NATION IN BRIEF : MONTANA : Senator’s Remarks Spark Controversy

Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.), a folksy former radio announcer and livestock auctioneer, talked his way into a major campaign controversy when he repeated a racial slur and said that living with blacks in Washington “is a hell of a challenge.” Burns apologized for the comments and defended his record on civil rights, but the latest incident that occurred during a visit to the Bozeman Daily Chronicle newspaper mushroomed into front-page news across Montana as Burns campaigned for a second term in the Senate. Burns has come under fire from rights activists.