Thursday Thoughts

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

  • Rehberg for Congress
  • Tester – Grey Wolf Helicopters
  • Pothole Repair
  • One More Thing

REHBERG FOR CONGRESS:

Former Congressman Denny Rehberg made it official Wednesday announcing he was running for Congress in Montana’s Eastern District.

Lee Newspapers reports that Rehberg, a Billings native, held Montana’s at-large House seat from 2001 through 2012. He is the eighth GOP candidate seeking to replace Republican Rep. Matt Rosendale in Montana’s Eastern District.

In the same article, Rehberg was attacked by candidates Elsie “kitty litter” Arntzen who called him a Republican in Name Only (RINO), and Ed Walker, who called him a “D.C. lobbyist.”

They must be worried. They should be.

I’m not sure what motivates Rehberg, who is 68, to want to get back in the grind. I’m sure that Rehberg’s ego played a part in the decision. He told Lee Newspapers that he wanted “to ensure there is a country left for our grandkids.”

I don’t know where he stands with Trump and the MAGA crowd, but I think saving the country for our grandkids means no MAGA nutjobs running our government.

Check out the Lee Newspapers story HERE.

TESTER – GREY WOLF HELICOPTERS:

Some will say it was an election-year favor, others will say it’s his clout and seniority, but nonetheless, U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) announced Wednesday that Malmstrom Air Force Base will officially receive new MH-139 Grey Wolf helicopters to replace the decades-old Vietnam-era Huey fleet. Malmstrom is set to receive seven MH-139 Grey Wolf helicopters this year and additional aircraft will be delivered later. The first aircraft will be flown into Malmstrom in March.

I’ve flown on several of the old helicopters at the base during my time there. Let’s just say I had a couple of interesting flights.

In a press release provided to The Western Word, Tester said:

“The airmen and women at Malmstrom play a critical role in our national defense strategy and should have the best possible tools to keep Montana and our nation safe,” said Tester. “That’s why I’ve fought for years to replace Malmstrom’s Vietnam-era fleet of helicopters with new MH-139 Grey Wolves that are more reliable, safe, and efficient. I’m proud to have worked with the Air Force to deliver these aircraft so that our airmen and women have the certainty they need to do their jobs and protect our country.”

Now, if Montana could get the jets back…

POTHOLE REPAIR:

Spring is coming! Why? Because the city of Great Falls has posted its pothole repair “par-tner” line on social media. Check it out HERE.

I used the contact information in the past to report some potholes in my neighborhood, and the city responded quickly to repair the holes.

For a couple years after high school, I worked for a city street department in the Midwest. I did all types of work like running loaders, graders, pavers, rollers, street sweepers, and plowed snow. Plowing the snow off the roads actually helps prevent potholes. The snow that is left on the roads freezes and thaws several times and any cracks in the road can expand into potholes because of the snow and ice.

I know the officials with the city of Great Falls and many folks (like me) are at odds over plowing all the roads. Just one pass with a snowplow would help prevent potholes from forming and maybe save money.

ONE MORE THING:

Besides a pothole hotline (see above), another sign of spring is Major League Baseball (MLB) Spring Training games.

The first Spring Training game is today (Thursday) with more scheduled for Friday. Check out the schedule HERE.

The first regular season games are scheduled for March 28.

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12 thoughts on “Thursday Thoughts”

  2. I missed the Lee article even with my new eyes. I was employed at public works right out of high school, they wouldn’t let me anywhere near anything but a shovel. According to Larry, with my drinking I should have been the most trusted person on the crew.

    Bill

  3. Well, when you’ve got nothing nice to say, and no actual ideas of your own, go full frontal Miss Kitty Litter! Attack and scratch! Miss Kitty isn’t even in office yet and she’s already proving to be an embarrassment. Imagine her in D.C. She’ll blurt out whatever comes to her simple mind! Ie. The following:

    “Montana can smell a RINO from a mile away. Denny Rehberg spent his time in Congress acting like a Democrat by refusing to stand for conservative values and voting for MASSIVE overspending of our taxpayer dollars,” Arntzen said in a press release.

    “Montanans don’t want Liz Cheney with a mustache,” Arntzen said on X. “

    As much as I didn’t like Denny the first time around, I think he would be a far sight better than Kitty Litter and Rosie. If you’ve ever seen Rosie speaking on the House floor, you’ll understand exactly what cringe worthy means! There is no finer definition.

    And so what. Denny drinks a bit, as does every real Montanan I’ve ever known. When I was buying my property, the old rancher offered me a cold beer. I had just got off work so I said hell yes. Over a cold one we sealed the deal. He told me afterward that he never trusted a guy who didn’t drink. He figured if I drank cold beer, I was good enough to buy his land. And me too. I trust Denny over these MAGA morons any day. Denny won’t embarrass Montana like the others. If it’s gotta be a Republican, I say go with Denny.

    Larry Kralj

    • Denny Reeeeehberg? Not that guy again, disrespecter of Montana’s hero firefighters. He should be forever DQ’ed in the electorate’s mind for his lawsuit against the City of Billings and its fire department alleging firefighters failed to properly protect his vacant land and scrub brush. Land and scrub brush so valuable that apparently he had no fire insurance? But at least he didn’t cuss firefighters out in public like another former R elected official. 🙂

      From what I have heard a good portion of Billings is pretty sour on Denny now over that lawsuit, the land that eventually became Rehberg Ranches, and the development itself. Wrong populace to have on your bad side if you are running in MT eastern.

      Larry make no mistake, in no time at all Denny Rehberg will be sucking up to MAGA and Trump’s behind 10x far worse than johnny-come-lately carpetbagger “Look, I can say all the R buzzphrases!” Sheehy. Denny became a charter made member of the House teabagger caucus just the moment Michelle Bachmann (?) invented that in 2010. There just wasn’t a MAGA bandwagon or Trump train for Denny to opportunistically jump onto back then.

      • As with Rehberg and other former elected officials and their past, it’s like the REO Speedwagon song, “Take it on the run” where a line is, “But I know the neighborhood
        And talk is cheaper when the story is good
        And the tales grow taller on down the line.”
        A Republican will win the eastern district so I hope it’s at least a moderate one. -JmB


      • James Crumley        “Son, never trust a man who doesn’t drink because he’s probably a self-righteous sort, a man who thinks he knows right from wrong all the time. Some of them are good men, but in the name of goodness, they cause most of the suffering in the world. They’re the judges, the meddlers. And, son, never trust a man who drinks but refuses to get drunk. They’re usually afraid of something deep down inside, either that they’re a coward or a fool or mean and violent. You can’t trust a man who’s afraid of himself. But sometimes, son, you can trust a man who occasionally kneels before a toilet. The chances are that he is learning something about humility and his natural human foolishness, about how to survive himself. It’s damned hard for a man to take himself too seriously when he’s heaving his guts into a dirty toilet bowl.” 

        ― James Crumley

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