The Wednesday Read

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Quote for the Day…

Sprinkles are for winners. -Flo (Progressive Insurance)

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

  • Gianforte – Epic Failure
  • Military Equipment
  • The Western Word Poll
  • One More Thing

GIANFORTE – EPIC FAILURE:

Montana Governor Greg Gianforte (R) held a press conference on Tuesday. I managed to catch it on Facebook with a few hundred others.

Gianforte started his press conference slamming the Biden Administration for the Afghanistan withdrawal. This is something that Gianforte has no reason to comment about. He has no idea about what is going on in Afghanistan. I wanted to interrupt him and say, “Stay in your lane, bro.” Many others asked why he was talking about Afghanistan.

Gianforte did get around to talking about the elephant in the room – the COVID surge that is crippling his state. His policies are clearly not working.

Here is what Lee Newspapers reported on Monday (Aug. 23):

As of Monday, Montana had 3,784 active COVID-19 cases, with 2,639 cases added in the last seven days.
During the past week, 24 more people have died from the disease and 29 more have been hospitalized. In total, there are 220 active COVID-19 hospitalizations in Montana, according to the state dashboard.
Overall, 74% of Montana’s ICU beds are occupied, up from 69% last week, with 47 beds filled by COVID-19 patients, according to COVID Act Now.
The state continues to creep into critical levels, averaging 351 cases per day as of Aug. 20, the highest it’s been since January.
From July 6 to Aug. 20, the average daily case count increased by 313.5 cases a day in 45 days. The last time Montana had a similar increase, it took 95 days to bump the average from 26.4 daily cases to 314.

Gianforte said that people should get vaccinated but added they should consult with their “trusted healthcare providers.” He ticked off a few of his supporters by saying they should get vaccinated.

He saved himself by reaffirming his stance that the vaccine and/or masking will not be mandated, and he does not support another lockdown. (MTN News)

Many of his supporters on Facebook wanted Gianforte to make the public schools not require masks. They left the press conference disappointed.

The fact is that Gianforte’s plan is costing Montana. People are sick and the number of people getting infected is increasing. His stubbornness in not having a mask mandate and/or lockdown may kill people. For a guy who spent millions of his own money to buy the governorship, you would think he would treat the state better.

I enjoyed his press conference – especially trolling people. Gianforte’s supporters are sensitive and some act as “Facebook doctors” and “Facebook lawyers” until they are presented with the facts. Some get downright nasty. Those are the moments I will cherish.

I told a few of them they can find me right here.

MILITARY EQUIPMENT:

I have seen some on the right post memes about the Biden Administration (our U.S. military) giving up millions of dollars in equipment to the Taliban.

Here is an example:

The one above is from a firearms coalition who, of course, does not like Biden because “he is trying to take our guns” which is also BS.

Those memes are total lies. The equipment was given to the Afghanistan Army. The Afghans ran away and left it, and it fell into the hands of the Taliban when they took over the country from Afghans.

When the Army of a country will not stay and fight, it is time to leave. The righties can find a lot to dislike about Biden and his policies, but they should at least post truthful information to prove their point.

Reuters covers the story HERE. The Hill covers the story HERE.

THE WESTERN WORD POLL:

It seems everywhere we turn someone has an opinion about the handling of the troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. A lot of those opinions are political.

Here is your chance to give your opinion – “Grade President Joe Biden on his handling of the troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.”

The results will be released Thursday.

ONE MORE THING:

School is starting across our great state. Watch out for children as you drive!

## MASK-UP/GET VACCINATED ##

6 thoughts on “The Wednesday Read”

  3. I’ve always been surprised that there aren’t more right wing nonsense comments and personal attacks here.

    Worth mentioning are Gianforte’s ‘blind’ investments in companies that stand to profit from people getting COVID. His pandering and wishy washy positions on COVID make more sense when you think of them that way. It’s all cash in his pocket.

    • my creeks – Thanks. The type of people commenting has changed over the years. I guess the far right folks don’t like me that much these days. That’s. Ok. I sleep well at night! -JmB

  4. With the school year starting and indoor weather coming – what, Greg worry?

    Not sure that anything Gianforte could do about Covid would have any effect at this point anyhow. Most of the state pays little attention to our dynamic leader on any subject to begin with. At last half the state for sure isn’t going to pay any heed to him on the subject of Covid, because Montana Republicans have spent the past 9 months downplaying Covid and promoting the idea that the individual freedom to run around with your germs hanging out is more important than anyone else’s life or bank accounts. They wrote laws to prevent most everyone from putting mitigation measures in place, and Greg signed them. No one is going to take him seriously now. And the hostile anti-public health laws probably hamstring even Greg.

    The best Greg likely can do now is exactly what he did regarding schools – just duck his head, stay out of the way of the adults the Repubs constitutionally couldn’t hamstring, and let them do the right thing (and take all the heat). And let the Feds continue to pay all the medical bills those Montana “individual freedoms” incur.

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