The Western Word is coming to you, STILL, I repeat STILL, coronavirus free, from deep inside an underground bunker in Montana. The bunker also serves as the worldwide headquarters for The Western Word blog!

Quote of the day…

I am deeply disturbed by how many people seem to see washing their hands as a new thing. –Unknown

Today’s independent commentary deals with these people/issues:

• Coronavirus Testing
• Bullock to Speak
• Politics & Coronavirus
• Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick
• Interesting Quotes
• One More Thing

CORONAVIRUS TESTING:

The Associated Press is reporting that Oregon, Montana, Oklahoma, and Maine are able to test fewer than 30 in 1,000 people a month, according to an email sent Monday by the White House coronavirus task force. (AP)

This is not good. There’s a lot of pressure to open states. Even the Trump Department of Justice is getting involved. National Public Radio and others reported that Attorney General William Barr said the Justice Department would support legal action against states that continue to impose strict social distancing rules even after coronavirus cases begin to subside in their respective states.

What an effing mess.

If you can’t adequately test people, there’s a great chance the virus will spread.

BULLOCK TO SPEAK:

MTN News reported that Wednesday (today) Montana Governor Steve Bullock is expected to reveal changes to the Montana stay-at-home order he put in place on March 26. The time of the press conference has not been announced.

Although I don’t think there’s been enough testing to know how many coronavirus cases there are in Montana, I think Bullock will implement all or part of Phase 1 in Montana. There’s a lot of pressure on him.

In Phase 1 place like schools that are currently closed should remain closed. Some places can open as long as they adhere to strict physical distancing. One thing that will piss off a lot of Montanans is that the White House guidelines say bars should remain closed.

You can see the Phase 1 rules HERE.

POLITICS & CORONAVIRUS:

When I read something from “Townhall” I think back to what the website Media Bias Fact Check reported about it:

Overall, we rate Townhall Right Biased based on story selection that always favors the right and denigrates the left. We also rate them Mixed for factual reporting due to the use of columnists that have poor fact check records.

Of course, the Montana GOP used one of Townhall’s articles to go after Democrat Steve Bullock, who is the Governor of Montana and also a candidate for U.S. Senate against a first-term Republican Senator Steve Daines.

The Montana GOP tweeted the article and added:

Still no plan unveiled by @GovernorBullock to reopen Montana’s economy, but that’s not stopping him from holding a virtual fundraiser tonight with California Democrat @SenKamalaHarris 

It would be great if we could keep politics and the coronavirus separate. I think most people feel that way, except the extreme partisans. They are shameless.

When/if the coronavirus goes away, then both sides can go about attacking the other’s response to the pandemic. Right now, Bullock is being a better leader than Daines. The Governor of New York is outperforming Trump. Even the want to be Governor of Montana, Greg Gianforte, has disappeared.

I can see why the Montana GOP feels the need to attack. Their candidates are losing the fight in one of the most important qualities for an elected official: Leadership.

LT. GOV. DAN PATRICK:

I had to triple check the following quote from Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick. It was reported that Patrick said, “There are more important things than living.”

He did say it and even in context, it’s still a shitty way to talk to constituents. Here’s a little more of the quote as reported by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram:

But 500 people out of 29 million and we’re locked down, and we’re crushing the average worker. We’re crushing small business. We’re crushing the markets. We’re crushing this country,” Patrick said. “And what I said when I was with you that night, there are more important things than living. And that’s saving this country for my children, and my grandchildren and saving this country for all of us. And I don’t want to die, nobody wants to die, but man, we got to take some risks and get back in the game, and get this country back up and running.

I’m sure Patrick and his family will be on the front lines when Texas reopens.

INTERESTING QUOTES:

Here are some interesting quotes during  recent White House Coronavirus Task Force briefings from President Trump:

It’s gonna be gone at some point. Gone. Gone. -Trump on the coronavirus (4/21)

It was hard to get it aroused, and it is hard to get it aroused, but we got it aroused.–Trump talking about the American Way (4/19)

It’s even a much different death, to be honest — much different death. This is violent. –Trump on the difference between the flu and the coronavirus (4/19)

ONE MORE THING:

A look at the future…

September 2050: John opens the last roll of toilet paper his parents purchased in 2020.

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