America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination, and unbeatable determination to do the job at hand. ― Harry S. Truman

Welcome to another exciting edition of Caught My Eye (CME)!

CME is the once a week column that is posted every Friday morning. This is when I take a look at some of the stories I did not have time to write about during the week.

Here are the topics that “Caught My Eye” this week:

• Same-Day Voter Registration
• Mask on, Joe
• Let’s Play Politics
• One More Thing

SAME-DAY VOTER REGISTRATION:

The Republicans in the Montana Legislature are full steam ahead in taking away the rights of Montanans. From the limited amount of time I have watched the Legislature this week, they have attacked women, transgender people, and just recently, voters.

Have no fear though, we’ll be able to drive tanks and shoot big guns all over the state!

On Thursday a Republican introduced House Bill 176. The Montana Free Press (MTFP) reports that the bill would close late registration for Montana voters at 5 p.m. the Friday before an election. Under current law, the registration period remains open until polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day.

If this bill passes I guess if you move the weekend before an election on Tuesday, you are shit out of luck.

Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen supports the bill, according to the reporting from MTFP. I am disappointed that Jacobsen wants to make it harder for people to vote.

MTFP reported that Broadwater County Election Administrator Doug Ellis talked about the “long hours and endless work” managing polls while continuing to accept voter registration forms. I think Mr. Ellis might want to find a new line of work if being a freaking election administer in a small county with 6,000 inhabitants is too rough on him. Geez.

It was also reported that 56% voted down an attempt to pass this via a ballot measure in 2014. Montanans would defeat it even more soundly if it was on the ballot again. I was part of the 56%.

Republicans probably think those people registering the final few days before an election vote for Democrats more. They don’t want that to happen. That’s it pure and simple.

MASK ON, JOE:

Every new Presidential administration gets a few new White House reporters. Some try really hard to make a name for themselves. It is fun to watch because most times the reporter is just doing his/her job.

Exhibit “A” is Fox News’ Peter Doocy.

Doocy asked the White House Press Secretary Jennifer Psaki the following question according to the White House transcript:

Why weren’t President Biden and all members of the Biden family masked at all times on federal lands last night, if he signed an executive order that mandates masks on federal lands at all times?

Psaki answered the question, but called Peter, “Steve.” Steve is Doocy’s father who also works at Fox News:

I think, Steve, he was celebrating an evening of a historic day in our country. And certainly he signed the mask mandate because it’s a way to send a message to the American public about the importance of wearing masks, how it can save tens of thousands of lives.
We take a number of COVID precautions, as you know here, in terms of testing, social distancing, mask wearing ourselves, as we do every single day. But I don’t know that I have more for you on it than that.

Doocy decided to go for the home run and followed up with:

But as Joe Biden often talks about, it is not just important the “example of power” but the “power of our example.” Was that a good example for people who are watching who might not pay attention normally?

Psaki answered with:

Well, Steve, I think the power of his example is also the message he sends by signing 25 executive orders, including almost half of them related to COVID; the requirements that we’re all under every single day here to ensure we’re sending that message to the public.
Yesterday was a historic moment in our history. He was inaugurated as President of the United States. He was surrounded by his family. We take a number of precautions, but I don’t think — I think we have big — bigger issues to worry about at this moment in time. 

Doocy will never be Mike Wallace or Sam Donaldson or even Jim Acosta. If he is the best Fox News has to offer, the Biden administration has to be pleased.

Biden and his family should have worn their masks. Joe Biden is older than dirt. He should not be taking any chances.

LET’S PLAY POLITICS:

The Hill is reporting that seven Senate Democrats are asking the Ethics Committee to open an investigation into GOP Sens. Josh Hawley (Mo.) and Ted Cruz (Texas) over the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. The senators filed a complaint on Thursday with the committee asking that it probe whether Hawley and Cruz’s objections to the Electoral College results violated the chamber’s ethics rules.

Here is the short answer: No.

I think Cruz and Hawley were dumb for objecting to the Electoral College results, but it was allowed by the rules. They should have known better than to fan the flames on that day. Heck, even the dumb as a box of rocks Republican Senator from Montana, Steve Daines, understood the ramifications and pulled his plan to object.

I would not vote for Cruz and Hawley if I lived in their state nor would I vote for them for President. I hope the voters from their home states send them packing next election.

Also on Thursday, The Hill reported that U.S. Representative Marjorie Greene (R-Ga.) said Thursday that she has filed articles of impeachment against President Biden, only a day after he was sworn into office.

Yes, Joe Biden.

In her statement, Greene said:

President Joe Biden is unfit to hold the office of the presidency. His pattern of abuse of power as President Obama’s Vice President is lengthy and disturbing. President Biden has demonstrated that he will do whatever it takes to bail out his son, Hunter, and line his family’s pockets with cash from corrupt foreign energy companies.

The Hill reported that an investigation by Senate Republicans last year into corruption allegations against the Bidens found no evidence of wrongdoing by the current president. The report, released last September, also did not find evidence that Hunter Biden’s work for the Ukrainian company, Burisma, influenced U.S. foreign policy.

The articles of impeachment against Joe Biden won’t see the light of day. They are dead on arrival.

Beam me up, Scotty.

ONE MORE THING:

But, you know, one of the new things in this administration is if you don’t have the answer, don’t guess. Just say you don’t know the answer. – Dr. Anthony Fauci at Thursday’s White House Press Briefing (Source)

## Wear Your Mask ##