I got a chuckle when I read that Montana’s lone Congressman, Steve Daines, was heading to Israel this week. Daines seems to be adapting well to the Washington lifestyle – he’s growing up so fast!

I actually figured his first trip would be to Afghanistan so he could act like he knows something about the military.

According to Lee Newspapers, Daines is heading to Israel “as part of a trip with 25 other members of Congress, sponsored by a charity tied to one of the nation’s most prominent pro-Israel lobby groups.”

With an approval rating hovering around 15%, does it really matter much what Congress does?

After reading the article, I have to commend Daines for having the talking points down about how this trip will benefit Montana and how a committee he is a member of will use the information gathered during this trip for…committee stuff. So it’s all good in Daines’ eyes.

Daines has been a member of Congress for about 223 days. This is his first August recess since being elected to public office. So coming out of the gate during his first August recess and taking a Congressional Delegation (CODEL) junket is bold. 

The Montana Street Fighter Blog rightfully pointed out that Daines’ appointment as the Vice-Chairperson of the House Security Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency was probably a sign that he was running for senate. Street Fighter said, “It’s not rocket science. Give your potential U.S. Senate candidate a bit more ‘influence’ and seniority before they officially launch their campaign.”

This trip probably fills another important “campaign” block for Daines – international relations. I imagine we’ll see photos of the trip showing the “statesman” Daines shaking hands with someone important. These come in handy during campaign season. Plus, it’s always good to be favored by lobby groups for fundraising.

The good news about this trip is the House won’t be wasting time voting over and over to defund ObamaCare this month…

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