Here’s a roundup of some political news for your Tuesday – plus commentary! Enjoy!
Taxes:
Lee Newspapers is reporting that Montana State Senator Jonathan Windy Boy (Democrat) “owes more than $146,000 in federal taxes, penalties and interest, according to a document filed by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.”
And here I thought the IRS was only going after people who leaned to the right…
Voter Guides:
The Associated Press reported yesterday that here in Montana “The commissioner of political practices says a political group is not to blame when voters leave guides in the election booth.”
I can agree with that.
The guides were handed out legally, “at least 100 feet from the precinct doors” and then people left them in the precinct.
I guess people “accidentally” left the voter guides behind. Someone, somewhere, just had a light bulb come on…
The Montana Commissioner of Political Practices continues to amaze me…
93-1 Vote:
James Comey was a Deputy Attorney General under President George W. Bush and, in June 2013, he was nominated by President Barack Obama to be the head of the FBI.
He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate yesterday. The vote was 93-1. The one “No” vote was from Senator Rand Paul, R-Ky. Two other senators, Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., voted present. Four other senators did not vote.
I guess we can call Paul, Wyden, and Merkley “the extremes.”
Paul had placed a hold on the nomination until the FBI provided answers to his questions about domestic surveillance drone use. The FBI answered his questions saying they had used drones in about 10 cases.
I think I will head back to my bunker now…
Happy Birthday Medicare!
In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Medicare bill into law. Medicare basically gave citizens 65 and over and certain other folks with disabilities access to health insurance.
Medicare and Medicaid are good things.
I wonder if 48 years from now we’ll be saying the same thing about Obamacare…
August Recess:
The U.S. House and the U.S. Senate are winding up their work and will soon be heading home (or on some junket to a foreign country) for August Recess.
So watch out – this is your warning!
They will reportedly return to Washington around September 9.
Where is Jimmy?
On this date in 1975, former Teamsters union president Jimmy Hoffa disappeared near Detroit.
Hoffa was born in 1913…
####
The Western Word 
“The U.S. House and the U.S. Senate are winding up their work and will soon be heading home (or on some junket to a foreign country) ” Some of them seem to spend so much time abroad that the junket is a visit to their districts.
James: True. Very true.
Regarding Senator Jonathan Windy Boy, the back taxes go back to 2001, I guess the IRS isn’t trying as hard as you would have us think.