex life. I care about his links with big pharma and

insurance companies.

[HelenWheels]

3. No integrity

His actions in his marriage shows he has no integrity or respect for marriage vows he took. It also shows he does what is best for Baucus and no one or nothing else. I'm sorry to say the Senate is filled with guys like this. I have really lost respect for the Senate. For the most part they are selfish bastards who are in the Senate to line their pockets. And it is true for the most part women leave their marriage to escape an intolerable condition and men leave to go to another woman. Leaves men looking pretty pathetic.

[havocmom]

6. Yep, integrity, or lack of.... Too many senators get by without being accountable

Voters need to stop letting that crap happen. The ethics they have govern the choices they make. The choices they make affect us all

It ain't about sex, it's about voters being screwed by corrupt pols.

[havocmom]

4. It isn't sex I am discussing here. It's the integrity thing and what this info adds to understanding

Max and his former staffer seem to be OK with screwing innocent bystanders. She bears watching, and Max just needs to get his dishonest ass out of my congressional delegation.

Then there are the reports that Liz Fowler, a high ranking staffer for Max, was the one who actually came up with his input on HCR bill and that she was a former Insurance company employee. Ah yes, here we go:

http://stuffgoeshere.tumblr.com/post/183039350/this-is-from-the-max-baucus-healthcare-reform

http://finance.senate.gov/press/Bpress/2008press/prb022608.pdf

Washington, DC – Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) has
hired Liz Fowler as Senior Counsel to the Chairman. Fowler previously worked for
Baucus at the Finance Committee from 2001 to 2005 as the Chief Health and
Entitlements Counsel for the Democratic staff. Among other matters, her new portfolio
for the Committee will include the panel’s yearlong preparation for broad-based health
care reform.
“I’ve known Liz for a long time, and I’m thrilled to have her back on my team,” said
Baucus. “Liz knows all the ins and outs of health care policy and how to move bold legislation. She’ll be an asset not only to the Finance Committee, but to the
American people as we plan for real health care reform and a host of other vital
initiatives.”
Fowler previously worked as Medicare Counsel to Senator Patrick Moynihan (D-N.Y.)
on the Finance Committee and as an aide to Rep. Pete Stark on the Joint Economic
Committee (JEC). She practiced health care law with the Washington Law firm of
Hogan & Hartson, was a health services researcher with Health System Minnesota, and
worked on Medicare payment policy at the Health Care Financing Administration
(HCFA).

Fowler holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania, a Ph.D. from
Johns Hopkins University, and a law degree from the University of Minnesota.

http://www.zoominfo.com/people/Fowler_Elizabeth_27241191.aspx

http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2009/09/08/liz-fowlers-plan/

What neither Politico nor Bad Max himself want you to know, though, is that in the two years before she came back to the Senate to help Max craft the Max Tax plan, she worked as VP for Public Policy and External Affairs at WellPoint.

So to the extent that Liz Fowler is the Author of this document, we might as well consider WellPoint its author as well.

It's about the ethics and the choices made, not sex. This latest news out of Helena shows a bit more about Hanes' and Max ethics. Testing water before Mrs. Baucus knew what was coming. A lot of women can forgive the sex, but not the emotional infidelity. A lot of voters can forgive the sex, but not the unethical legislative whoring. Patterns of behavior matter more than pretty stump speeches.

Maybe more voters from all states will consider the mounting evidence of character over image and start looking at ALL their elected reps and what sort of people they really are.

[lamp_shade]

2. So what?

[havocmom]

5. Patterns of behavior indicate a lot about ethics, that's what

Screw spouse, screw voters.... What, we only get upset when GOP pols are shitty to their wives? We only use evidence of GOP pols' questionable behaviors against them and pretend DEMs behaving questionably are fine?

[Octafish]

7. ''DEMs on the Hill are just not being effective enough to give us any momentum''

Most salient observation, yours, havocmom. Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid need to wake up and use their bully pulpits to do great things and tell the nation why they're worth doing. Otherwise, it's hello Newt Gingrich...

[jsamuel]

8. sigh

[mod mom]

9. "Hanes’ interactions were in her official role as state director" Yeah right!

[havocmom]

10. So, I'm not alone in my skepticism of her career advancement methods?

Max is so foolish (at best) and a total fucking jerk more 'n likely. Anybody with judgment as poor as his should NOT be given important chairs. This longevity method for chairmanships needs to be scrubbed.

Max and Lieberman need to be relieved of the burdens of committee chairmanships, for starters.