When Did Disney Studios Start Producing CPAC Conventions?

 There are strange things done in the land of sun

By the men who toil for gold;

But the CPAC wails of their secret tales

Would make your blood run cold.

The GOP have seen strange sights,

But the strangest they ever will see

Is the night they cried, and everyone lied

in honor of "Big Donnie T."

As we watched the "highlights" of the first evening's lies from the likes of Sen. Cruz, Sen. Hawley, Rep. Gaetz, and Donnie Trump, Jr., we were nauseated and shocked at the spectacle being created in the center ring.  We are dumbfounded by what is being paraded in front of American television sets.  A life-size golden statue of the former president is rolled into the main ballroom as camera phones flash and people squeal with delight.  Have none of them an ounce of shame?  Have none of them a modicum of pride?

This is no CPAC Convention!

This is a spoof perpetrated by a horde of misfits who actually believe some of them could be candidates for the Republican Nomination for President of the United States.  They road into the "ballroom" on the coattails of "individual number one" as they lapped at feet of his "golden image" that was being rolled in for the worshippers to gaze upon in wonderment.  There is no doubt about it:     Donald J. Trump is the man of the hour if he actually arrives in the flesh Sunday Evening.

The sight of various GOP clowns strutting back and forth on the stage as the revelers whoop and holler from the audience is nauseating.  The speeches are peppered with unending lies about how the 2020 election was stolen from the "golden one." 

This night of CPAC has been magically morphed into a night of TPAC.  Trump, Jr. has made certain of that.  There is no discernable evidence that the Conservative wing of this Party is visible this weekend in Orlando, Florida.  They may have been invited, but we're betting there are only enough present to fill a phone booth.

This is a jim-dandy, johnnie whiz-bang, Donald J. Trump mutiny of gigantic proportions!  

And aren't they going to be surprised when they find out he won't be running in 2024?  He needs instant cash and there is no easier way to get it than to appeal to those hapless believers who have visions of the "Big Lie" about the "Big Steal" still dancing in their heads. They are always good for a few hundred million to donate to his worthless presidential run.  

We need to laugh at their foibles, but this crowd is causing our sides to ache!

The GOP Is More Egregious Than You Ever Thought!

What America needs right now is a deprogramming of the insidious Republican Party that has turned into a Cult! It is hard to believe that they have let one lying, corrupt, narcissistic dead beat blowhard prosecute a coup on the Grand Old Party! 

But, there they are.

He has trolled them, baited them with tall tales, lured them into his dream world, and then nailed them - hook, line, and sinker with the "Big Lie" tale about the stolen election of 2020!  Today, they are lost in that upper air beyond the clouds, known as the ether. They don't know whether they are still attached to reality or are just floating with the "golden one" and his promise of national dominance. They have been a major political party in America and they were hijacked by a political hack who doesn't know his hind end from a hole in the ground.

But the "golden one" has had plenty of help, too.  Within our congress, are the treasonous workings of:  Senators McConnell, Cruz, Hawley, Johnson, Daines, Cornyn, Barrasso, and others.  Also, Representatives Jordan, Gaetz, and 143 who voted to overturn the 2020 election!

So, how do we get them to understand their cult mentality is ripping apart the fabric of our democracy?  Many believe most of them know exactly what they're doing and are loving every minute of the carnage.  But, we need to assume there are some who have actually bought into the "Big Lie" perpetrated by the "golden one" and are up to their eyeballs under his Svengali  influence.  

This cult has planted their flag where it would stymie any chance of GOP politicians to win another election if they disavow their union with the former president.  It is the most diabolical kidnapping of a major political party anyone has ever seen!  

How did such a miscreant gather so much power over the Republican Party? 

Consider this analogy:  

A vampire can only enter your house if you invite him in! 

It is obvious to anyone that the Grand Old Party, under the influence of the previous president, had a fully operational plan to seize power and overturn the 2020 election of our new president. It was to culminate with the electoral votes to be tossed and the vice president to declare them invalid.  Next, he would reinstate Donald Trump as President for the next four years.

That is a coup.  That is a political party seizing control of a democracy.  And that is a political party performing a junta as it takes control of what will become a third-world banana republic!  

The Grand Old Party of treasonous Republicans cannot exist in their present form and ideology!

 

The GOP CPAC Convention For Dummies. . .

The CPAC called for a "Party" and the RSVPs were sorely garbled. The former Vice President said he'd come if the former President didn't. Of course, the former President will come, so the veep is staying home. Several others made calls to someone they knew who handled RSVPs to ask about the intent of whether certain Conservatives were coming.  And one member who has always been high up on the totem pole, the former majority leader of the senate, wasn't even invited.  All in all, this has been a strenuous time for the GOP, which brought one columnist to refer this convention as CCRAP.

If one needs to call ahead and see who is coming to a party before they mail in their RSVP, one would agree that the Party has some serious problems.  Of course, everyone already knows there is a humongous split in the "family," but maybe few knows how serious it is.  Is it fixable?  Who can they rely on to fix it?  How will it be fixed?  Will there be a new Party rising from the ashes?

Under the heading of "He really slobbered a bib full that time". . . 

Sen. Mitt Romney said Wednesday that if Donald J. Trump decided to run for president in 2024, he would undoubtedly win the Republican Nomination.  I've really got to take a few minutes and think about that response.  Are Republicans really that conflicted? Do they really think our nation would survive another presidential candidate like him?  Well, as I think about it, it probably would help their movement to get at least one gun in the hands of every American over the age of two - hopefully, all with spotting scopes!

CPAC has a long and sorted history already.  They embrace everyone from the Christian Right to the White Supremacists.  Their motto is:  "Do as we say, but don't watch what we do."  There is disruption on their minds and corruption in their hearts.  Their Convention starts today in Orlando, FL and, with the turmoil brewing, may end tonight.  I don't advise watching it on television, but it will be interesting to see the news highlights.

But, for those of you who just can't help but watch  -  and  swoon easily - your heartthrob, Donnie, will be favoring the crowd with a spackling of his newest lies. . .and some of his favorite oldies, too!

Bon Appetit. 

Gianforte's Scorched Earth. . .

How did we allow this to happen?  It came out of nowhere and when we woke up on Nov. 4, 2020, the news was dropped on us like a bomb.  The Republicans had taken nearly every office in the state.  No one was expecting it.  It had a numbing affect on all who didn't want this to happen.  Beginning with the Governor's race, Greg Gianforte was seen as a man with anger management issues who shouldn't even be elected as the Two Dot. MT dog catcher.  He is a mega-millionaire who eventually ended up buying the office he wanted.  But why?  For what purpose?  He isn't telling us much and we should have been better prepared for the shenanigans he and the Republicans who were swept into the Legislature were planning.

Each day, we turn on the news or pick up the newspaper and find another revolting bill they have passed.  They serve no one in the state except the Montana Republican Party. The list of incredibly nasty laws are the sum total of their hatred for the residents of our state and the love they hold for the arrogant and abrasive political party they represent.

• A ban on abortions in Montana.
• Weapons allowed in bars, campuses, banks, and others.
• More power for Legislative Committees and their Chairs.
• Taxes for the rich, a pittance for the rest of us.
• Eliminate the face mask mandate.
• Renew prison death row executions, after years of absence.
• Authority to change public school curriculums.'
• Transfer federal public lands to the state.

This is just the beginning!  We have to watch the news daily to keep up with the skullduggery.  This Gianforte Administration and menagerie of Republican nitwits in the Legislature are burning the midnight oil to come up with new bills to antagonize us.  

And that thought brings us to the central issue.

Why?  What is their goal?  When there are so many things they could be working on to make life easier for Montanans, they are spending their time on things that will do just the opposite.  For example, no one is screaming to ban abortions or get between a women's health care and her doctor.  Ten years ago, there were 20 abortion clinics in Montana.  Today, there are 4.  This is simply a Republican punching bag that they feel needs to be punched on when they are in charge. Guns become another hot button.  Their goal of a lobbyist in every pocket and a gun in every hand is a strange urge that gnaws at their brain on a daily basis.  We need to be concerned about what frightening and ultimate goals are on their devious minds.  Voter Suppression is always high on their list of wants. According to their rules, there are just too damn many Democrats that are allowed to vote! 

Finally, we simply have to admit that the Montana GOP is acting far too heinous this year.  Perhaps it is an overflow of corruption from their national cohorts, or it might even be a lesson learned from the previous president.  He did teach them that lies and corruption can get you a long way - for a short time!

Whatever the excuse, they are, as my dad used to say, "Hell bent for election!"  But, it's not going to be just a bumpy ride, this is going to be a "John Deere across the furrows, teeth-rattlin' ride!"

We best be ready for a fight.

The Battle Hymn of January Sixth. . .

Mine eyes have seen the worst of him, as he calls out to his horde, 
Trampling through our hallowed halls where history is stored.  
He has cast his hateful lies about, as like a sharpened sword.  
His lies keep marching on.

I have seen him filled with bluster as he speaks of what he's done,
And his worshippers fall silent as he tells them he's the one.
I can see the losing battles that he told us he had won.
His lies kept marching on.

His hate still burns within us, where it's buried long and deep,

And his lies, like mournful voices, keep marching through our sleep.

We have so much to abandon and so little fit to keep.

His lies kept marching on.

I have heard his ugly gospel that he spewed like flames of fire,

And his prophecy of evil from the swamp of muck and mire.

He will live in utter failure from now until the pyre.

His lies at last are gone.

by John Watson

 

Poster Boy of Republican Mayhem

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) is the epitome of Republican-style politics today.  He has always been a little whacky, but during the Feb. 23rd Senate Committee meeting on the insurrection of our Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, he went berserk. His voice and mannerism at the microphone had all of the earmarks of a another Wisconsin looney, Sen. Joe McCarthy, who was known for his "the commies are everywhere" rants of yesteryear.  

Johnson's take on who was responsible for the attack was equally asinine when he said,  the Jan. 6th bad guys "dressed up to look like Trump supporters." His ranting became the Republican "conspiracy theory" of the day, and it was a spectacle of lunacy that hasn't been equaled for weeks.  

We are witnessing the total melt-down of the Grand Old Party as they bend, twist, cheat, and lie their way out of the mess they have created by their own devices.  Their four-year complicity with Donald Trump has put them into a deep, ugly hole and we are watching them digging in exactly the wrong direction to get out.  Meanwhile, Trump is sitting above ground and cheering them on in their digging adventure.  It is turning into a funny-but-frightening re-make of a Keystone Kops movie.

Our U.S. Senate is, however, chock full of disrupters like Johnson.  There are Republican Senators Hawley, Cornyn, Graham, Cruz, Barrasso, Daines, and Scott, to add to the craziness. Each finds their place and time to stain their Party with mindless words and actions.  Their outrageous attacks on anyone from the opposition is bewildering to the onlookers. We all understand that political fighting can get nasty at times, but what the GOP is doing in these questionable times is insane!

America doesn't need conspiracy theories and personal attacks from what once was a major political party.  

We need empathy and constructive teamwork from everyone!

 

Who Is A Domestic Terrorist?

 DOMESTIC TERRORISTS?

The U.S. Code of Federal Regulations defines Terrorism as "the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives."  Domestic terrorism or homegrown terrorism is a form of terrorism in which victims "within a country are targeted by a perpetrator with the same citizenship" as the victims.

It is a common understanding that such groups as: Oath Keepers, Proud Boys, QAnon, KKK, White Supremacists, White Nationalists, etc. are domestic terrorists who came into existence to show their anger against our government.  They organize and rally against many aspects of what they perceive our government is doing to "put down their freedom to live as they chose."

The Grand Old Party of Republicans has a similar plank in their platform.  It is, of course, more subtle, but it is in the air they breathe the words they speak, and the actions they take.  They are as antigovernmental as any domestic terrorist.  They have been able to put lipstick on it, but it is just as confrontational.  Their very actions are the reasons most organized groups of domestic terrorists look to the Republicans for support and guidance.  It took the leadership of the former Republican President and many of the Republican Members of Congress to bring about the despicable attack by various terrorist on our Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.  There is a powerful investigation  taking place starting this morning about just who was actually involved and why was security stymied on that fateful day.

Think about it.  Doesn't a terrorist, like the GOP, want guns in the hands of every American, and the ability of each of them to carry them - concealed or otherwise - into nearly every building in the country.  They prefer to have no more immigrants coming into America. They would be happy if people of color didn't try to advance in the work force, stayed in their own neighborhoods, stuck to themselves, and didn't try to vote.  They prefer people who are evangelical Christians, they mostly lean toward the affluent Americans, and would rather not have to associate with the riff-raff of the country.  They will tolerate the Middle Class if they mind their "Ps and Qs," haven't come from another country, are not colored, and go to the "right" church.

It is the opinion of many that true Republicans are - by the strict definition - domestic terrorists, and it is said they are hard put to deny it.  

Most Americans will testify today that domestic terrorism is undeniably our greatest threat.  It rears its ugly head at the sound of a crisis and we will find that in the final analysis these Republican government haters are constantly lurking in the shadows. The bullhorn filled with lies urged those GOP Congressional Members to foment the falsehood that the 2020 election was stolen, when it wasn't.  It served their purpose to create the attack on our Capitol and attempt a coup to stop the certification of the electoral votes.

If several GOP Members of our U.S. House and Senate would incite others to cause that Jan. 6th insurrections by echoing the "Big Lie," they must be found guilty as a terrorist, as well.

There is no other way to look at it.

MONTANA IN FLAMES. . .

"The last best place" is now in the hands of the worst Montana GOP we have ever seen. They are hell-bent on destroying the things that have made Montana great for generations.  Now they want to make us  into the likeness of Trump World!  The ugly and "me first" things that have given a whole new meaning to "The Ugliest American." Money first, drinky-poos for everyone, disposable lifestyles, "I got mine, screw you -  get your own," and "We get to decide what your rights are as a person."

Gov. Gianforte is turning out to be more ruthless than anyone thought, and his horde of GOP Legislators are even worse. They have rolled out bills that are turning stomachs across the state, and the governor is asking for even more.   

We, as Montanans, will not recognize this beautiful state when they leave office.  It will be transformed into their own image. They will take what they want and leave scorched earth for the rest of us.  There will be laws left on the books that will gag us, and they will leave with laughter in their voices and cynicism in their hearts.  They are members of a political party who obviously have no empathy for others.  Their party used to care, but that was before the "age of Trump." 

Now, it is the "age of Gianforte," and we all remember the old song we learned as kids: "Same song, second verse, could be better, but it's going to get worse."

Who thought Gov. Gianforte could be just as bad as Pres. Trump?  Other than Gov. Gianforte, that is.  He is a mega-rich Republican white guy with anger management issues and stomping through our state like he just bought it.  And, he has emboldened his fellow conservatives in the state legislature to be the worst they can be!

Despicable bills have already been written, some have already passed, and there is a great fear that more are on the way.  

Do we just stand around and wait for the "Last Best Place" to become the "Once Best Place?"

 

 

Montana, It's Time To Sound The Alarm

There is nothing more appalling than a political hack with no empathy and very little evidence of a soul, who has been given unintended power from the voters who placed him in office.

Such is the situation on the political scene of the great State of Montana.

It had been sixteen years since the Republicans had control of the State Legislature, and in the 2020 election they came on like gangbusters.  They took nearly every office in sight.  But that kind of thing is not only expected from time to time, but it is normally accepted, as well.

Only this time, the rascals not only won the seats, they are acting like they won the rule book, the law book, the ethics book, and the will of the people.  And not just in a friendly win, either - they are going for the throat!  They are dragging back conservative issues that have been considered settled law and tossed into the dust bin of history.  

Is it time to "Sound the Alarm?"

The Montana Republicans are making the same mistakes their counterparts did back east.  Their tactics are wrong, their attitudes were mean-spirited, and their politics are driving their voters away from the Party.

We are hearing top officials from the Grand Old Party appearing on national television who have decided to "Sound the Alarm."  They are pulling out of the Party and silently working behind closed doors to either take back the GOP or start a new Party.  The "Patriot Party" has been mentioned.  Is Montana even paying attention to all of this?

If Montana continues down this road of "our way or the highway," they will find themselves on the outside of the GOP and looking for a way back in.  Perhaps the voice of their Party, Gov. Gianforte, is too high on his newly acquired power to notice the ground-swell of anger over the ridiculous bills his "boys" are shoving through the over-stuffed hopper of bad bills.  

The good citizens of Montana will only take so much and then there will be a rebellion from which the Montana GOP won't recover.  When will politicos learn that just because they were elected, they weren't automatically bestowed with newfound power and likeability?  

And most of them were definitely not bestowed by their voters with newfound intelligence, either.

 

 

Money begets Power, and Power begets More Money. . .

Let's stop fooling ourselves.  Everyone is fully aware of the core problem America faces today.

Pew Research Center reports that "Middle-class incomes have not grown at the rate of upper-tier incomes.  From 1970 to 2018, the median middle0class income increased from $58,100 to $86,600, a gain of 49%.  This was considerably less than the 65% increase for upper-income households, whose median income increased from $126,100 in 1970 to $207,400 in 2018.  Households in the lower-tier experienced a gain of 43%, from $20,000 in 1970 to $28,000 in 2018. (expressed in 2018 dollars.)"  

A September 2017 study by the Federal Reserve reported that the top 1% in America owned 38.5% of the country's wealth in 2016. According to a June 2017 report by the Boston Consulting Group, around 70% of the nation's wealth will be in the hands of those millionaires and billionaires by 2021.

That information must be followed up with a very important question:  What does the richest in America do with all of that money?  The answer is clear:  They buy Political Offices and Power! 

The rich have always used the excuse that having lots of money is not a sin.  That is true and everyone accepts that.  What isn't acceptable is what they do with their money.  We grudge no person for being rich.  We do get agitated when they use it to buy political offices, twist people's arms, and boost themselves into a higher level of power over others.  

A good example of this is the current Governor of Montana.  He was worth about $315 million in 2017 and we can assume that has increased.  He ran for governor in 2020 and spent millions of his own money to win the office.  You couldn't open your eyes and not see his name and image somewhere. Money buys political offices in America and everyone knows that, otherwise, they wouldn't be spending it.  However, next on the successful governor's agenda, of course, is rounding out the coup with "power over the people."  Yes, working for the people went out of style years ago!

So, to be rich in America is one thing, but what you do with your riches is entirely another matter.  And we middle and lower class people are getting pretty damn tired of the rich running everything in the country to satisfy only their own wants. They have a tendency to be more greedy than helping the needy.  You know, like in a democracy -  which brings up a touch idea that the rich aren't really that excited about a democracy anymore. (Many of us think they probably never were)  But more about that in another blog. 

So, we have to agree that it isn't the money.  It's the power they think they deserve for having so much of it that counts!

Montana's "Trump II" Disaster. . .

 MONTANA GOVERNOR

GREG GIANFORTE

Living the Trump Dream

from the Playbook

of Power, Politics

and Lies

Montana's Power-hungry Governor, Greg "Trump II" Gianforte is leading the "take no prisoners" charge of his elephant herd across the prairies and mountains of what we used to call "the last best place."

This man and his minion are serving up the most contemptible  bills anyone can imagine.  They find it necessary to allow guns in bars, casinos, college campuses, and, of all places, banks!  There are also a bevy of similarly disgusting laws they are working on.  Never mind that they began this year's Session with a huge tax cut for themselves and their affluent friends across the state.  Of course, the rest of us were given "a pittance of relief" from the petty cash drawer.  After that, the list of GOP "golden oldies" began.  They included: more power to their committees and committee chairs, fire up the prison death sentences again, kill the mask mandate, ban all abortions, and various other Republican favorites!

Gov. Gianforte is following in the footsteps of his hero, Donald Trump, and using his frightening Playbook of Disasters.  It actually holds no real plans, but instead is chock full of corruption, illegal activities, and falsehoods by the truckload, that is known as "The Art of the Deal."  Its goal is to push for total power and bamboozle with bull s**t!

The biggest problem Montana must endure for the next four years is Republican arrogance and a disgusting array of unnecessary and dangerous new bills.  Just because they can pass anything that pops into their pointy-headed and evil little minds doesn't mean they won't pay for it all later. 

It's time for the governor to take off the Trump wig and start working for Montanans!

Watch this space for more to come.

LET THE SUFFERIN' BEGIN. . .

MONTANA'S  GOP LEGISLATURE

 

While the rabid and ravenous  Republicans who control the Montana Legislature call it their responsible legislation, angry Montanans are calling it pure authoritarian, in-you-face, and undefendable crimes against the state. 

What possessed them to take this path?

One answer may lie in the leaders of this Montana cult. Gov. Greg Gianforte, Senate President Scott Sales, and U.S. Senator Steve Daines all ended up in Bozeman, Montana - the hot bed of selfish, extremely cliquish, and bad-mannered far-right conservative Republicans.  As one blog writer defines the area: "It's culture has been bisected and occupied by two armies, and many citizens are uncomfortably sandwiched between them."  If anyone knows the political - and financial - makeup of the area, it is understood that they like to think of themselves as "the real America."  "When they shop, they whip out a platinum, bright-colored credit card and make a purchase of $1,500. worth of music discs like someone would buy a pair of wrangler jeans.  The median price of a home in Bozeman is $484,000.  That's more than in Denver, CO, and that house is 187% of the national average. Houses are being bought by out-of-state people, sight-unseen, and when a home hits the market for sale, there are three or four offers on the first day. "

Gianforte, Daines, and Sales are from Montana.  They were each brought to Bozeman through high-tech jobs.  When you mix in their drive for public attention, that, in itself, says a lot about their need for power and politics."

Montana has definitely been taken over by rich techies who are most happiest when they have great power - regardless of how much it will cost them.  Their political goals are to upend the status quo.  It is as if they are playing a dangerous game at the people's expense.

When the then-U.S. House candidate and the now-governor didn't like a question he was asked by a national news reporter, he body-slammed him to the floor.  He was arrested, fined, ordered to attend anger management therapy, and then lied about his actions.  That's our governor - the techie who paid millions to get elected so he can run roughshod over Montanans!

We are all going to suffer for the evil this gang and their ilk will put us through, and they'll do it just because they can.

And there is one side-note to this story:  Republican voters in Montana are going to be suffering right along with the rest of us. We're guessing they haven't yet learned just how badly they've been snookered!

But, as they say, "Karma is Hell!"

As a warning:  Their coup d'état will be when they transfer all of our beautiful federal lands to state control, decide the state can't afford to maintain them, and then put them up for sale to the highest bidders.  Of course, those bidders will be them and their mega-rich buddies.  Yes, there really is an ugly, self-serving scheme to their corrupt minds!

The GOP now stands for "Gawd-Ornery Power"

 What the hell is going on here?

Montana's Republican Members of the State Legislature have gone bonkers and it seems there is no way to get them back in line.  This is getting real serious, real quick!  Montana hasn't seen a power grab like this since the days of the "Copper Kings."  What put the bur under the saddle of these political hacks?  Have they no regard for our state's easy-going people? Is destructive and vulgar power that important to them?  These unnecessary bills serve only one purpose:  Self-serving, grandiose power plays that are "in-your-face" Republican style.

What would possess a Montanan to think we need to allow concealed weapons in a bar, casino, college campus, or bank? Some dude with a six-shooter in a holster and tied down at the leg is bad enough, but now they want us to guess if they are packing heat, too. Rep. Seth Berglee (R-Joliet) sponsored this outrageous bill. Don't forget his name!

In the world of e-cigarettes, Rep. Ron Marshall (R-Hamilton) has a bill that will make "smoking" those damnable things indoors legal! He is a half-owner in three vaping shops, sits on the board of e-cigarette lobby and lost an e-cigarette law suits against the state.  These things are toxic, include nicotine, and in one national study said, "kids are dropping dead from these things."  What are Marshall and his GOP buddies thinking?

A panel is considering striking education requirement for the Superintendent of Public Instruction position.   They will not be required to hold a teaching certification.  They will simply need a political leaning in the "right" direction - like the one we presently have.  Only a teacher knows what is best for a teacher and public school education!  This idea is insane!

When a state legislature comes through the door at full tilt, running amok, and changing all the "furniture" in the room, they had best be looking for cover when the people no longer see any peaceful respite.  Montanans have never sat still for these kinds of shenanigans.  As some say, Karma is Hell.

Need we remind the current Republican Office Holders of the Vigilantes?  When you lay carnage to a million Montanans' idea of justice and replace it with guns in bars, casinos, and banks, you are playing with fire - and people's lives! 

These GOP rebels are either unaware of what they are doing or - worse yet - they just don't give a damn!

We're leaning toward the later.

  

The Antifa Nazi Fighters Are Coming. . .

The Montana GOP-controlled Legislature is knee-deep in unsavory and wild-arss ideas to rile the most calm and sedate of Montanans. The hostility of these elephants is unmatched in the rowdy Republicans of modern times.  They are hell-bent on stirring the pot of trouble for those of us who simply want to live and let live. As far as I can find, there has been no noticeable hue and cry in the state to ban all abortions, for example.  Actually, they are on a decline and abortion clinics have gone from twenty in the state to a measly four in about ten years.  Not one single voice has been raised against antifa.  The definition of the word escapes the minds of Republicans in our Legislature. They apparently believe it to be a domestic terrorist group and want them to be declared so, according to a bill they are working on. Actually, antifa, which has no leader and no activity in Montana, is an ideology that resists all white supremacists and neo-Nazi hordes. That "white supremacists" label, however, turns Republicans into foaming-at-the-mouth raving idiots. It's strange, though, that no where in the State House or Senate can any of them find a dictionary that would show them that "anti" means against, and "fa" is short for fascist.  Against fascist - like against Nazis!  

If the Antifa bunch ever does show up in Montana, they'll head straight to Helena and the GOP-controlled Legislative Session. That's where they'll find their enemy.

But, when they get their ideas from the bottom of the garbage can, what can we expect?  The gamut of in-your-face bad ideas seem to be endless.  It's as if the game they are playing is "how many Montanans can we turn off today?"

If you aren't watching their playbook, you're missing all of the hurt.

Why don't you meet me down at the corner bar or at the Student Union Building on campus and we can talk about it.  They are going to allow guns now, you know!  Who knows, maybe we'll see a great shoot-out!  

Sieg Heil, GOP.

VOTER SUPPRESSION: 2022 and BEYOND!

Yes, indeed...the Republican Party of Trump (RPT) has a dream.  A dream that every little white boy and every little white girl may grow up and know that voters of color will not be allowed at their ballot boxes. They have another dream, too.  The white poor will not be allowed to vote, as well.

Oh, it's voting time again, now don't be cussin'.

We can see that far away look in your eye.

Just stay home and don't be causing us no fussin'.

We will let you know the winners by and by.

The 2022 Elections are heating up.  And the RPT is already fine-tuning their Suppression Machinery.  As many as 26 states under Republican control are re-writing their voting laws to suppress as many voters as possible from going to the polls.  Some of the popular laws being considered are:  Doing away with postal drop boxes, Making voter identifications nearly impossible to supply for many voters, Changing deadlines for voters to register, and Changing deadlines for voters to vote.  Many more hoops to jump through to deter voters are in the hopper, as well.

We consider the right to vote as perhaps our greatest gift from the founders of this nation.  By voting, we join with our countrymen to select those who will speak for us in our nation's capitol.  No one should be corruptly shoved aside from the voting booth by those who presume that their selections are more important than others.  When criminals control who has the right to vote, they will also control the votes of those who were the winners
in our state and national legislature.  It will be the end of our democracy as we know it!

We cannot allow this crime to continue.

Be informed.  Be vigilant.  And be involved!

Fools on a Fool's Errand. . .

The frightening details of what happened on Jan. 6, 2021 have been seared into our minds for eternity. That day will be remembered as the moment America's democracy teetered on the brink of disaster by a ruthless mob and its leader as they tried to overturn a national election and bring our entire government to its knees.  Even worse, that leader was none other than the President of the United States. The coup d'état was when forty-three of his Republican supporters in the U. S. Senate voted to acquit him!

That was then, this is now.

In Greek mythology, just as Phoenix rose from the ashes, will this Republican buzzard rise from the battlefield of political scorn to become an eagle once again?  Or, will they continue their descent into total oblivion?  

The answer is not so easy.  Even if there was a party official who could speak for the group, it would mean little.  The gifted spokesperson today may very well be the party's punching bag tomorrow.  Fame and political credentials are most fleeting in this group of rag-tag miscreants.  It's a reminder of the child's game I used to play called "King of the Mountain." All you needed was a good-sized mound of dirt and someone to climb to the top.  From there, the challenge was to push him off and take his place.  Shortly, however, another was ready to do the same.  That is the essence of GOP politics right now.  

If someone showed a lack of favor for the former president, they are being branded a Republican heretic and excommunicated from the "Church of Trump."  The family members of Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) have taken things a giant step further and overtly pummeled  him with nastiness because he took a stand against the former president.  There are many such examples as the Republicans try to bring their once-faithful brothers and sisters back into the fold.  The stories are like something from the dark days of burning witches at the stake in Salem.  It is beyond belief that it is happening at a time when we like to pride ourselves in the mental magnificence we think we have achieved.

In order to point a finer point to this episode the GOP finds themselves in, think about such mental midgets as Senators Graham, Cruz, Lee, Hawley, Johnson, and McCarthy as they sit upon their trusty steeds and charge the windmills of La Mancha as Don Quixote did.  They, like the man from La Mancha, have lost their minds and have set out to right the wrongs they have done without one single idea of what to do about it.  They are as fools on a fool's errand.

With any luck at all, the windmills will win this time.

An Opinion by

John Watson

The March of the Forty-Three Scoundrels. . .

 There are those who vote for safety;

There are those who vote for pay.

But the ones who vote for treason,

Vote the soul they sold today.

Deep within the darkest thinking

of the mind of Steven Daines,

Lies that scoundrel, full of mistrust;

Selfish traitor, he remains.

John Watson

Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) sold his soul to whatever remains of the Grand Old Party of Republicans when he voted to acquit Donald J. Trump, former President of the United States, at his impeachment trial on Feb. 13, 2021.  He, and forty-two other spineless Senate Republicans, drug a reason for acquittal from the garbage can of pestilence and gave new life to a washed-up and traitorous man named Trump, with the worst character flaws ever to be supported by a once-prideful political party known as Republican.

Neither prayer nor demonstration can halt the advancement of Trump and his legion of thugs when those forty-three U.S. Senate Republican's "stand back and stand ready."  America could have rid him from the annals of history, but for those thieves.  They could have convicted him and disqualified him from ever holding a federal office.  They had the clear, solid evidence, but they listened to the devil in their ears and voted their uglier conscience.

Sen. Daines considers himself safe for at least the next six years, since he won re-election last November.  But he will only be safe from embarrassed questions if he sneaks into Montana in the dead of night and races out before dawn.  Montanans are heated up over his decision to acquit.  Seven of his Republican Senators saw the truth and brought themselves to vote their conscience. Daines is full of pee and vinegar and, because of his vote, is looking for bigger things for himself in the Party.

Daines evidently didn't look for the evidence - and some say he has no conscience. 

The Ultimate Power Grab by Gianforte and His Minions. . .

         

"Well, it finally happened: Montana: House Bill 320 is a carbon copy of a transfer bill that then Sen. Jennifer Fielder introduced in 2015. It encourages the transfer of federal public lands to the state but does nothing to stop  the state from passing new laws to sell them in the future.

Simply put, HB320 provides the illusion of protection while opening the door for large-scale sale and transfer.

Montanans have repeatedly and overwhelmingly rejected efforts to sell and transfer public lands.  Now, lawmakers are trying to resurrect legislation that would devastate the access, jobs, and outdoor way of life that Montanans depend on.

It's one of the most misleading and cynical public lands bills we've seen in the House for some time, and it's time lawmakers fight to protect public access for Montanans.

Tell your representative to fight for Montanans by fighting against HB320.  There's no place for land transfer in Montana, and there never  will be."   - Evan Barrett, Feb. 11, 2021.

This has been a fear of mine since the plundering Republican herd of elephants began their stampede of everything that is good and decent about our "last best place" this Session!  There has been a litany of their horrific bills attacking Montanans from all directions:  abortions, power grabs in the legislature, huge tax cuts only for the rich, guns in bars and on campuses, and now a power grab of our sacred public lands.  These lands are for all Montanans - not for the wealthy few!  These lands must never be closed off to the people!

Evan Barrett is a man to listen to in Montana.  Few people have worked harder to improve our way of life and keep the political wolves from our doors.  

Please give Senate Bill 320 your full attention.  We cannot afford to see this come to fruition!  

 

One Foot in Truth - One Foot in Hell

It will take a whole room full of physiatrists to unravel the speech about why U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell voted as he did in the Trump Impeachment Trial. 

He started out with a gunny sack full of reasons why the former president was guilty as sin.  He ticked them off like a  well-oiled prosecutor who was heading for the home stretch. It was a thing of beauty!  Trump was the epitome of all that was evil and seditious as former President of the United States.  He should have been drawn and quartered. He incited an insurrection as he guided a mob of thugs to kill, maim, and reek havoc on our capitol!

But a funny thing happened as he headed for the finish line.

McConnell continued his speech with a rambling, rather incoherent message that his vote to acquit the former president was based on the fact that the trial was unconstitutional.  The former president had already left office and therefore couldn't be brought to trial. (It should be noted that the U.S. House had impeached Trump and delivered the papers to the U.S. Senate, but as Majority Leader of the Senate at the time, McConnell said there was no time to proceed with a trial.) The very body he was a ranking member of had voted three days earlier that it was constitutional to proceed with the trial. Simply because he voted "no" didn't make it unconstitutional.  Does McConnell believe that other Senate votes that he voted "no" to, but ultimately passed, are not now settled law?  I fear that Old Mitch has been in the orange glow of Old Donald far too long!

That is how McConnell appeared on February 14, 2021.  He had one foot squarely in the Republican Party and, in his mind, the other foot squarely in the lounge of Mar-a-lago and sipping martinis with the former president.  He envisions himself the great orator who has the grand answer for all of us.  We are not to worry.  He will comfort our souls.  The trial's verdict had enough political sides to appease all of us.

He knows Donald J. Trump to be a sinner of great proportions, but we must look the other way and proclaim him acquitted of all charges.  

There are 43 Republican Senators who have sold their souls to the devil in Mar-a-Lago.  They, like McConnell, are no longer members of the Grand Old Party of Republicans.  They are supporters of a rag-tag horde of White Supremacists, QAnon, Oath Keepers, Proud Boys, and other assorted thugs.  They are infatuated with them all, for they are now the base of the new GOP! 

And the beat of future insurrections continues.

Seditious and Unpatriotic Losers. . .

Sometimes, the path of common sense is full of downfall and hundreds of standing dead growth, as well.  In the mind of a normal person, it would be easy to find a pathway through the muck and mire, but sometimes we do not have the luxury of such a mind. Instead, we have the mind of a politician who is unable to see where the path of common sense is evident.  The need for his/her own re-election is clearly seen, however.

On January 6, 2021, the entire nation - and the world -  watched in horror as a mob of insurrectionists, led by the former president, who baited, incited, assembled, and lite the fuse for them to attack our capitol.  They killed, maimed, laid carnage to the sanctity of our U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate.  

Evidence of the former president's guilt is as obvious as any prosecutor could ever ask for in a trial.  He pointed the way to the capitol, he told them to "fight like hell," and he lied and told them he would be "right there with them."  He then scurried to his favorite chair in front of a bank of television sets, and watch the day's deadly attack on our nation's seat of power.  He was told the degree of carnage that was taking place and the lives of the vice president and the speaker of the house who were in danger.  Chants were heard to "hang the vice president" and "shoot the speaker in the head."  The vice president was swiftly ushered to a secure place just seconds before the mob reached his senate location.

Still, no word from the president. The Minority Leader of the House called the President and begged him to "call off the mob...they will listen only to you." He refused.  Several members of his staff in the White House were alarmed at the president's behavior.  Many of them saw him as "gleeful" at the insurrection.  He couldn't understand why those around him were not as excited as he was.

If all of this makes you hysterical and nauseous, the worst is yet to come.

We now come to the Republican Members of the United States Senate.  There is nothing on the face of the earth that will get most of them to convict the former president of the charge of Incitement to insurrection. 

They are not looking for the evidence of his guilt.

They are looking for the lies to find him innocent.

This is not a political party.  

This is a political den of iniquity.

This is a den of seditious and unpatriotic losers.