New lawmaker posts comment comparing Dems to slaveholders

State Sen.-elect Nels Swandal, R-Wilsall, recently shared on his Facebook page a post from someone else showing a drawing of slaves working in a field and with a caption comparing the Democratic Party to slaveholders.

Swandal reposted the drawing and caption from Dinesh D’Souza, a conservative author and commentator. The caption says: “‘You work, I eat,’ which Lincoln said was the motto of the slave owner, is today the motto of the Democratic Party.”

It was first reported by MT Cowgirl, an anonymous Democratic blog.

In an interview this week, Swandal said he occasionally posts information on Facebook “to see what people thought.” That’s why he posted the drawing and caption, the incoming senator said.

However, Swandal’s post didn’t say he was seeking reaction. He said he doesn’t remember getting any reaction to the posting on Facebook.

Swandal said he doesn’t agree that the Democratic Party’s motto today is like Abraham Lincoln’s comment about slave owners, “You work. I eat.”

“I am a friend of a lot of Democrats,” he said.

He said he may agree with criticism of some of the national Democratic Party policies.

Swandal has since taken steps to make his Facebook account accessible only to his Facebook “friends,” not anyone else.

The spokesman for the Montana Democratic Party criticized Swandal for reposting the drawing and caption.

“Senator Swandal’s Facebook posting is offensive, out-of-touch and insensitive and in no way helps find solutions to Montana’s most pressing issues,” Democratic Party spokesman Bryan Watt said. “This is just another example of the divisive, extreme leadership we’ve come to expect of Republican elected officials.”

Swandal served as district judge in Park and Sweet Grass counties from 1995 until 2013, when he retired from the court. In 2010, he lost a race for an open Montana Supreme Court seat to Beth Baker.

The new legislator said his interpretation of D’Souza’s comment is that there is a shrinking number of taxpayers in the country because of national Democratic economic and social policies, with many able-bodied men and women living off the work and taxes paid by others, thus not utilizing their full potential. He said he believes D’Souza is saying that trend, in turn, is taking money away from people “who really need it” such as veterans, developmentally disabled people and mentally ill people.

D’Souza is a conservative author and filmmaker and former policy adviser to President Ronald Reagan.

The New York Times reported in September that D’Souza was spared prison time after he pleaded guilty earlier in the year to violating federal campaign finance laws. He was charged with illegally using “straw donors” to contribute to a Republican Senate candidate in New York.