Sen. Ryan Zinke, R-Whitefish, recently announced the establishment of a political action committee aimed at defeating President Barack Obama in this year’s election.

Zinke is the state senator for Senate District 2, which includes Columbia Falls and Whitefish. He decided not to run for re-election this year and instead ran for lieutenant governor with gubernatorial candidate Neil Livingstone. They were defeated in the spring Republican primary.

A retired Navy commander who served with the SEALs and once commanded SEAL Team 6, Zinke is now chairman of Special Operations for America, a PAC that will “advocate for the election of Mitt Romney and like-minded candidates who want to bring true leadership back to Washington and who believe in permanent and enduring American exceptionalism.”

Members of SEAL Team 6 killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan on May 1, 2011. Zinke, who retired from the Navy in 2008, said Navy SEALs, special operations personnel and veterans across the U.S. “have been outraged since Barack Obama conveniently took credit for killing Osama Bin Laden for political gain.”

“The active duty military has no voice as they are forbidden to publicly engage in the political campaign process, and it is career suicide for senior military leaders to speak out against the President,” Zinke said. “In 2008, Obama ran against the issues and tactics he is now exploiting for political expediency. It appears the President is looking to deflect his economic record, embrace and ride on the coattails of America’s military.”

For more information on Special Operations for America, visit online at www.soforamerica.org.