"President Bush just handed Montana Sen. Conrad Burns an opportunity to redeem himself following a tawdry bit of politics.

Both involve funding for Native Americans.

That's an area over which Burns holds great sway as chairman of the Interior Appropriations subcommittee that oversees funding for the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

That sway came into play last year when Burns helped pass $3 million in funding for the Saginaw Chippewas of Michigan.

The tawdry part is that the Saginaw Chippewas had hired Jack Abramoff, a high-profile Republican lobbyist, to help them curry favor in Congress."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Bush budget gives Sen. Burns an opportunity (The Great Falls Tribune 3/31)

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