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Senator Max Baucus denies being drunk during Senate speech
By Trish LaMonte
December 29, 2009, 9:32AM
AP
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sen. Max Baucus, D-Montana.
Montana Senator Max Baucus, who led the Democrats' health care reform legislation through the Senate last week, is responding to accusations that he was intoxicated while delivering a speech on the Senate floor.
Video of the speech posted to YouTube over the weekend shows Baucus appearing to slur some of his words and repeating himself at times.
Baucus' spokesman Tyler Matsdorf released a statement on Monday refuting claims that the Senator was drunk, calling it an 'untrue personal smear Internet rumor.'  Matsdorf said, "This is beyond the pale and this type of gutter politics has no place in the public sphere. It is this type of slander that makes Montanans, and Americans, disgusted with the politics as usual in Washington. And what is even more sad is that such a personal attack would be given any validity at all, let alone being elevated to the status of news."
Former Florida Republican Rep. Mark Foley posted a video clip of Baucus' speech on his Facebook page on Sunday, and wrote: "breathalyser for members of congress."