Greetings! Here are the topics for today’s independent commentary:
- Montana Legislature Leadership
- Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
- The Foot Soldier
- One More Thing
2027 MONTANA LEGISLATURE LEADERSHIP:
The Montana Free Press (MTFP) reported on the Montana Legislators convening at the state Capitol to select leadership for both parties ahead of the upcoming 2027 legislative session.
Setting aside their reputation as an old boys’ club, MAGA lawmakers finally stepped into the 21st century on Wednesday morning by electing the first female speaker in state history.
Billings Republican Rep. Katie Zolnikov beat current Speaker of the House Rep. Brandon Ler, R-Savage, in a secret ballot voted by nearly all of the caucus’ 56 Republican representatives, according to the MTFP.
That’s an improvement in many ways.
The circus isn’t just coming to town in January; the forecast calls for a category-five clown storm.
You can read who else was elected to the leadership posts HERE.
TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER:
One day after escaping impeachment due to the absence of 11 House Democrats, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his entourage violated the sanctity of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
The Associated Press (AP) reported it this way:
A soldier guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier issued a verbal reprimand to a group of advisers and staffers with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth following a Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.
Video shows Hegseth taking photos on the empty steps in front of the tomb with his wife, Jennifer, chief of staff Ricky Buria, deputy chief of staff Patrick Weaver and senior adviser Tami Radabaugh.
As the group broke from taking photos, a loud laugh could be heard, and the soldier guarding the tomb shouted that “all visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times.”
Hegseth and his staff should know better.
THE FOOT SOLDIER:
In case you missed it, Snopes is reporting that activists erected a golden statue of U.S. President Donald Trump rubbing his foot on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., referring to him avoiding the draft during the Vietnam War because of an alleged bone spur.
Snopes reported that this was true.
Snopes also reported on photos that were taken of the statue:
One of the photographs showed an epigraph at the base of the statue that read:
We honor the service and sacrifice of our commander in chief, Donald J. Trump. He’s a soldier in spirit, who marched to the front lines of dodging the draft, armed with a perfect diagnosis of bone spurs.
We salute a leader who knows you can’t spell sacrifice without “I,” and a warrior who reminds us that sometimes when you’re called to stand up, it’s best to just sit down and rest your feet.
“I can be very military.” — President Donald J. Trump
ONE MORE THING:
If you are going to learn to cross-country ski, start with a skinny one, like Chile.
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