I have to admit I never really heard of this guy until just yesterday, even though he’s been a candidate for the Montana Senate as a Democrat since last fall.
According to Wikipedia he was born in Nebraska. He got an early love for Montana through his parents, who had spent their honeymoon in Yellowstone National Park in 1949. The family made many trips there while Adams was young, and which left a lasting impression on him.
University and Law School
In 1979 his connection with Montana began when he started to teach at UM, business law classes specifically. I’m not sure how he pulled this off, as it says he was also living in New York at the same time. According to his website he commuted each week, which must have been tough.
By the early 80s he’d gotten involved in regulating some of the Savings and Loan stuff going on at that time. Far from robbing people like many involved with Wall Street cronies do, Adams made sure depositors got back their money.
Making Montana Home
There he raised cattle, pigs, and grew apples while getting involved with local organizations. He also owns the general store there, which probably gives him quite an ear on the community.
Dirk Adams’ website has more information about him, as well as some of his views and some YouTube videos. Perhaps the most noticeable thing, and probably the most controversial, is that he doesn’t support constructing the Keystone XL Pipeline through Montana.
Considering that the pipeline will only create 50 temporary jobs* while opening up the possibility of years of environmental accidents and cleanup, I don’t think this is such a bad stand on the issue. The only jobs I really see being created full-time are those needed to clean up leaks in the sub-par Asian piping materials and the messes that so much large truck traffic is likely to cause.
* Read tonight's article.
Another Choice
I just can’t get excited about Walsh, and I know I’m not alone on that one. What I do hope is that there’s a choice in the primary and that these two main contenders can duke it out and let Montana decide over the next 4 months.