Quote for the day…
When your values are clear to you, making decisions becomes easier. – Roy E. Disney
Today’s independent commentary deals with these issues:
- The Insulin Vote
- BDC Editorial: Veterans
- Reading Assignments
THE INSULIN VOTE:
It was quite a weekend in the U.S. Senate. They had votes throughout the weekend and finally passed the Inflation Reduction Act with the help of Vice President Kamala Harris, who cast the tie-breaking vote.
This was a big win for President Joe Biden and the Democrats, no matter what the Republicans say. Check out what’s in the bill by clicking HERE.
One of the more interesting votes that had me shaking my head was the vote to cap out-of-pocket insulin costs at $35 a month for people not covered by Medicare. (The Hill)
This seems like a no-brainer, but just like the vote recently where Republicans placed party politics over veterans, they did it again. There were 43 Republicans voting against it and that included Steve Daines of Montana. (Source)
Shame on Daines, once again.
BDC EDITORIAL: VETERANS
I was a little disappointed in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle editorial board for going soft on U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) for his vote against and subsequent fist bump to celebrate the defeat of a veterans’ bill in the Senate.
The board rightly praised U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) for his work on the bill.
Here is what they said about Daines:
Montana’s junior senator Republican Steve Daines voted for the measure in the end after joining a couple dozen other GOP senators who voted earlier to stall it — a vote he celebrated with a fist bump with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, a video of which was widely circulated and decried on the internet.
The editorial board should have been tougher and nastier on Daines for what he did to veterans.
Read the complete editorial HERE.
READING ASSIGNMENTS:
Here are some articles/videos you should read/watch…
Helena IR – George Ochenski: Montana’s political trifecta of shame
The three stooges comparison is spot on…
Helena IR – Montana Democrats try to forge a path
It will be a rocky path with rattlesnakes and thorns…
YouTube – He Knows It
The former VP comes to the defense of his daughter…
CNN – Trump wins CPAC straw poll in Dallas
The straw poll was done by a person who does polling for Trump…
The Western Word 
I haven’t bothered to look, so has anyone seen who Daines did a fist-bump with when he voted to prevent a cap on insulin costs in private insurance. Surely he wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to celebrate, once again, screwing over the most burdened of his own constituents.
Fred – He probably did the fist bump in the back room away from the cameras this time.
Thanks, JmB
Maybe if Chuck Schumer had scheduled a vote on a tax cut for rich guys like Steve Daines he could have found it in his his heart to vote yes to alleviate the terrible tax suffering of that small slice of Montanans he truly represents – rich guys like himself. The physical suffering and financial strain of regular Montanans like vets and diabetes sufferers surely doesn’t seem to be on his radar.
Gianforte might want to see how the rest of the country reacts to his bizarre religious beliefs. It’s height of arrogance to push those beliefs on the rest of us. Just as in this article, he should expect no peace until abortion is once again safe and legal. The great thing about freedom is that it cuts both ways. They protest planned parenthood, we protest the intrusion of the religious beliefs in our private lives.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/multiple-arrested-new-york-city-pro-abortion-protesters-shout-down-catholic-parishioners-outside-church