The “missile” glass is half full?
The editorial page team of the Great Falls Tribune today came out with their glass half-full editorial called, “Missile-cut news includes some promising signs.”
Here are The Western Word’s (TWW) thoughts on some of the more interesting things I found in this editorial:
“The congressional delegation vowed to fight for them…”
No kidding? How often have you ever seen a delegation, particularly Montana’s, not fight to keep a mission at the base? The big question is: Do they have the POWER to keep the 50 missiles? The jury is still out, but TWW believes without a member on a defense committee, they may not.
“Congress has 30 days to respond to the report…”
With Congress on Easter/Spring recess, will there be time to pass legislation to stop it? I believe the report was delivered to Congress in mid March. The Senate and the House are on recess until April 10 and April 16 respectively.
“…people concerned about militarization around the world might find it somewhat comforting that America’s military leaders are OK with reducing our ICBM arsenal by 10 percent.”
That is very true and those people will proclaim victory. But TWW wonders how many of our elected leaders across the country, even our Montana delegation, received campaign donations from people and groups who want to reduce the number of nuclear weapons. Hmmm.
“…the 50 missiles being removed could be used in the periodic test launches that help maintain the entire fleet. Military forecasters have said there weren’t enough testable land-based missiles left to take the fleet’s operational life past 2018; decommissioning the 50 missiles could extend that past 2030…”
TWW finds this interesting. There used to be missile bases at Whiteman AFB, MO, and Grand Forks AFB, ND. They had 150 missiles each. Where are these 300 missiles and have they been used for testing?
If the 50 missiles are taken from Malmstrom AFB, first and foremost, it will have an adverse effect on our nation’s deterrence to other nations who have nukes. The world is a dangerous place. As I have said before, this has to be the main reason for keeping them.
TWW would like to remind his readers that in real life, we don’t have a Jack Bauer to save us.
Losing 50 missiles will also have an adverse effect on the counties where these missiles come from.
Losing 50 missiles will have an adverse effect on Great Falls and Cascade County.
And, losing 50 missiles will have an adverse effect on the political careers of Max Baucus, Denny Rehberg and Jon Tester. They have said it won’t happen. Are they willing to bet their political careers on it?

Rallying the faithful?
It looks like former Montana Governor Judy Martz, R-Mont., tried to rally the Republican faithful last night in Helena at the Lewis and Clark Lincoln-Reagan day dinner by trying to nail current Montana Governor, Brian Schweitzer, D-Mont., on several fronts, from his attire to his ties to lobbyists to being a bully.
You can read the story HERE from the Helena Independent Record.
TWW likes Martz. TWW also believes Schweitzer is unbeatable at this time. As for this helping the Montana Republicans, maybe this speech did. But with their actions in the latest legislature, it appears the Republicans may already have a “toe tag” on. As TWW has said before, it’s a circus down in Helena, just a plain old three-ring circus with clowns and bears, and elephants.
Governor Schweitzer could be called the Teflon governor because he is riding so high, that nothing will stick to him. His ratings remind me of Marc Racicot’s.
There’s not a Republican that I know who can come within 20 points of beating Schweitzer, unless there is a big scandal or something like that.
But, when you are desperate for votes and wins, carefully selected attacks from someone who is not running is not a bad strategy. So why not throw some crap out there to see if any of it sticks. At least it made the paper and that has to be a small victory for the Republicans and they didn’t have to use money for campaign flyers.

TWW will cease blogging after this post.
April Fool’s.