Hello faithful readers – welcome to a new week! The following topics caught my attention:
- RINOs Supporting Sheehy
- Farm–Chicken Pot Pie
- UFC 292
RINOS SUPPORTING SHEEHY:
There’s a bump in the road for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Tim Sheehy, who was hand-picked by U.S. Senator Steve Daines and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell to take on U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-MT).
Several sources, including Lee Newspapers, are reporting that a group of 37 Montana legislators are asking Rep. Matt Rosendale to run. The list, according to reports, includes the top Republicans in the state House and Senate and represents nearly 40% of the Legislature’s GOP caucus, many from the party’s right wing. Signers include Speaker of the House Matt Regier and Senate President Jason Ellsworth.
The Montana Free Press (MTFP) reported that the U.S. House Freedom Caucus held a call with former President Donald Trump where members of the Montana Freedom Caucus took part and asked Trump to endorse Rosendale. The MTFP says that state Rep. Steven Galloway, R-Great Falls, sought a definitive answer to that question, asking Trump explicitly to endorse current Congressman Matt Rosendale over Bozeman businessman Tim Sheehy,
I think a proper name for the Freedom Caucus in Montana and the U.S. House Freedom Caucus should be the “Bat Shit Crazy Caucus.”
According to the MTFP, Galloway then took some shots at Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL who has the backing of U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Montana Sen. Steve Daines, and other key Republicans, deriding him as a millionaire with no political experience and lacking Rosendale’s grassroots support. “The RINO establishment is supporting Sheehy,” Galloway continued. The term “RINO” is short for “Republican in Name Only.”
I guess Galloway may feel that Daines, Governor Greg Gianforte, and U.S. Representative Ryan Zinke who all support Sheehy are RINOs.
The opening date to actually file for office in Montana is January 11, 2024, and the deadline is March 11, 2024, so this squabbling may continue for quite some time. It should be fun to watch.
You can read the Lee Newspapers story HERE and the MTFP story HERE.
FARM–CHICKEN POT PIE:
Candidates have a lot of different strategies to raise money, but I don’t think I have ever seen chicken pot pie being used to raise money.
On U.S. Senator Jon Tester’s campaign X account (formerly Twitter), I saw the following message:
Jon’s wife Sharla here! Jon asked me if I could help out with his upcoming fundraising goal, so I’m offering up one of my favorite recipes from the farm–chicken pot pie. It’s super easy & quick. If you pitch in a few bucks, you’ll get the full recipe to try out for yourself!
I still remember a Tester campaign commercial where he was pulling a roller suitcase to Washington, D.C. that was full of Montana beef so he could eat some good food there. (Source). I had hoped I would hear that sound rolling up my sidewalk with Tester or his staffer giving me a suitcase full of beef, but it never happened. I do not know if he still does the roller suitcase full of beef thing, because I saw a story from a right-wing website that reported his campaign spent a ton of money wining and dining people in D.C. (Source)
Check out the post about farm-chicken pot pie HERE.
UFC 292:
Helena, Montana, native Sean O’Malley won the UFC bantamweight title Saturday night, stopping Aljamain Sterling in the second round in the main event at UFC 292 at the TD Garden in Boston. O’Malley is coached by Tim Welch of Great Falls,
I was able to watch some of the fight, and I was surprised (but happy) that O’Malley came out victorious. His overhand right caught Sterling on the temple, and down he went. A few hammer fists later and the referee stopped the fight as Sterling was unable to defend himself.
Watch it HERE.
Congrats to Suga Sean!
The Western Word 
Not sure what the next level below bat shit crazy is, but Elsie Arntzen is there! I sincerely hope that Rosie runs for senate so that we can turn Elsie loose on Washington should she win his seat. Remember that Elsie is State Supt. of Schools, and she honestly believes that there are litter boxes in schools for kids who identify as cats! If we’re voting for crazy, might as well go all the way! That’s crazy so good ya just gotta share with others! In case you missed this interview with Elsie, enjoy.
August 18, 2023
Say What? 🤔
“It’s imperative that we talk about these challenging issues. Let’s talk about boys in girls bathrooms and that safety issue. Let’s talk about those litter boxes that some schools are putting out for children who want to view themselves as some sort of an animal. Is this where public education should be? I say no.”
— State Superintendent Elsie Arntzen, speaking about culture war issues in public schools during an Aug. 15 interview on Voices of Montana radio.
Over the past two years, Republican lawmakers and parental rights activists throughout the country have claimed that certain schools offered litter boxes for students who identified as cats — an allegation wielded in the broader debate over school policies that support students who are exploring their gender identities. School officials have routinely debunked such claims, prompting retractions from podcast host Joe Rogan and from a conservative state lawmaker in Nebraska. The nonprofit education news outlet EdWeek characterized the claims as a “disruptive and demeaning hoax.”
During the interview with Voices of Montana host Tom Schultz, Arntzen, who is exploring a run for Montana’s eastern district congressional seat, said explicitly that the controversy has become an issue in the public school system she oversees:
Schultz: “Do we have evidence of litter boxes in Montana schools?”
Arntzen: “Yes sir.”
Schultz: “Okay. Looking into it?”
Arntzen: “Of course we are.”
MTFP followed up with the Office of Public Instruction for more details. According to government liaison Tara Boulanger, Arntzen’s statements were based on claims made to her by Montana citizens during community forums and radio interviews in December 2022, as well as a report to OPI by a “rural Montana community member who requested to remain anonymous.” Asked if Arntzen or the agency had substantiated any of those allegations, Boulanger replied, “The reports were not investigated because no formal complaints were filed.”
Lance Melton, executive director of the Montana School Boards Association, said his organization is unaware of “any instance whatsoever where any school district in the state has contemplated doing this.” He added that the association fields “in excess of 7,000 calls” per year from districts requesting legal advice, saying the only mention he recalled of litter boxes occurred two years ago. The association, he said, advised the inquiring district that state law makes no reference to protections for students seeking such access.
As for the suggestion that any districts in Montana currently offer litter boxes to students, Melton said, “It’s just ludicrous.”
Alex Sakariassen
Reporter