December 17, 2009 in Region

Rumsfeld buys Montana ranch south of Butte

The Spokesman-Review

BUTTE — Former U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and his wife have purchased a 940-acre ranch on the Big Hole River in Montana’s Madison County, his spokesman confirmed Thursday.

“Mrs. (Joyce) Rumsfeld was born in Montana, she has relatives in the state and the Rumsfelds have always thought very well of the state,” spokesman Keith Urbahn told The Montana Standard Thursday. “They plan to spend some time out there to enjoy it.”

The property south of Twin Bridges includes hayfields, wetlands and river frontage. Urbahn said the Rumsfelds have no plans to develop the property.

“He enjoys outdoor sports, and I’m sure they’ll get out there on the river from time to time and fish it,” he said.

Rumsfeld, 77, served four terms in Congress from Illinois in 1963-69, was a member of President Richard Nixon’s cabinet and served as defense secretary during the Ford Administration. He was also defense secretary for President George W. Bush for six years, overseeing the military invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. He also worked many years in private business.

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Six comments on this story so far. Add yours!

SugarShane on December 17 at 11:47 a.m.
940 acres? nice lil spread there. Jerk.
madscientist on December 17 at 11:56 a.m.
who cares? how is this even worth printing.
shanusmaximus on December 17 at 2:15 p.m.
….and that’s what you get when help screw everything up. A nice fat, rich, retirement.
Fixer on December 17 at 2:57 p.m.
As Rumsfeld knows, there are lots of unknowns when purchasing a large property. There are the known unknowns, things that he knows he doesn’t know, and unknown unknowns, things he doesn’t know that he doesn’t know.
Uptight_Spokanite on December 17 at 6:46 p.m.
Dear Jesus,
I know I haven’t talked to you in an awfully long time, and I know that sometimes I don’t even remotely approach the standards for living a sin-free lifestyle that you expect, heck, I’m just a terrible sinner most of the time, but Jesus, you gotta admit I don’t ask for much, nothing really since the time I plead for another chance with Rhonda in the eighth grade and you, in your awesome Jesus wisdom, chose to let Rhonda fall for that stoner dude in the 9th grade with the van, he was like 17 anyway or something and yeah, Rhonda was so not my type except back then I had no type because I was just a randy 14 year old, but anyway, Jesus, could you do one little thing for me, just one little thing. First time Don Rumsfeld goes out exploring on his property and I’m guessing he’ll do it in a black Suburban with a heavily armored frame, could you unleash a tornado of utter Biblical proportions? I’m talking Old Testament too, Jesus, stuff when you were a little boy or even earlier, I’m talking a tornado that sucks up mountains and rivers and spins in a furious vortex with an ear splitting roar, one that you stare at and you swear you can see the faces of demons in, and just land that big horrible tornado right on top of Don Rumsfeld and suck him up so high in the sky that he gets to taste the chemicals in the contrails of the jets tracking over Montana before you drop him a million feet and auger him straight into the Montana hardpack soil?
Cuz Jesus, if you did something that completely awesome and all, I’d be in Church this Sunday. I’d even wear a damn tie.
Roger_Young on December 17 at 8:55 p.m.
Blasphemy.
Almighty Lord, if spokanite wore a tie, make it look like a foreskin.
..940-acre ranch on the Big Hole River.. huh.
I checked my Atlas and somehow they dropped an important three letter word starting with A and ending with S between the words BIG & HOLE River.
Perhaps one of the Montana Senators can take Rhuemmy on a nice boat ride.
I wonder if Blackwater or KBR will provide yard services courtesy of the U.S. Goverment. No way any kickback deals would be included.