Governor turns on charm for radio ads

The Daily Inter Lake

Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer has dived into a quirky brand of tourism promotion, appealing to Minnesotans as kindred winter spirits in a series of radio ads.

"If my arms were longer, I'd reach right across North Dakota and shake your hand," Schweitzer says on one of the spots airing on Minnesota radio stations.

The governor, well known in Montana for his country-fried quotes, offers up Montana's 16 ski areas and millions of acres of snow-laden forests as a balmier alternative to colder winters in Minnesota.

"When I see that the coldest spot in the nation is frequently in Minnesota, I think, those are my kind of people," he says in another one of the ads. "And for people like you, willing and eager to drive a perfectly good pickup onto a frozen lake, well, let's just say that I know you'll know what to do when you get here."

The ads were developed through Montana Tourism.