Quote for the Day…

I may be over the hill, but the climb was terrific. – Unknown

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 look at some of the stories I did not have time to write about during the week.

Here are some of the things that “Caught My Eye” this week:

• U.S. House – MT
• South Dakota National Guard
• No Missing Ballots
• State District Judges
• Gwen Berry – Hammer Time

U.S. HOUSE – MT

In case you missed it, State Representative Laurie Bishop (D) announced that she was running for Montana’s new Congressional district, although that district has not been determined.

Check out Bishop’s campaign website HERE.

MTN News is reporting that another Republican is joining the 2022 race for Montana’s new congressional district – former state Sen. Al Olszewski of Kalispell, who ran unsuccessfully for governor last year. Former Congressman Ryan Zinke (R) already announced his intentions to run for Congress.

Check out the Olszewski campaign website HERE.

Check out the Zinke campaign website HERE.

All Candidates: Please send The Western Word your press releases at this email address: Western_Word@Yahoo.com. The Western Word publishes five days a week and has been Montana’s premier independent blog since 2005.

SOUTH DAKOTA NATIONAL GUARD:

I never thought something like this could happen, but in today’s world, anything is possible.

This is how the Associated Press (AP) reported the story:

Willis Johnson said he just wanted to help.
So, earlier this month the billionaire Republican donor, who amassed a fortune building an international junkyard empire, took the unusual step of calling South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a rising Republican star who has railed against illegal immigration and aligned herself firmly with former President Donald Trump.
He asked if she wanted to send National Guard troops from South Dakota to the U.S.-Mexico border — and offered up $1 million to help.
Noem said, “Yes.”

Noem saying yes is asinine. I would not put it past Montana Governor Greg Gianforte to do the same – except he could write the check himself. Noem should be recalled and if Gianforte does it, he should be recalled, too.

I wonder how much it will cost to get the Guard to do birthday parties. The Guard has been laughed at a lot since the first Rambo movie. It would be the perfect job.

Read the complete AP story HERE.

NO MISSING BALLOTS:

On Monday, The Western Word reported about former President Donald Trump saying:

“In Montana, over 6 percent of a certain county’s mail-ballots are missing, evidence to prove that if they were legitimate or not, that they’re missing. All this evidence. Think of it, Montana. You know, a lot of mail-in ballots. Where you have mail-in ballots.”

Apparently, Trump was lying again.

The Daily Montanan is reporting that the Montana Secretary of State’s Office has also confirmed that there are no reports of ballot problems or ballots missing. The Communications Director for the Secretary of State told The Daily Montanan that, “The office is not aware of any county election official that has self-reported missing absentee ballots.”

STATE DISTRICT JUDGES:

The Great Falls Tribune is reporting that the Eighth Judicial District Advisory Council agreed to recommend Cascade County’s current Standing Master, attorney David Joseph Grubich, and former Judge Michele Reinhart Levine to Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte to fill the vacancy on the court during their meeting Wednesday. The council decided to rank their choices with Grubich being the council’s first choice.

Levine was nominated by former Governor Steve Bullock but was not confirmed by the ultra-partisan state senate. The Tribune reported that it was the first time in 50 years that the Senate did not confirm an interim judge.

I’m not a gambler and I don’t play one on television, but I would bet that Gianforte picks Grubich for the job. I’ve heard that Levine will run for the position in the next election. Although I don’t like state district court judges and supreme court justices prostituting themselves like common politicians, I will vote for Levine.

Read the complete Tribune report HERE.

GWEN BERRY – HAMMER TIME:

Before I get into the story, I want to set the record straight. I stand for the National Anthem. I salute our flag. I fly it proudly. I served in the military on active duty for over a decade for the freedoms and liberties that we have.

Sometimes I don’t agree with how people protest, but I served so they have that freedom. It also means they may suffer consequences for their protests.

Gwen Berry finished third in the hammer throw and made the USA Olympic team. Berry turned away from the American flag and raised a T-shirt over her face as the national anthem played during her medal ceremony.(WaPo)

She thinks it was a setup. I don’t care.

Berry should stay on the USA Olympic team. We show the world that we are free enough and mature enough to handle protests. Some countries would have executed her.

The bottom line is that Berry finished third in the USA. While I am not a hammer-throwing expert, I doubt she will have a chance to protest at the Olympics.

God bless the USA…

## HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY ##