> Wasn't Sen Taylor from Montana the one who ran as Wallace's vp candidate
> against Truman? Didn't Taylor market Taylor toppers -- toupees?
>
Possibly that would have been a different Sen. Taylor. This guy is too young for that, at least. This guy's intermperate youth in the 1980's and 90's appears to have been spent running beauty schools in CO or at least putting on enough appearances to try to glom onto various flavors of federal financial aid. (see below)
I am trying to decide whether or not to be disgusted with the MT Democratic party because of the cloud of seeming homophobia hovering over the ad in question or just to scratch Missoula MT off the recent list of top 10 best places for lesbians (?!?!).
For one thing, I do not automatically read John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever as gay. Probably half the guys in my HS yearbook dressed the same way as the barbershop ad. (Don't ask. Acute fashion sense is not a prerequisite for growing up in MT.)
On the other hand, methinks the candidate doth protest too much, a little bit like Dukakis and the tank. Maybe Taylor could have saved his whole campaign -- and picked up a few pissed off gay votes to boot -- by planting a big smooch on the cheek of the biggest Log Cabin Republican he could find and going off for a few seconds about how "we in MT treasure our personal liberties...."
Not mind you that I am sorry to see Taylor depart the race. For one thing his mode of enriching himself at the public trough is probably a little too crass for bluer bloods. Plus, to hear my Mom talk, Republican administrations have made such a mess of the state economy that MT needs every shred of clout they can hold onto at the Federal level. And Baucus is clout, and far better on many issues than Republicans, almost enough to get anyone off a soapbox about one happy American political middle and indistinguishable two parties.
Plus with a Repub out of the way, now Mr Eyebrows has a fighting chance for the Green Party!
DoreneC
(PS. to the person who asked about my physical characteristcs, I am 5'10" and built like a linebacker with a serious case of 4-eyes going on too. As with the Libertarian Blue Boy, some of these features I could do more about than I do; as with Mr Eyebrows, I do not have a choice about my heredity, only about the cosmetics I do or do not invoke to overcome it. And sadly for cartoonists everywhere I am not running for Senate in MT.)
http://www.missoulian.com/display/inn_news/z1.txt Republican candidate drops out of Montana Senate raceBy BOB ANEZ Associated Press WriterHELENA - Republican Mike Taylor dropped out of the U.S. Senate race againstDemocratic Sen. Max Baucus on Thursday, saying he could not combat a DemocraticParty ad portraying him as a gay hairdresser.Taylor, who was trailing Baucus badly in the polls, said the commercial amounted to assassination of his character.Choking back tears and with his wife Janna by his side, Taylor said, "I'mwilling to suspend my campaign because my opponent's lies about me are hurtingmy wife, my family, my friends, my party and most of all, Montanans fromall walks of life."Taylor's surprise announcement comes less thana week after Democrats began airing a TV ad accusing Taylor of a scam involvingstudent loan money when he ran a beauty school in Colorado during the 1990s.The commercial includes videotape of Taylor, 20 years younger wearing anopen-front shirt and gold chains while massaging a man's face. The videotapewas from Taylor's "Beauty Corner," a television segment he hosted on a Coloradonews program during the 1980s."There's no question about it, whatthey're trying to imply," Taylor said. "They're trying to say that everybarber and every cosmetologist, every manicurist or anybody in the beautyand hair fashion industry is homosexual."Brad Martin, executive directorof the Montana Democratic Party, denied use of the old tape of Taylor wasintended to suggest the candidate was gay.Baucus, chairman of theSenate Finance Committee and holding a 19-point edge over Taylor before thead began running, did not immediately return telephone calls seeking comment.Taylor's surprise decision all but assures Baucus of re-election. The Libertarianand Green parties each have a candidate in the race, although they have donelittle fund-raising or campaigning.Ken Miller, chairman of the stateRepublican Party, said former Montana Gov. Marc Racicot, currently the RepublicanNational Committee chairman, had been approached about running in Taylor'splace, but declined.Montana law requires Taylor's name remain on theballot and does not allow Republicans to name a replacement. Write-in candidateshave until Oct. 21 to file.The Democrats' TV ad, unveiled Oct. 4,was a joint effort of the state and national Democratic parties. It citesU.S. Department of Education documents that concluded Michael Taylor's Institutefor Hair Design provided loans to students enrolled in a program ineligiblefor financial assistance and failed to properly refund student loan moneywhen they left school.The reports also said the institute gave loansto students no longer attending classes or failing to meet academic standards,and failed to verify loan eligibility of some students.Taylor hasacknowledged his school made clerical errors in handling loans, but deniedany scheme to profit from the federal aid program.He said Thursday that the pictures of him, rather than the loan issue, prompted his decision to leave the race."My opponent has blanketed the airwaves with a gross distortion of the truthand called it a campaign," Taylor said. "And he has smeared my good nameso badly that regrettably I have drawn unfavorable reviews. All of this overa picture of me that's untrue, furthest from the truth."Campaign managerAlan Mikkelsen said a campaign poll taken earlier this week showed the adhad severely damaged Taylor, doubling Baucus' lead to 33 points.Taylor blamed Baucus for the ad, calling it an example of a "sea of sleeze" created by the incumbent's "venom."Taylor, who already has spent $1 million of his own money on the campaign,said he would have had to put another $250,000 to adequately respond to Baucus."I would have to blanket the airwaves with slime more thoroughly than he,"he said. "I will not, I will not. If that's what it would take to win ...that is not a victory worth winning."On the Net: Baucus: <A HREF="http://www.maxbaucus2002.com/">http://www.maxbaucus2002.com</A> Taylor: <A HREF="http://www.taylorussenate.com/">http://www.taylorussenate.com</A> Montana GOP: <A HREF="http://www.mtgop.org/">http://www.mtgop.org</A> Democratic ad on Mike Taylor's school of hair design: <A HREF="http://www.thetaylorrecord.com/"> http://www.thetaylorrecord.com</A>
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