Welcome! Here are the topics for today’s column:

• Voting in Montana
• Trump & Total Obliteration
• The Cases That Remain
• One More Thing

VOTING IN MONTANA:

It seems that since the MAGA Republicans have taken over most political offices in Montana, they have tried to make it harder to vote, especially for groups that might not support the MAGA movement. The MAGAs pass bills, and then there’s a lawsuit. Most of the time, the court finds the bills unconstitutional.

I suspect the same thing will happen with voting bills passed in the last Montana Legislature. 

The lawsuits have started! 

Last month, the Daily Montanan reported that the Montana Federation of Public Employees filed a lawsuit alleging a bill repealing election-day registration, and a bill strengthening voter ID requirements, are unconstitutional, while the Montana Public Interest Research Group (MontPIRG) filed suit earlier this month against a bill that prevents college students from voting in a community unless they intend to stay there permanently. 

Yesterday, the Daily Montanan reported that the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, the Blackfeet Nation, the Fort Belknap Indian Community, and the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, as well as tribal advocacy nonprofit Western Native Voice, filed to join the lawsuit brought last month by the Montana Federation of Public Employees before Lewis and Clark County District Court, which challenged the constitutionality of Senate Bill 490 and another bill that strengthened voter ID laws. 

I believe it should be very easy to vote. I think you should be able to register and vote on election day until the polls close. If the election offices need more workers because of the rush on election day, the state should provide the funding. If you need identification to vote, the state should help you get a state-approved ID for free.

It’s just common sense in my book – make it as easy as possible to vote.

TRUMP & TOTAL OBLITERATION:

The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, which is part of the Department of Defense, said Saturday’s strike of three nuclear sites had set back Iran’s nuclear program by a few months. The report was confirmed by Trump’s national security team. (Source)  

Trump said the sites were obliterated. The same words were used by other people in the Trump Administration. Trump is pissed at the New York Times and CNN for reporting what his Defense Department reported. Here is what Trump said on social media about CNN reporter Natasha Bertrand:

Natasha Bertrand should be FIRED from CNN! I watched her for three days doing Fake News. She should be IMMEDIATELY reprimanded, and then thrown out “like a dog.” She lied on the Laptop from Hell Story, and now she lied on the Nuclear Sites Story, attempting to destroy our Patriot Pilots by making them look bad when, in fact, they did a GREAT job and hit “pay dirt” — TOTAL OBLITERATION! She should not be allowed to work at Fake News CNN. It’s people like her who destroyed the reputation of a once great Network. Her slant was so obviously negative, besides, she doesn’t have what it takes to be an on camera correspondent, not even close. FIRE NATASHA! (Source)

Trump was just as nasty to the New York Times.

Now, the angle from the Trump people is to say these reports were critical of the crews who participated in the bombing:

Secretary of Defense (War!) Pete Hegseth, together with Military Representatives, will be holding a Major News Conference tomorrow morning at 8 A.M. EST at The Pentagon, in order to fight for the Dignity of our Great American Pilots. These Patriots were very upset! After 36 hours of dangerously flying through Enemy Territory, they landed, they knew the Success was LEGENDARY, and then, two days later, they started reading Fake News by CNN and The Failing New York Times. They felt terribly! Fortunately for them and, as usual, solely for the purpose of demeaning PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP, the Fake News (Times and CNN) lied and totally misrepresented the Facts, none of which they had (because it was too soon, there were no Facts out there yet!). The News Conference will prove both interesting and irrefutable. Enjoy! (Source)

Nobody is doubting the bravery of our military personnel. Trump and his team are using this as a smokescreen to change what has been reported that the outcome of the mission was the nuclear program in Iran was only set back a few months.

U.S. Representative Seth Moulton (D-MA) is a former Marine Corps officer. He appeared on AC 360 last night and was asked to explain the President’s insistence that the Iran nuclear sites were obliterated, despite intelligence saying they were not obliterated.

“I can’t understand the mind of the President because I’m not a child psychologist.”    

THE CASES THAT REMAIN: 

Get ready! The SCOTUSBlog is reporting that ten cases remain for the Supreme Court to decide this term. These cases involve such issues as whether the government may implement its birthright citizenship order nationwide and if religious families at public schools have a First Amendment right to opt out of instruction that includes LGBTQ+ themes. 

Check out the remaining cases HERE.

ONE MORE THING:

FUN FACT:  Obama and Trump’s combined IQ is the same as Obama’s. (Source)  

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