The Debate Round 1

In the Foreign Policy debate between John McCain and Barack Obama tonight, it was an easy victory for McCain. McCain’s knowledge of world affairs and the military were far far above Obama’s. I’ll bet Joe Biden was proud of his friend, John McCain.

Experience matters in this dangerous world and Obama does not have it. By not having a teleprompter to read from, Obama had a hard time talking. He stuttered and stammered his words in almost every answer. Obama “almost” made Montana Senator Max Baucus look like a toastmaster champion.

McCain was on the offensive most of the night and Obama said, “I agree with John” at least 10-15 times.

One thing I wanted McCain to say, but he is more of a gentleman than I, was when the question was asked, “What’s the likelihood of another 9/11?” I would have answered, “It’s more likely if Senator Obama is elected President.” Which I believe it is.

All in all it was good debate and there were not any big mistakes by either candidate. Of course, each side will claim victory as they always do. But the great thing about debates is that you and I get to pick the winner. I pick John McCain. He is ready to be President on day one.

Published in: on September 26, 2008 at 8:57 pm  Leave a Comment  

Drying up

According to the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, the research dollars given to Montana State University (MSU) dropped “6 percent” this year and this “was the university’s largest setback in two decades.”

Wow. Two decades.

In 2006, MSU ranked in the top 20 universities nationwide for receiving federal money.

In 2007 the Democrats took over the majority in Congress. It’s been downhill since then and probably a lot of it has to do with the loss of a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee who happened to be from Montana.

Meanwhile, the research money continues to flow…but now it’s starting to go to other states.

Published in: on September 26, 2008 at 12:26 pm  Leave a Comment  

Nothing Accomplished

If it wasn’t so sad, it just might be funny. U.S. Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) was able to chair a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing yesterday. He’s been a member of this committee for most of the time he’s been in Washington. Yesterday, the regular committee chair, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calf.), gave the gavel to Baucus to run a committee hearing about the asbestos problem in Libby, Montana.

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee has the oversight of the Environmental Protection Agency.

So Baucus and the committee invited a couple of EPA officials to testify. The EPA sent two different people and his committee staff kicked them out.

According to the Associated Press:

Baucus, a Montana Democrat, arrived after the exchange. He said at the hearing that he had hoped two officials who worked at length in Libby – Paul Peronard, former on-scene coordinator, and Christopher Weis, an EPA toxicologist – would testify.

Normally a powerful chairman does not have to “hope” people will testify – the chairman just tells them he wants them there and they show up – especially when the chairman’s committee has jurisdiction over the agency these invited people represent.

This happens a lot when showmanship gets ahead of actually helping people. Baucus, once again, received tons of media coverage leading up to and after the hearing. Realistically nothing was accomplished, except for Baucus manipulating the media into covering his hearing – a hearing in which he was unable to get two key members of the EPA to show up.

Meanwhile, the good folks in Libby are no closer to having their problems solved because of it. That’s the sad part of the whole story.

Published in: on September 26, 2008 at 9:26 am  Comments (4)