Greetings! Here are today’s topics:

• MT Republicans’ Civil War
• Shelby Schools Superintendent
• My Pillow Guy 
• One More Thing

MT REPUBLICANS’ CIVIL WAR: 

Wednesday’s MTN News report just gave us another front-row seat to the Montana Republicans’ endless, pathetic civil war. They’ve spent the last few years acting less like a political party and more like a circular firing squad with zero survival instinct. 

According to MTN, last month, Republican Montana State Senate President Matt Regier, R-Kalispell, requested that Republican Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen provide a legal opinion interpreting whether Montana’s term limit laws prevented Republican State Representative Llew Jones, R-Conrad, from appearing on the November ballot. Knudsen delivered his response to Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen’s office on Tuesday. 

Knudsen’s newly submitted opinion said Jones would not be eligible for the ballot because of term limits. Jones told MTN this was part of a politically motivated effort to force him from office. Jones is correct. 

Unsurprisingly, Knudsen’s take completely clashes with the 2012 opinion issued by former AG Steve Bullock, a Democrat. If you’re forcing me to choose between a reasoned legal interpretation and a transparently partisan hit job, I’m siding with Bullock every single time. Knudsen acts less like an attorney general and more like a political hack. 

The MAGA Republicans are sure wasting a lot of time and resources trying to rid the party of the Republicans In Name Only (RINO) people. Knudsen probably forgot that almost 3,300 people voted for Jones in the last election. Knudsen may need those votes if he runs for Governor. 

SHELBY SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT:

Back in March, I gave my thoughts about Elliott Crump, Shelby Schools Superintendent, who was charged with driving under the influence (first offense) and failure to give notice of an accident by the quickest means (first offense). The vehicle he was driving belonged to Shelby Schools. 

I said he should resign or be fired immediately.

According to some outstanding reporting from MTN News, we found out that Crump is keeping his job. He did receive some punishment, according to MTN News. 

The disciplinary measures include:

• A prohibition on driving any school district vehicle for three years
• Five days of unpaid leave
• Weekly check-ins with the board chair
• A formal letter of reprimand
• Payment of all costs associated with the accident
• A $1,000 deductible payment for the school vehicle

The best punishment, in my opinion, would be termination of his employment. 

MY PILLOW GUY:

Mike Lindell, the former My Pillow CEO, a 2020 election denier, and outspoken ally of President Donald Trump, lost Minnesota’s Republican primary for governor to state House Speaker Lisa Demuth. (Source)

After losing by almost 11 points, Lindell is refusing to concede in Minnesota’s Republican gubernatorial primary, alleging irregularities in the vote totals. (Source)

This is a typical MAGA move. It’s probably a big conspiracy. I imagine Lindell lost because Minnesota allows mail-in voting…

I doubt Lindell even has a pillow left to cry into. 

ONE MORE THING:

I went to the bathroom without my phone today, just like my ancestors used to. 

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