Quote for the Day…
I am at the place in my life where errands count as “Going Out.” – Unknown
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:
- Tester – Farmer/Senator
- Biden Press Conference
- Reading Assignments
TESTER – FARMER/SENATOR:
There was a lot of talk on social media this week about a photo of U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) that showed him dressed in jeans, a plaid shirt, and a baseball hat heading to a caucus meeting.
It even got the attention of Kellyanne Conway, who was once Donald Trump’s Senior Counselor. She asked on Twitter, “Did Delta lose his luggage?”
I used to beat up on Tester in this blog and I still hold him accountable, but I have come to respect him although he never delivered a suitcase full of beef to my front door.
Tester is more genuine than Steve Daines, Matt Rosendale, and Greg Gianforte. Maybe it’s because he is an actual Montanan, and they are not.
As for Ms. Conway, your party spent millions trying to beat Jon Tester during his last election. Donald Trump and his kids visited the state numerous times to try and beat Tester. They failed. The Montana GOP has failed each time they have tried to beat Tester – they even lost when he beat Conrad Burns (which cost me my job and I hate to lose).
Tester can wear whatever the hell he wants, and the Republicans should realize that he will keep being the senior senator from Montana for as long as he wants.
BIDEN PRESS CONFERENCE:
The President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, held a press conference Wednesday to mark his first year in office.
You can read a transcript of the press conference by clicking HERE.
Biden took questions from the press for a long time. The whole event lasted about two hours which was unprecedented.
The next day, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was on Fox News. I don’t remember Trump’s numerous press secretaries appearing on MSNBC, but maybe I missed it.
U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) was quick to post on Twitter about the “365 days of failures from @JoeBiden.”
Sadly, Montanans have seen no real leadership from Daines during this year. It seems his only job is to complain about Biden. Daines has little integrity and no honor.
I responded to Daines’ tweet saying, “You’ve been a failure in every elected office you’ve held, Steven.”
As for Biden, in my opinion, he did fine. Sure, he made some mistakes, but most presidents have to backtrack after a major speech and taking questions.
READING ASSIGNMENTS:
Here are some articles you should read…
AP – Supreme Court allows Jan. 6 committee to get Trump documents
The walls are closing in…
WaPo – Manchin, Sinema join with GOP in rejecting attempt to change filibuster rules, effectively killing Democratic voting bill
The Republicans’ only job this year is to block Democrats from accomplishing anything…
The Electric – COVID CASES SPIKE IN CASCADE COUNTY; HIGHEST CASE RATE SINCE THE START OF THE PANDEMIC
Why aren’t we doing anything about it…
The Western Word 
How does one even adequately respond to such absurdities? It’s beyond my vocabulary.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/tucker-carlson-vaccine-nazi-experiments-fox-news_n_61eba042e4b03c2b084a5426
Maybe like this. Too funny.
https://www.rawstory.com/lets-go-darwin/
Another very good blog. The comments are good and wide-ranging. It is difficult to add anything of any substance. There is something ineffable about being born and raised in Montana. I mean that in a positive sense. I see it in my three children. The smartest thing I ever did in my life was to move to Montana. 🙂
John – Thank you. -JmB
Speaking of Daines, he unloaded a boatload of tripe in the Helena Independent Record today: https://helenair.com/opinion/columnists/democrats-federal-election-takeover-bill-undermines-what-montanans-want/article_a359bf9d-de9e-5fbf-87d2-13d846a5e157.html
jcolemanmoore- thanks for sharing that. I see he went after Tester. I remember when elected officials never attacked a fellow elected official except during election season. They figured they would have to work with them if they won and paybacks were hell. Thanks again, JmB
This is very disturbing. Calling for the assassination of doctors is beyond the pale. Some of the less stable morons in his group will act out, just like the guy here in Great Falls that tried to murder a local orthopedic surgeon and his family. I knew that guy. A real kook.
I’m sure our local wackos here in Montana lap this stuff up. It’s not a huge leap to go from calling for murder of school superintendents to shooting doctors and nurses. Gotta be some vigorous push back if we are to have a viable medical community. Maybe start by voting out the known kooks in politics and the sheriff’s departments.
https://crooksandliars.com/2022/01/qanon-nut-scott-mckay-declares-war
Patriots. What a joke.
McKay said, “My next target, knowingly or unknowingly on their behalf. Any of these doctors or nurses around the country that are involved in the murder of our people, they’re going to be spotlighted.”
McKay continued, “I’m dragging them out in the open. We’re going to spotlight them, show them to the whole world, I’m going to be naming them by name. If you have the courage to kill our people, you better have the courage to stand in the direct crosshairs of Patriot Streetfighter because this is now going to happen.”
That criticism of Tester came from THE Kellyanne Conway, irrelevant former political hack, noted champion of raccoon makeup, and all-around fashion expert, the person who wore that hideous red white and blue toy continental soldier outfit to Trump’s inauguration? Wow I bet that really wounded Tester.
As for Daines, quick, list any actual positive constructive thing he has helped push through Congress in the past 365 days.
Terry- as for Daines, I’ve got nothing. Thanks, JmB.
Hi Jackie,
While I share your position on Daines, I believe he did hop on Jon Tester’s work to help with some veterans legislation. Otherwise he’s done nothing other than harp about how well Pres. Biden and the Democrats are trying to clean up the messes that the MAGA contingency left behind.
In light of the return of Russia/Ukraine problems to the forefront, I still want to know why Daines went to Moscow on the Fourth of July a few years ago. It all seems to revolve around appeasing Putin for for years and then realizing they never had any leverage wiht him.
For the first time in years I hope those good fellows manning the ICBM silos up in your area are awake, alert and not otherwise compromised.
At least Joe Biden understands his adversary’s intentions if not the depth of his manipulation and machinations. An unsettling prospect.
I was a KC Chiefs fan back in the day with Len Dawson and the rest on those great teams. Hank Stram’s innovative offense and sterling defense are so very comparable to Andy Reid’s it is great fun to watch.
I willing be pulling for the Chiefs along with you but I am not yet ready to bet on them against the Bills. Lots of momentum on both sides of the field. It will be a good weekend to watch. Have a good one.
Old Line – good points. Thanks, JmB
According to the following, Daines has sponsored one (1) enacted piece of legislation bill during the entire 365 days of the Biden administration, “S. 2756: A bill to posthumously award a Congressional Gold Medal, in commemoration of the service members who perished as a result of the attack in Afghanistan on August 26, 2021, during the evacuation of citizens of the United States and Afghan allies at Hamid Karzai International Airport …”
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/browse?sponsor=412549#enacted_ex=on
Then according to the U.S. Congress, the rest of his time during this 117th Congress (and most of the 116h Congress) has been spent sponsoring rah-rah radical right red meat bills and resolutions that never go anywhere, such as “No Taxpayer Handouts to Illegal Immigrants Act” and “A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States authorizing the Congress to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States” and “A concurrent resolution affirming the importance of religious freedom as a fundamental human right that is essential to a free society and protected for all people of the United States under the Constitution of the United States”. Though it seems he did manage to get the entire Senate on board with “A resolution honoring the individuals fighting and the individuals who have fallen responding to wildland fires during the ongoing 2021 wildfire season”, so nice job Steve, for sure that’s why you were elected.
https://tinyurl.com/bddf6euy
He does have one recent real Montana-centric bill with Tester, to change Gibson Dam into a hydroelectric plant and no doubt severely impact the recreation out there, but it is too early to tell where that will go. Otherwise the guy is nothing but a partisan cheerleader who is apparently incapable of getting anything of substance done across the aisle. He is utterly useless to Montana unless he is operating as part of total Repub control, and even then it seems he has been little more than a yes man to Mitch McConnell, the mega-rich, and giant corporations.
Terry – Thanks for the research. Statesmen do not act like Daines. He and Rosendale have made our delegation the most partisan In history.
Since I am starting happy hour here at the worldwide HQ of The Western Word, I’d better stop. Cheers! -JmB