A reality based independent journal of observation & analysis, serving the Flathead Valley & Montana since 2006. © James Conner.
New, posted at 12:37:33 MST. Bloomberg joins Democratic establishment’s anti-Sanders campaign. Former New York City major Michael Bloomberg, 73, admits he’s considering an independent run for President. Politico reports “He’s less likely to run if Hillary Clinton emerges as the likely Democratic nominee.” You don’t say. Because he would draw votes away from the Democratic nominee, the only rational interpretation is that he’s attempting to frighten Democrats into abandoning Sanders. Like Hillary, Bloomberg is moderate to liberal on social issues, but pro-Wall Street on economic issues. The problem for Hillary, Bloomberg, and the Establishment, is that together they have only a few hundred votes to cast in the primaries while there are still millions of New Deal Democrats ready to vote for Sanders.
Posted earlier:
Libertarian files for House District 3. Shawn Guymon, who last ran in the Columbia Falls based district in 2012, filed for HD-3 as a Libertarian yesterday. This is good news for incumbent Democrat Zac Perry, who in 2014 won with a plurality in a three-way race with Republican Jerry O’Neil and Libertarian Chris Colvin. Guymon may draw 200 or so votes from Republican Taylor Rose. In a close election, that could help Perry win by a plurality again.
Hillary and three Repubicans file for MT Presidential primary. HRC filed yesterday, taking a moment away from her Bernie bashing campaign. Marco Rubio and Donald Trump filed on 14 January, and Ted Cruz filed a day later. The official status is "pending," meaning there are more hoops through which the campaigns must jump. Montana's primary is in June.
No one has filed for Governor, SecST, Attorney General, Auditor, or OPI. That's because public relations fun and games are being played. Each candidate will pick a day to file, hold a noon rally on the Capitol's steps (to make the evening television news), then tour the state to honk their horns. Although the events generate some free publicity, their real purpose is building morale within the campaigns and the party.
Don't look for a Democrat to kick off a campaign for Attorney General. Incumbent Republican AG Tim Fox filed his C-1, but Democrats, or to be more precise, the trial lawyers who are Democrats, have concluded Fox is invincible. A sacrificial lamb may be offered in March. I hope this is just a case of Democratic lawyers saving their vigor for representing their clients.
Bernie Sanders supporters gathering in Whitefish this afternoon. The festivities start at the Crush at 1530 MST. You can RSVP online (but ignore the times — I confirmed the 1530 start — and go to the Crush, not Casey’s). Or you can just show up. You’ll be welcome. Consider arriving a few minutes early, as Sanders reportedly will address the group, and similar groups all around the country, on television.
Sanders — one of the last New Dealers left in the Democratic Pary — is under fierce, scurrilous, and dishonest, attack by the Hillaryites and the Democratic establishment. A strong showing of support in Whitefish today will help Bernie and send a message to Hillary.
University of Montana announces layoffs and cutbacks, but honchos get raises The Missoulian has the story. Meanwhile, the university’s regents raised the salary of UMT president Royce Engstrom, sending the signal that come hell, high water, or lower enrollment, the pay of top university administrators always goes up. Regent Martha Sheehy voted against the raises. Good for her. The other regents should have been as responsible.
Two Mile Drive’s exasperating detour. Two Mile Drive once was a straight, tree lined road. Now it's a crooked road with many fewer trees. A quarter-mile of Two Mile is dug up where a bridge under construction will cross the Kalispell westside bypass, also under construction. There’s a quarter-mile paved detour around the bridge site. When the bridge is completed, we can drive uphill on ice, then drive downhill on ice, and always worry that some fool coming toward us will be in the wrong lane at the blind spot atop the bridge. This is change, but not progress.