Greetings! Here are the topics for today’s independent commentary:

• Special Meeting & Recommendation
• Biden Impeachment
• The Western Word
• One More Thing

SPECIAL MEETING & RECOMMENDATION:

On Friday, December 15, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. there will be a Special Meeting on organizing the Election Department with the Cascade County Attorney and Cascade County Commissioners. The meeting will be held in the Commission Chambers which are located at 325 2nd Ave N, Room 105, Great Falls, MT 59401 (Source)

In case you missed it, on Tuesday the Cascade County Board of Commissioners voted 2-1 to relieve Clerk and Recorder Sandra Merchant of her election duties and hand those responsibilities over to an as-yet-unnamed appointee. (Source)

So now the commissioners need to find someone to fill the position on an interim basis until a permanent replacement is found (or until the MAGAs change the rules).

I’ve been thinking long and hard about this newly-created position. It’s in my wheelhouse of jobs that I am highly qualified to do, but after going over and over the needs of the county, I have found a man who is much more qualified than I am.

His name is Count Von Count. You might know him from Sesame Street. According to his bio, the Count is a happy and helpful character who enjoys counting anything and everything. He likes to find math in his everyday activities, which usually include more counting and playing the organ. His outgoing and enthusiastic personality makes him a friend to everyone.

I hope playing the organ is not a deal-breaker…

I urge the Cascade County Commissioners to give Mr. Count Von Count a chance to count the votes in Cascade County. I don’t think you will find a stronger candidate. Thank you for your consideration.

*I hope someone reads my recommendation to the commissioners at their meeting…

BIDEN IMPEACHMENT:

The Associated Press (AP) and several other sources are reporting that the U.S. House on Wednesday authorized the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, with every Republican rallying behind the politically charged process despite lingering concerns among some in the party that the investigation has yet to produce evidence of misconduct by the president.

The “with every Republican” means that Montana’s two U.S. House members, Matt Rosendale and Ryan Zinke, voted for the impeachment inquiry. (Source)

It would be nice if the House Republicans worked on something important in Washington, D.C. instead of the impeachment of Biden, which is nothing but election-year jockeying to appease their Republican base. The border needs attention, and so does the Fentanyl problem. Ukraine needs funding. So does Israel. Too many innocent people are dying in the Israel-Hamas war. There are thousands of homeless people living outside this winter who could use some help. An average of 20 of my fellow veterans die from suicide each day.

So, impeaching the President would be pretty far down my list. How about yours?

THE WESTERN WORD:

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ONE MORE THING:

Remember when the days were long
And rolled beneath a deep blue sky
Didn’t have a care in the world
With mommy and daddy standin’ by
But “happily ever after” fails
And we’ve been poisoned by these fairy tales
The lawyers dwell on small details
Since daddy had to fly
-The End of the Innocence (Don Henley)
(Video)

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