The man who asks a question is a fool for a minute, the man who does not ask is a fool for life. ― Confucius

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

• Pence in Montana
• 60 Minutes
• One More Thing

PENCE IN MONTANA:

Vice President Mike Pence came to Montana Monday to campaign for his and President Trump’s reelection and for U.S. Senator Steve Daines, Representative Greg Gianforte, who is running for governor, and for State Auditor Matt Rosendale, who is running for U.S. House.

The Associated Press (AP) reported that there were “several hundred supporters at an outdoor venue near Belgrade.”

The AP also reported, “Most attendees did not wear face masks.”

The Bozeman Daily Chronicle also reported on the event. The Chronicle reported that volunteers checked temperatures before allowing cars to park. They also reported that chairs were set up in small groups, but the groups didn’t appear to be 6 feet away from each other. The Chronicle also reported that most attendees did not wear masks.

With several hundred people in one area and not practicing social distancing or wearing masks, it will be interesting to see how many new coronavirus cases come from Pence’s campaign stop. The good news is that it was held outdoors.

You can read the Associated Press report HERE and the Bozeman Daily Chronicle report HERE.

60 MINUTES:

I recorded 60 Minutes from Sunday evening and watched it Monday. This is the episode where correspondent Scott Pelly interviewed Bob Woodward about his new book, “Rage.” For the book, Woodward interviewed Trump 18 times – and Trump knew he was being recorded.

Here are some of my observations:

January 28, 2020, is a key date. Woodward said that on January 28th of this year, before the virus was on anyone’s radar, the national security advisor, Robert O’Brien, told the president, “This virus will be the biggest national security threat you face in your presidency.”

In the report, Pelly said:

President Trump’s questions, in the January 28 meeting, exposed a difference of opinion. Beth Sanner, from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, said the virus might be no worse than SARS in 2003, when there were only eight known infections in the U.S. But, Woodward says, Deputy National Security Advisor Matt Pottinger, who had been a reporter in China, told Mr. Trump his unofficial Chinese contacts had raised a grave warning.

Woodward stated that Pottinger said his contacts in China told him “This is going to be like the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic that killed 675,000 people in this country.” It was a stunning moment in the Trump presidency and, I think, in American history. Because he then went on to publicly dismiss the virus. And he knew that this was a pandemic coming.

That, to me, is the smoking gun.

At the end of his book, Woodward gives his opinion that Trump is the wrong man for the job.

Anyone with an open mind should be able to see that.

Read/Watch the 60 Minutes interview HERE.

ONE MORE THING:

Trump Security Systems!
They are just like regular home security systems, but they don’t alert you about intruders because they don’t want you to panic. -@GeorgeTakei

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