Happy Presidents’ Day! Here are the topics for today’s column:
- U.S. Senate Montana 2024
- Pearl Jam Tour
- Montana National Guard
- Trump Owes
- My Favorite Presidents
U.S. SENATE MONTANA 2024:
According to NonStop Local, a recent poll that was conducted by SurveyUSA on behalf of NonStop Local, results indicate that Senator Jon Tester is currently leading by 9% in the race for Montana Senate against both of his potential Republican challengers, Tim Sheehy and Matt Rosendale.
By the way, in his last election, Tester beat Rosendale by 3.5%.
The survey of Montana voters across the state, which was conducted last week, polled 700 adults from all over Montana. Among those polled, it was found that 612 were registered voters.
It was also reported from the survey that women backed Tester by an 18-point margin, while men were evenly split in the Tester-Sheehy showdown.
It’s very apparent that women in Montana are tired of the Republicans taking away their rights.
This is good news for the Tester campaign. Sheehy and his supporters have already spent millions and he is still losing by 9 points. There’s a long way to go, but the Republicans now know it is an uphill climb.
Read the complete report from NonStop local HERE.
PEARL JAM TOUR:
Mark your calendars – Pearl Jam will be playing in Missoula at Washington-Grizzley Stadium on August 22.
In the past, they have helped U.S. Senator Jon Tester with his campaign. I don’t know if that is happening this time or not.
You can see the full tour HERE.
MONTANA NATIONAL GUARD:
On Friday MTN News reported that a Montana Army National Guard recruiting poster is being taken down statewide after an editing mistake was pointed out on social media.
MTN says the poster states: “It’s more than college money…. It’s the spirit of tradition.” But in the background, images of German World War II soldiers are prominent, which sparked outrage online. Several months ago, the poster was distributed across Montana.
I think it’s fair to ask, does the Montana National Guard have some pro-Nazi folks in their ranks?
MTN also reported:
Montana National Guard leadership is aware of a Montana Army National Guard recruiting poster that appears to show members of the World War II German Army in the background. This poster does not represent our history or values and has been removed from further distribution. We sincerely apologize for this serious mistake.
Read the MTN News report HERE.
TRUMP OWES:
NBC News is reporting that Judge Arthur Engoron has ordered former president Donald Trump and the Trump Organization to pay over $364 million in penalties. New York Attorney General Letitia James said that with pre-judgment interest, the judgment totals over $450 million, an amount “which will continue to increase every single day” until the judgment is paid. This is in addition to the $83.3 million he has been ordered to pay E. Jean Carroll in her defamation case. (Source)
The Associated Press (AP) is reporting:
Trump could ultimately end up owing a half-billion dollars or more as a result of Friday’s verdict.
In addition to the $355 million penalty — payback of what the judge deemed “ill-gotten gains” from his spurious financial statements — Trump is required to pay interest on that amount.
At an annual rate of 9%, as prescribed by New York law, that adds up fast.
James’ office calculates that, to date, Trump owes an additional $98.6 million in interest, bringing his total penalty to $453.5 million. The interest will keep accruing until Trump pays.
This verdict makes me smile. This should break him and his family unless he sells a lot of high-tops “The Never Surrender High-Top Sneakers.” (Source)
The AP has a breakdown of the verdict HERE.
MY FAVORITE PRESIDENTS:
Since today is Presidents’ Day, my favorite President (in my lifetime) is Ronald Reagan with Barack Obama coming in a close second. Both of these great men could deliver powerful motivating speeches. Reagan made me proud to be an American. He is one of the reasons I decided to join the military.
As for Obama, I was glad to see in my life the first African-American President of the United States. It also made me sad to find out that so many people hated him because he was African-American. It proved to me that we have many miles to go in treating everyone equally in the United States.
I also like Harry Truman. Although he was before my time, he was a fellow Missourian. He was tough as nails, and the buck did stop with him.
Who are your favorite Presidents?
The Western Word 
I was pretty young when Johnson was president and didn’t appreciate it then, but in retrospect what he did for civil rights, voting rights, Medicare, Clean Air Act, and so on should put him up in the top echelon. Unfortunately his legacy got torn down by the military-industrial complex war he inherited. Or championed, take your pick.
Carter, for the work he put in the last forty years.
Carter is a wonderful person. He had problems as president, but made up for it with his humanitarian efforts. Thanks, JmB
I too like Truman. He didn’t take any crap off the military, especially McArthur. When they got too big for their britches, he fired’em! Kennedy was the same way. He was going to fire them and the CIA when they whacked him. Been balls to the wall with one military disaster after another since then, and a budget that has destroyed our country. Truman didn’t even have a college degree, but he was probably one of the most well read.
And it takes a Republican with more courage than all the Dems combined to point out who the worst president was/is going to be maybe. Gotta love Mary Cheney.
https://crooksandliars.com/2024/02/liz-cheney-putin-wing
My other favorites are Jefferson and both Roosevelts. Amazing men. And of course Obama because he gave us Michelle as First Lady!
Larry Kralj
Ol Harry – loved by Missourians. -JmB
In the Senate race, the path got a little easier for Sheehy since Rosendale put his tail between his legs. Maybe Matt will return to Maryland. https://mooreonmontana.com/2024/02/17/rosie-laid-an-egg/
Good one. Thanks for sharing. Rosendale kind of got blindsided. -JmB
The word on the sports circuit is that Rosie pedaled backwards faster than Lance Armstrong!
LK.
You “think it fair to ask….” oh please. Trump verdict makes you smile. Reagan we might agree on? Reagan turned me into a Republican. In answer to the question of how much he was going to spend on Defense, he said, “Until we are adequately defended.” For some reason to me that sounded like the best answer I’d ever heard from a president.
Thanks for your comments. There are several articles about members of the military being tied to Nazis and/or white supremacy. Like this one:
https://rollcall.com/2021/02/16/pentagon-report-reveals-inroads-white-supremacists-have-made-in-military/
So I think it is fair to ask…
Thanks, JmB
https://www.npr.org/2023/05/23/1177545171/survey-surprising-to-some-veterans-are-less-likely-to-support-extremism
Others like this too…but who can trust npr these days or any days, past or future?
The annual survey of 154 presidential scholars rated all the presidents and unsurprisingly at least to me Trump came in dead last. Even among the Republican scholars/experts, he only rated 41st.
“Trump was ranked in last place in the survey, being ranked worse than James Buchanan at 44, Andrew Johnson at 43, Franklin Peirce at 42, and William Henry Harrison at 41.”
That’s some mighty fine company right there.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/new-presidential-rankings-place-obama-top-10-reagan-trump-below-biden
That seem correct. Haha. -JmB