In the Foreign Policy debate between John McCain and Barack Obama tonight, it was an easy victory for McCain. McCain’s knowledge of world affairs and the military were far far above Obama’s. I’ll bet Joe Biden was proud of his friend, John McCain.
Experience matters in this dangerous world and Obama does not have it. By not having a teleprompter to read from, Obama had a hard time talking. He stuttered and stammered his words in almost every answer. Obama “almost” made Montana Senator Max Baucus look like a toastmaster champion.
McCain was on the offensive most of the night and Obama said, “I agree with John” at least 10-15 times.
One thing I wanted McCain to say, but he is more of a gentleman than I, was when the question was asked, “What’s the likelihood of another 9/11?” I would have answered, “It’s more likely if Senator Obama is elected President.” Which I believe it is.
All in all it was good debate and there were not any big mistakes by either candidate. Of course, each side will claim victory as they always do. But the great thing about debates is that you and I get to pick the winner. I pick John McCain. He is ready to be President on day one.
9/26/2008
Drying up
According to the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, the research dollars given to Montana State University (MSU) dropped “6 percent” this year and this “was the university’s largest setback in two decades.”
Wow. Two decades.
In 2006, MSU ranked in the top 20 universities nationwide for receiving federal money.
In 2007 the Democrats took over the majority in Congress. It’s been downhill since then and probably a lot of it has to do with the loss of a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee who happened to be from Montana.
Meanwhile, the research money continues to flow…but now it’s starting to go to other states.
Wow. Two decades.
In 2006, MSU ranked in the top 20 universities nationwide for receiving federal money.
In 2007 the Democrats took over the majority in Congress. It’s been downhill since then and probably a lot of it has to do with the loss of a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee who happened to be from Montana.
Meanwhile, the research money continues to flow…but now it’s starting to go to other states.
Nothing Accomplished
If it wasn’t so sad, it just might be funny. U.S. Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) was able to chair a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing yesterday. He’s been a member of this committee for most of the time he’s been in Washington. Yesterday, the regular committee chair, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calf.), gave the gavel to Baucus to run a committee hearing about the asbestos problem in Libby, Montana.
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee has the oversight of the Environmental Protection Agency.
So Baucus and the committee invited a couple of EPA officials to testify. The EPA sent two different people and his committee staff kicked them out.
According to the Associated Press:
Baucus, a Montana Democrat, arrived after the exchange. He said at the hearing that he had hoped two officials who worked at length in Libby - Paul Peronard, former on-scene coordinator, and Christopher Weis, an EPA toxicologist - would testify.
Normally a powerful chairman does not have to “hope” people will testify – the chairman just tells them he wants them there and they show up – especially when the chairman’s committee has jurisdiction over the agency these invited people represent.
This happens a lot when showmanship gets ahead of actually helping people. Baucus, once again, received tons of media coverage leading up to and after the hearing. Realistically nothing was accomplished, except for Baucus manipulating the media into covering his hearing – a hearing in which he was unable to get two key members of the EPA to show up.
Meanwhile, the good folks in Libby are no closer to having their problems solved because of it. That’s the sad part of the whole story.
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee has the oversight of the Environmental Protection Agency.
So Baucus and the committee invited a couple of EPA officials to testify. The EPA sent two different people and his committee staff kicked them out.
According to the Associated Press:
Baucus, a Montana Democrat, arrived after the exchange. He said at the hearing that he had hoped two officials who worked at length in Libby - Paul Peronard, former on-scene coordinator, and Christopher Weis, an EPA toxicologist - would testify.
Normally a powerful chairman does not have to “hope” people will testify – the chairman just tells them he wants them there and they show up – especially when the chairman’s committee has jurisdiction over the agency these invited people represent.
This happens a lot when showmanship gets ahead of actually helping people. Baucus, once again, received tons of media coverage leading up to and after the hearing. Realistically nothing was accomplished, except for Baucus manipulating the media into covering his hearing – a hearing in which he was unable to get two key members of the EPA to show up.
Meanwhile, the good folks in Libby are no closer to having their problems solved because of it. That’s the sad part of the whole story.
9/25/2008
Getting Out of Town
It looks like during the second session of the 110th Congress there will only be three completed appropriations bills. There are 12. Members of Congress will pass a “Continuing Resolution” (CR) to fund the government until March 2009. All in all, the leadership of the Democrats during the past two years has been at best poor.
The three winners are Defense, Homeland Security, and Military Construction-VA. They also passed some disaster aid with the bill and gave our military personnel a 3.9% pay raise. They wrapped all this up in a nice package with a total cost around $600 billion.
No need to wait around and waste time back there – because they have campaigning to do! All of the House members and one-third of the senate members are up for re-election in November. The other two-thirds of the senate will be traveling around the country helping their candidates.
According to Taxpayers for Common Sense, there are 2,321 earmarks worth about $6.2 billion.
From what I understand, the nine other appropriations bills will be set at Fiscal Year 2008 levels, so if you have read an article about a project that was slated for funding that did not fall under Defense, Homeland Security, or Military Construction/Veterans Affairs, it probably is not going to happen until at least late in 2009 – if ever.
Soon I imagine we’ll be reading a joint press release from Max Baucus and Jon Tester proclaiming how much they are “bringing back” to Montana. Sadly, their “work” pales in comparison to what North Dakota and South Dakota are getting in this bill.
It looks like North Dakota will get about $66.7 million. South Dakota appears to be getting $54 million just in military construction money. Montana appears to be getting about half that when you total the military construction and defense earmarks.
Malmstrom AFB appears to be getting one earmark, worth about $10 million, for phase one of the weapons storage area, which is needed.
There’s still a little housekeeping to do, like the final passage of the bill in the senate, and the signature of the President, but it appears to be a go.
Now all they need to do is handle the financial crisis.
The three winners are Defense, Homeland Security, and Military Construction-VA. They also passed some disaster aid with the bill and gave our military personnel a 3.9% pay raise. They wrapped all this up in a nice package with a total cost around $600 billion.
No need to wait around and waste time back there – because they have campaigning to do! All of the House members and one-third of the senate members are up for re-election in November. The other two-thirds of the senate will be traveling around the country helping their candidates.
According to Taxpayers for Common Sense, there are 2,321 earmarks worth about $6.2 billion.
From what I understand, the nine other appropriations bills will be set at Fiscal Year 2008 levels, so if you have read an article about a project that was slated for funding that did not fall under Defense, Homeland Security, or Military Construction/Veterans Affairs, it probably is not going to happen until at least late in 2009 – if ever.
Soon I imagine we’ll be reading a joint press release from Max Baucus and Jon Tester proclaiming how much they are “bringing back” to Montana. Sadly, their “work” pales in comparison to what North Dakota and South Dakota are getting in this bill.
It looks like North Dakota will get about $66.7 million. South Dakota appears to be getting $54 million just in military construction money. Montana appears to be getting about half that when you total the military construction and defense earmarks.
Malmstrom AFB appears to be getting one earmark, worth about $10 million, for phase one of the weapons storage area, which is needed.
There’s still a little housekeeping to do, like the final passage of the bill in the senate, and the signature of the President, but it appears to be a go.
Now all they need to do is handle the financial crisis.
9/24/2008
Four Nights in Philly
It must be nice for Governor Brian Schweitzer to spend four nights at a Ritz-Carlton in Philadelphia. Here’s their website. Nice. Very nice.
It was $289 per night. Montanans paid for it.
On one of these four days, Schweitzer told a group of Trial Lawyers how he tampered with the 2006 Senate election to help Jon Tester get elected.
He made fun of Montanans. The lawyers attending the speech laughed at us. Schweitzer caused Montanans to lose faith in the election process.
It’s too bad that Montana Attorney General Mike McGrath would not open an investigation into the tampering. I’d like to know what other calls Schweitzer made on election night 2006. Did he call other election officials in Montana counties controlled by the Democrats? There must be some phone records. What about poll watchers? Can they recall anything out of the ordinary now that we know Schweitzer was turning some dials?
We’ll never know unless McGrath investigates. As for a Federal investigation which has not been ruled out, folks would like to know who Schweitzer contacted on the reservations, what he told and asked them to do.
The Governor stayed at a very expensive place on our dime for an official trip. Sure it was legal, but his actions there brought discredit upon the state.
So yes, pay us back Governor. We know you don't legally have to, but next time try promoting our state, not degrading it.
It was $289 per night. Montanans paid for it.
On one of these four days, Schweitzer told a group of Trial Lawyers how he tampered with the 2006 Senate election to help Jon Tester get elected.
He made fun of Montanans. The lawyers attending the speech laughed at us. Schweitzer caused Montanans to lose faith in the election process.
It’s too bad that Montana Attorney General Mike McGrath would not open an investigation into the tampering. I’d like to know what other calls Schweitzer made on election night 2006. Did he call other election officials in Montana counties controlled by the Democrats? There must be some phone records. What about poll watchers? Can they recall anything out of the ordinary now that we know Schweitzer was turning some dials?
We’ll never know unless McGrath investigates. As for a Federal investigation which has not been ruled out, folks would like to know who Schweitzer contacted on the reservations, what he told and asked them to do.
The Governor stayed at a very expensive place on our dime for an official trip. Sure it was legal, but his actions there brought discredit upon the state.
So yes, pay us back Governor. We know you don't legally have to, but next time try promoting our state, not degrading it.
Growing Weaker
A fellow blogger, Gregg at the Electric City Weblog, has written a great story about the Great Falls Tribune and their distaste for bloggers.
The Tribune is having some problems. Besides their new and supposedly improved website not working too well, they are being scooped on stories often by blogs such as the Electric City Weblog.
Gregg puts it in perspective when he writes about blogs and newspapers, “We’re growing. They’re growing…weaker.”
Hear! Hear!
The Tribune is having some problems. Besides their new and supposedly improved website not working too well, they are being scooped on stories often by blogs such as the Electric City Weblog.
Gregg puts it in perspective when he writes about blogs and newspapers, “We’re growing. They’re growing…weaker.”
Hear! Hear!
9/23/2008
Not Invited?
Yesterday I received an e-mail from Max Baucus (D-Mont.) through his campaign telling me, “Max Baucus, Montana's longest-serving U.S. Senator, completed his 9th career marathon in less than 5 hours in Billings on Sunday.”
Of course there were photos of Baucus running and crossing the finish line. Congratulations Max. That is quite an accomplishment!
But I wonder why Baucus was not in Washington, D.C. According to his schedule, he left Washington on Friday morning and returned to Washington on Monday. He was mostly campaigning.
As the 6th most powerful Senator and the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and with one of our country’s worst financial crisis happening, why wasn’t Baucus back in Washington meeting with fellow members of Congress to come up with a solution to this problem?
Lawmakers were meeting over the weekend to work on this problem. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) said, “There has never been a moment as serious as this one.”
Yes, very serious. Even Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, did not appear to be in these crucial meetings. His schedule listed “No Public Events” for Saturday and Sunday.
One would think at least Baucus would have been there, since he proclaims himself so powerful in the Washington arena.
Baucus is heavily favored to win another six year term. Although he is proclaimed to be powerful and almighty by the media, the fact is when the rubber meets to road in Washington, D.C., Baucus is left out of critical negotiations. This weekend’s meetings show he is just as ineffective as ever.
Of course there were photos of Baucus running and crossing the finish line. Congratulations Max. That is quite an accomplishment!
But I wonder why Baucus was not in Washington, D.C. According to his schedule, he left Washington on Friday morning and returned to Washington on Monday. He was mostly campaigning.
As the 6th most powerful Senator and the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and with one of our country’s worst financial crisis happening, why wasn’t Baucus back in Washington meeting with fellow members of Congress to come up with a solution to this problem?
Lawmakers were meeting over the weekend to work on this problem. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) said, “There has never been a moment as serious as this one.”
Yes, very serious. Even Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, did not appear to be in these crucial meetings. His schedule listed “No Public Events” for Saturday and Sunday.
One would think at least Baucus would have been there, since he proclaims himself so powerful in the Washington arena.
Baucus is heavily favored to win another six year term. Although he is proclaimed to be powerful and almighty by the media, the fact is when the rubber meets to road in Washington, D.C., Baucus is left out of critical negotiations. This weekend’s meetings show he is just as ineffective as ever.
9/22/2008
Pulling Out
You may have read about Barack Obama and his road show leaving North Dakota. It was reported he has 11 offices and about 50 staff. Recent polls show he has no chance of winning the state. Rasmussen reported on September 10:
“Like neighboring Montana, North Dakota has become a lot friendlier to John McCain in the first polling conducted since Sarah Palin was nominated to be the Republican Vice Presidential nominee.
The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of North Dakota voters shows McCain with a 14-percentage point lead over Barack Obama, 55% to 41%.”
So, being a kind and considerate person, and since most of the Obama staffers here in Montana are from out of state, here’s a map to make your soon-to-be exit out of Montana easier.
Hint: Take an interstate – it’s faster.
I’d like to be the first to say, “Thanks for visiting. Maybe we’ll see you back here in eight years.”
“Like neighboring Montana, North Dakota has become a lot friendlier to John McCain in the first polling conducted since Sarah Palin was nominated to be the Republican Vice Presidential nominee.
The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of North Dakota voters shows McCain with a 14-percentage point lead over Barack Obama, 55% to 41%.”
So, being a kind and considerate person, and since most of the Obama staffers here in Montana are from out of state, here’s a map to make your soon-to-be exit out of Montana easier.
Hint: Take an interstate – it’s faster.
I’d like to be the first to say, “Thanks for visiting. Maybe we’ll see you back here in eight years.”
I need a bailout, too!
Wow. $700 billion dollars.
Dear Max, Denny, and Jon:
Hey guys - I could use a bailout, too! I need a lot less than $700 billion. Maybe you guys could have the Feds print about $1 million for me? I would happily go away. If that’s not feasible, I could "survive" on half a million. It would be tough, but I would suck it up. No more cheap hamburger, Mac and cheese, and tuna for this boy! The government cheese would go, too. I could also buy a new Sony TV!
If you don’t help ME, I will not vote for you.
Sincerely,
Jack
It’s an election year and the Government is handing out money like a candidate throwing candy in a Fourth of July parade.
Someone asked me the other day, “Why is the government doing this?” Quickly putting on my economy hat (it’s small and does not fit well) and my political hat, I said, “It’s an election year and they are basically paying for votes and these companies have several donors who gives money to candidates.”
Look for Congress to quickly address this issue because it’s an election year. Since the Democrats control Congress, look for a few more billion to be added to “help the downtrodden.”
This whole mess sucks.
Dear Max, Denny, and Jon:
Hey guys - I could use a bailout, too! I need a lot less than $700 billion. Maybe you guys could have the Feds print about $1 million for me? I would happily go away. If that’s not feasible, I could "survive" on half a million. It would be tough, but I would suck it up. No more cheap hamburger, Mac and cheese, and tuna for this boy! The government cheese would go, too. I could also buy a new Sony TV!
If you don’t help ME, I will not vote for you.
Sincerely,
Jack
It’s an election year and the Government is handing out money like a candidate throwing candy in a Fourth of July parade.
Someone asked me the other day, “Why is the government doing this?” Quickly putting on my economy hat (it’s small and does not fit well) and my political hat, I said, “It’s an election year and they are basically paying for votes and these companies have several donors who gives money to candidates.”
Look for Congress to quickly address this issue because it’s an election year. Since the Democrats control Congress, look for a few more billion to be added to “help the downtrodden.”
This whole mess sucks.
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