Up first today is a story about the Pork Machine still being alive and well in Washington, D.C.
It looks like the democrats who are in control in Washington, D.C., are going to add around $21 billion (that’s with a B) to the Iraq war bill to tempt other lawmakers to vote for it and this is only in the House.
The Western Word (TWW) thinks this is totally wrong. I’d like to see the Montana delegation vote against it.
I thought the democrats were going to change the culture back there? It will be interesting to see how U.S. Senators Max Baucus, D-Mont., and Jon Tester, D-Mont., vote on this one. If they do not vote for it, then they will undoubtedly suffer the wrath of their party. TWW believes Baucus, who is running for reelection next year, is almost 100% sure to vote for it. I give Tester about a 95% chance that he will, too. Look for their reasoning for casting a vote for it being drought aid or something along those lines.

The second story today deals with our elected leaders’ schedules.
There has been some bloggers talking about my posts about Sen. Jon Tester’s schedule being delayed from appearing on his website for a few days (March 14-19). One blogger wrote that the good senator had posted more of his schedule than Baucus and Congressman Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., combined. This is very true.
Tester started a trend with his campaign promise and he’s received plenty of attention for it. Rehberg’s spokesperson, on the other hand, seemed to fumble the ball when asked about it and there are some who are holding him accountable. That is good.
TWW predicts Rehberg and Baucus will post their schedules when they next update their official websites, which should not be too much longer since we are starting a new congress.
But, let’s be realistic. We will never see their whole schedules. Not a chance. It will be a vanilla version. The problem with the vanilla schedule is sometimes we may find a story about them attending events that were not on their schedules, which will only make us more suspicious of our elected leaders.

Up third today is a story about Malmstrom AFB and their 200 missiles being cut by 50.
Although I have not seen this in the media (yet) Senators Baucus and Tester recently wrote to the U.S. Air Force Secretary about the loss of 50 missiles at Malmstrom AFB, which would take the ICBM force down to 450. I picked this information off Tester’s website, HERE.
I commend them for trying. They cite that 500 missiles are critical for national security, which is the best (and really only) angle. But, they also get into the loss of jobs in the Great Falls area. I doubt the “jobs for Great Falls, Montana angle” has any bearing on this issue with the USAF.
TWW predicts there’s an 80% chance that Malmstrom AFB will lose those 50 missiles. The current Montana delegation is lacking the clout to stop it. But stranger things have happened. If it does happen, then Senator Baucus has been the senior senator for one major mission (aircraft) and a one-fourth of the remaining major mission (missiles) being lost at Malmstrom. This could hamper his re-election in 2008.

Up next is a story about the Montana Legislature passing a resolution that means nothing.
TWW also noticed on the website of the Great Falls Tribune that the “Whitmore Ravine resolution gets final approval.”
TWW has blogged that this was a waste of time as with many things the state legislature has gotten itself into this session. It does not have the force of law as the Tribune stated. It is the opinion of the state legislature. Besides, who wouldn’t want your Uncle Sam to pay for everything? The bottom line is the Montana congressional delegation will have to request the funding through appropriations.

And finally, a little bit about the NCAA basketball tournament.
As I blogged about earlier, Jack the Blogger went 25-7 in the first round of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. In the second round, Jack went 13-3. I’m still thinking that Kansas may be in the final four along with North Carolina. I don’t believe Florida and Ohio State (the other number one seeds) will make it.