Quote for the day…

You’ll be surprised to know how far you can go from the point where you thought it was the end. -Unknown

In today’s column, I take a quick look at these people/issues:

• The Republicans
• Montana GOP & the Supremes
• Bozeman Daily Chronicle Editorial
• The Western Word Poll

THE REPUBLICANS:

During the latest Montana Legislative session, I was hoping the members of “The Solutions Caucus” would get some guts to stand up to the far-right nutjobs in the Republican Party, but they didn’t. It’s like they disappeared during the 2021 session. Here is an article that has the names of the members from 2019 and that’s about it.

The members of “The Solutions Caucus” could take a lesson or two from U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) and U.S. Representative Liz Cheney (R-WY).

In case you missed it, the Washington Post reported that Utah Republicans loudly booed Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) at a state party convention Saturday, shortly before a failed effort to censure him for his votes to convict former president Donald Trump.

CNN reported that Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, the No. 3 House Republican, said on Monday her party cannot accept the “poison” of the idea that the 2020 election was stolen and should not “whitewash” the January 6 Capitol riot — and Donald Trump’s role in fomenting it.

Cheney voted to impeach Trump.

I’d bet there are less than 5% of the members of Congress who would risk their seats to do what was right like Romney and Cheney recently did. That’s the problem with politics today and until we elect people who put the country ahead of the party, we will get second-rate politicians as we have in Montana with Steve Daines and Matt Rosendale and many members of the Republican caucus in the Montana Legislature.

MONTANA GOP & THE SUPREMES:

MTN News is reporting that the state Republican Party has sent a mailer attacking the Montana Supreme Court, saying the court needs to be investigated for “questionable activities” related to lobbying and its release of documents.

I guess I am no longer on the GOP’s mailing list.

There are not a lot of bright bulbs in the Montana GOP. This is just another way to raise money, keep the big donors happy, and get some publicity.

You can read the full report from MTN by clicking HERE.

BOZEMAN DAILY CHRONICLE EDITORIAL:

I’m happy Montana has the Bozeman Daily Chronicle editorial board. They keep churning out thought-provoking editorials. I think they are far and above the leader in editorials in Montana.

Monday afternoon they encouraged Montana Governor Greg Gianforte to veto House Bill 112. The bill would prohibit transgender girls and women from participating in female sports.

The Editorial Board made these points:

Not only is this bill discriminatory and a wholly unwarranted intrusion into the private lives of individuals. It is also a solution in search of a problem. Amid an ongoing pandemic and its economic impacts, is the essentially nonexistent issue of transgender youth participating in female sports really a pressing issue?

Before signing it, Gianforte is also urged to consider the bill’s negative economic impacts on the state.

I agree that the legislature should stay out of our private lives.

Read the editorial from the Bozeman Daily Chronicle by clicking HERE.

THE WESTERN WORD POLL:

The 2021 Montana Legislative session ended April 29. This week’s poll asks, “What overall grade would you give the 2021 Montana Legislature?”

Click HERE to participate.

The results will be posted Thursday.

## GET VACCINATED ##