I don’t like earmarks…until I’m elected or in the majority…
It looks like the democrats’ taking over congress this year has had some ill effects on some rural hospitals in Montana.
The Great Falls Tribune is reporting today about the financial problems Mountainview Medical Center in White Sulphur Springs is having. Mountainview, along with several other rural hospitals in Montana, were due to receive a federal earmark to upgrade their record keeping, but it was terminated by the democrats when they took over Congress.
It looks like the democrats cost Montana’s rural hospitals about $500,000. According to some research on the web, this earmark was requested by former U.S. Senator Conrad Burns, R-Mont.
I’ve seen where U.S. Senator Max Baucus, D-Mont., and U.S. Senator Jon Tester, D-Mont., have “recovered” some of the funding that was lost when their party took over the House and the Senate. It’s very ironic to The Western Word (TWW) that they and other democrats across the country were so against earmarks and now issue press releases taking credit for having “recovered” a small number of them. You can view some of the releases HERE. We’ll see how well Baucus and Tester does on their own this year, with Montana’s appropriations king gone.

Katie, Katie, Katie…
I watched Katie Couric of 60 Minutes interview John and Elizabeth Edwards last night. TWW has always liked Katie. I had no problems with the questions she asked them about Elizabeth’s cancer and John’s bid to become President. They were great questions and I had some of the same. Edwards is a likeable guy, but not someone I would want as President. Now, if a democrat wins the Presidential race, I could see John Edwards as the Attorney General.

Looks like I screwed up my bracket…
On March 20, I blogged this: “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.”
In case you did not know, Florida and Ohio State did make the final four. The other two are UCLA and Georgetown. Kansas and North Carolina both lost in the regional finals.
For those of you keeping score, in the first round TWW went 25-7. In the second round, TWW went 13-3. In the regional semifinals, TWW went 5-3. In the regional finals, TWW lost his head and went 1-3. Ouch. Look for my upcoming picks for the winners of the semifinals soon.