Welcome! Here are the topics for today’s independent commentary:
- Montana Legislature Leadership
- U.S. Senate Republican Leadership
- Big Sky Football
MONTANA LEGISLATURE LEADERSHIP:
The leaders of the 2025 Montana Legislature, also called the circus here at The Western Word, were chosen on Tuesday. The Republicans control the State House and State Senate.
Leaders in the State Senate:
President Matt Regier
ProTem Ken Bogner
Majority Leader Tom McGilvray
Majority Whips – Dennis Lenz, Barry Usher, Sue Vinton, Daniel Zolnikov
Minority Leader Pat Flowers
Minority Whips – Shane Morigeau, Laura Smith, Susan Webber
Leaders in the State House:
Speaker Brandon Ler
ProTem Katie Zolnikov
Majority Leader Steve Fitzpatrick
Majority Whips – Amy Regier, Steve Gist, Jedediah Hinkle, Braxton Mitchell, Marta Bertoglio
Minority Leader Katie Sullivan
Minority Whips – SJ Howell, Tyson Running Wolf, Melissa Romano, Jonathan Karlen
Source: @MTLegislature
The circus begins, ironically, on January 6.
U.S. SENATE REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP:
On Wednesday, Republican Senators will vote on their leadership for the next session, which will begin in January. The vote will be secret.
Those running for Senate Republican Leader are John Thune, John Cornyn, and Rick Scott.
Scott appears to be the MAGA choice. If I had a vote, I would vote for John Thune.
BIG SKY FOOTBALL:
There is an important game in the Big Sky Conference on Saturday with the undefeated Montana State Bobcats traveling to California to take on UC Davis Aggies.
The Bobcats are 10-0 (6-0 Big Sky Conference), while the Aggies are 9-1 (6-0 Big Sky Conference).
The Aggies beat the Montana Griz 30-14 in Missoula last Saturday.
The game starts at 6:00 p.m. Montana time. It is being televised on ESPN+ and Scripps Sports.
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The Western Word 
Tariffs explained.
https://crooksandliars.com/2024/11/ben-stein-tried-explain-tariffs-ferris
Don’t you love farce?My fault, I fearI thought that you’d want what I wantSorry, my dear!But where are the clownsSend in the clownsDon’t bother, they’re here
One would think that the start of a new session would be a time of hope, congeniality, bipartisanship, and talk of reaching across the aisle to work for the good of all Montanans regardless of party. But you’d be wrong. What we get instead is instant vitriol and garbage from the MAGA leadership. Pretty hard to believe. Who the hell are these people and what Montana are they from?
House speaker Ler sets the tone for the session.
“We have an express mandate from Montanans to roll up our sleeves and begin correcting the 16 years of Democratic administration destruction,” Ler said in a speech before the vote.”
Pure Trumpian bullcrap. Ler should probably get out of Savage, Mt. more. I suspect his community is probably a hundred percent MAGA and FOX news. Savage values are not reflective of all Montana.
Then, for good measure, the Savage savage is going to singlehandedly take on the Supreme Court, because when you’re a Savageian, you are much more qualified to interpret law and the Constitution than a bunch of liberal judges!
“With the radical overreach of the judicial branch, as Speaker, I will not be afraid to flex the power we hold,” he said, alluding to numerous rulings handed down against the 2023 Legislature by Montana courts during the last two years. “The judicial branch has nothing over me.”
Of course not, only education, experience, and the requisite acumen acquired from years practicing law to make the appropriate rulings. So there’s that.
Hence, the song at the top of the post. The MAGAs are going to pick up right where they left off. They must feel terribly embolden by the victory of their rapist, racist, felonious, fascist commander in chief. Another session of acrimony and chaos will follow under leadership this thoughtful and intellectual.
In these difficult times, we can turn to religion for comfort.