Archive for October, 2006
Forward Montana is having a Trick-or-Treat party tonight. Matt considers the tightening of the Montana Senate race. Jon Tester is a very bad man because he…helps his neighbors? A Big Sandy Kossak mulls over neighbors who would throw their community under a bus to keep Burns in office. Why? According to former Abramoff associate, “Burns’ [...]
Another publication has tapped Dennis Rehberg over Monica Lindeen. This time the Billings Gazette. Again the reasoning is weak, and the criticism for Lindeen non-existent. So, why is the Gazette backing Rehberg? Pork. Rep. Denny Rehberg could be accused of working around the clock. He’s on the House Agriculture, Appropriations and Transportation committees, a member [...]
The Great Falls Tribune endorses Tester: “With state Sen. Tester you get an earnest and articulate man who we see lacking in one main area: seniority. However, his time in the Legislature and in an almost year-long campaign, has demonstrated good sense, a grasp of issues, and priorities that reflect those of mainstream Montana. If [...]
New York Times reporter Stephen Labaton has an excellent article on how a group of powerful business executives have gotten together–with the blessing of the Bush administration–to gut regulations designed to improve the transparency of corporate finance that were created in the wake of Enron and Worldcom since, according to members of the group “corruption [...]
The latest Rasmussen poll is out and its results are interesting, to say the least. Tester: 51%; Burns: 47%. The difference between the two candidates is, as always, in the margin of error. The thing I find interesting about this poll is the small number of undecided voters: 2%. That gibes with the feeling I [...]
For the first time in my life, I got off my *ss and canvassed for a candidate. For you, Mr. Jon Tester. I rang doorbells, knocked on doors, and stuffed envelopes into doorknobs. I met up with a few dogs and not a few of my neighbors. Four hours on Saturday, another couple on Sunday. [...]
This week, Missoula’s gave some thought to how two of its main streets are going to look in the future. Tuesday was the beginning of the West Broadway Charrette process promised by Mayor Engen as a way for Missoulians to talk out their hopes and fears for that stretch of road along the river from [...]
Western Democrat on how the GOP is rapidly becoming the party of the conservative South. BBC wants to talk with Montana Republican voters. Drop ‘em a line if you’re interested! DSCC poll shows Tester up by 6 points. Still not over that magic 50-point hump… Moorcat has part 2 of his endorsements up – Beaverhead [...]
Yesterday the Montana Supreme Court upheld Judge Sandefur’s ruling that Howie Rich’s terrible trio of initiatives are invalid: “If the initiative process is to remain viable and retain its integrity, those invoking it must comply with the laws passed by our Legislature,” Justice Patricia Cotter wrote for the court. “We can neither excuse nor overlook [...]
Larry Kralj, Environmental Rangers!: But let me suggest something here. Run adams’ piece [on Walter Schweitzer] by Ochenski and see what he says about it. If George says it’s a good story, I’ll accept it. Ochenski: If anything is evident from Adams’ story, the blog comments, and the e-mails flying around the capital that the [...]
So the Billings Outpost endorsed Tester: We need a senator who will stand up for a balanced budget, even if that means voting against money that would line the pocket of his constituents. We need a senator who will stand up for the civil liberties that have made this country worth fighting for. We need [...]
Man! There sure is a lot of dirt on Burns coming to the surface lately! Ouch! Without further ado, let’s see what folks have to say: President Bush campaigns on behalf of Burns in Billings! Boy, that should help. Not. Oh, and what about all those appropriations Connie’s brought to the state? Baucus says he’s [...]
Well, here’s an interesting rumor that’s worth passing on to you: an indictment is waiting in the US Justice Department for our very own Conrad Burns. Rumors flying out of the US Justice Department say that…new indictments in the Jack Abramoff bribery scandal are now prepared, but are being held back until after Election Day…The [...]
Matt’s posted about the latest scandal news from Conrad Burns and INSA, and some articles on the validity of the junior Senator’s claim he provides the state with pork. (Not as much as he’d like you to think.) The Montana Senate race has reached the ears and eyes of the UK. Of course, they’re mostly [...]
Chris Bowers of MyDD has created a “Google bomb” project. Basically, he’s set up a series of links of Republican candidates for Congress and confirmed traditional media stories that are “negative.” (E.g., Burns’ link goes to his anti-firefighters’ remarks.) As bloggers copy to their site these links, the linked-to stories will rise to the top [...]
Somebody once suggested there is an inverse relationship between the importance of a political issue and the pettiness involved in its disposition. Don’t take my tales of the Missoula City Local Government Study Commission (LGSC) as an argument for the premise, but it could certainly be a data point in the analysis. The City LGSC–taking [...]
Maybe you saw it, maybe you didn’t, but Monica Lindeen and Representative Denny Rehberg assessed the situation in Iraq. When I saw these articles, I got pretty excited; after all, last time Rehberg left his views on Iraq, it was pretty durn bloggable. I wasn’t disappointed this time, either. Once again, our Representative urges us [...]
Kos reads the profile of Jon Tester in The Weekly Standard, and is taken aback by its objectivity. He highlights some of the better passages, including one on the emerging Western Democrat, and found even the coverage of the Daily Kos’ involvement in the race to be thoughtful. The post is definitely worth a read, [...]
Grist reports on what climate scientists have learned from Western wildfires: warmer temperatures mean earlier snowmelt, which provides a “’tipping point’ for wildfire activity.” Kevin Drum weighs in on the regulatory-takings initiatives across the country (akin to Montana’s CI 154): “A simple anti-Kelo initiative might have had a chance of passing. But trying to prevent [...]
Montana’s 1972 constitution is just packed full of interesting provisions–the right to a clean and healthful environment, the right to privacy, or, my favorite, the right to know (“No person shall be deprived of the right to examine documents or to observe the deliberations of all public bodies or agencies of state government and its [...]
I’ve tricked, er, recruited a good friend to blog here at 4&20 blackbirds. He’s real stubborn, loaded with original ideas, and comes with a genius streak. Read Between will fill a huge gap in this blog and start writing mainly about issues here in Missoula. There’s a lot of important legislation coming up on the [...]
The Big Sky Democrats are hosting a fundraiser today in Missoula at the Iron Horse Pub. Matt’s going. I’ll be there, too. Any why not? Good booze, food, company, and a chance to hobnob with our next Senator. Where: Iron Horse Pub, 501 Lounge, 501 N. Higgins, Missoula. When: Tuesday, October 24, 5 – 7 [...]
In case you haven’t seen the news recently, there’s an election coming up, and there are other things on the ballot besides a couple of fellas jockeying for a Montana Senate seat. And besides the terrible trio of Rich-funded and -implemented initiatives, there’s a couple of Montana initiatives, including CI-151, which will raise the minimum [...]
Who says politics should be mendacious and vituperative? Change all that! Now’s your chance to take politics to the next level! That’s right – I’m talking Fantasy Congress! You’ve seen me talk fantasy baseball. You’ve seen me talk up fantasy football. Pah! Children’s games! Earn points while you watch your team literally take over the [...]
Like Craig, I, too, have been recruited to post over at Gather.com my thoughts on the Montana Senate race. So far, I’ve written three pieces – an overview, guns and the Western Democrat, and one on Tester and the netroots. It’s pretty general stuff, aimed at an audience that isn’t familiar with the race. And [...]
Matt notices that Senator Burns is losing his own push polls, and Shane thinks Burns has been abandoned by Senate Republicans. (Charles Johnson’s take.) Use these news items as incentive to go out and volunteer for Tester’s campaign, not to sit idly home. We’re in a good position but still need that election-day push… Tester [...]
When the Yankees dropped out of the playoffs, I crowed. The implication was, the Yanks stopped signing players with character, and started buying the “best talent.” And you need more than talent to win the post-season. Really, that’s nonsensical sentimental clap-trap. Jerks play good ball in the postseason. Chemistry is overrated. Maybe. Whatever. What makes [...]
-
Recent Comments
JC on Memorializing War Swede Johannson on Memorializing War Swede Johannson on Rape is not “knucklehead… 
larry kurtz (@larry_… on Memorializing War larry kurtz (@larry_… on Memorializing War Turner on Liz’s Weekly Poetry Seri… lizard19 on Memorializing War
