Senator Seeks to Fix Damage Over Remarks

[Judi Lynn]

Senator Seeks to Fix Damage Over Remarks
By MATT GOURAS , 08.03.2006, 02:40 AM

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Burns, one of the most vulnerable incumbents in the fall elections, confronted members of a firefighting team at the Billings airport on July 23 and told them they had done a "piss-poor job," according to an official state report and the U.S. Forest Service.
(snip)

In 1999, Burns issued a written apology after referring to Arabs as "rag heads" during a speech while commenting on oil prices. In 1994, Burns repeated a story that included the word "niggers" and commented that living with blacks in Washington, D.C., was "a hell of a challenge." He also onced asked a woman who was wearing a nose ring what tribe she belonged to.

Last year, the senator denied a flight attendant's claim that he told her she could "go home and be a mother" if her airline job were eliminated.
(snip)

Burns apologized the day the confrontation made headlines. During a conference call with reporters, he said there was no anger in his comments and characterized the encounter as a nonevent. He also said he approached the firefighters, who told him they did not want a visit and he left them.
(snip)

A videotape obtained and circulated by the Democratic Party shows that when the conference call ended, Burns turned to officials in the room and said, "that's the way to shut that down ... that works."
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http://www.forbes.com/entrepreneurs/entrelaw/feeds/ap/2006/08/03/ap2924137.html