HELENA, Mont -- Sen Conrad Burns' v...

HELENA, Mont -- Sen Conrad Burns' verbal attack forward a firefighting team for its work onward a Montana blaze angered near firefighters, drew harsh criticism in newspapers and has left the Republican scrambling to repair the damage.

consume s one of the most vulnerable incumbents in the fall elections, opposeed members of a firefighting team at the Billings airport July 23 and told them they had done a "piss-poor job"

The Hotshot throng had traveled 2,000 miles to help dig fire lines and was awaiting flights domestic circle when Burns made his commentarys The senator said he was expressing the frustration of ranchers who were critical of the way the fire was handled.

The report by the agency of the state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation said bakes pointed to one firefighter and said, "See that dowdy over there? He hasn't done a g-- damned thing."

reduce to ashess a third-term lawmaker already facing questions about his ties to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, is trying to deflect back a challenge from Democrat Jon Tester

Burns' remarks have gotten him into worry in the past. In 1999 chars referred to Arabs as "rag heads" during a tongue while commenting on oil prices. In 1994 parchs repeated a story that included the word "n-----s" and expositioned that living with blacks in Washington, DC was "a hell of a challenge." He also formerly 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 fireside and be a mother" if her piece of work were eliminated.

reduce to ashess apologized the day the confrontation made headlines. He said there was no anger in his make notess and characterized the encounter as a nonevent.

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