Last Best News (https://montana-mint.com/lastbestnews/author/david-crisp/page/31/)
In one of my alternate lives, I teach German, so I was fired up on Election Night when I learned that my favorite German call-in talk show was going to discuss the topic (loosely translated) of “Why did Barack Obama Crash and Burn?” (more…) Continue Reading →
In his Sunday column in the Billings Gazette, editor Darrell Ehrlick dropped this nugget, just two days before the election: Prior to September’s debate in Billings between U.S. House candidates Ryan Zinke and John Lewis, Zinke said, “John plays the guitar. I waterboard.” (more…) Continue Reading →
Regular readers of this irregularly filled space know that I am no fan of Republican U.S. Senate candidate Steve Daines. I have written columns:
* Criticizing his foolish and un-American bill that would tie congressional pay to balancing the budget. Why un-American? Because the bill would allow millionaires like Daines to hold hostage for partisan ends the paychecks of middle-class representatives like his Democratic opponent, Amanda Curtis. It’s a dumb idea, and the fact that a Democrat, John Lewis, argues that members of Congress shouldn’t get paid unless they pass a budget doesn’t make it any smarter. Continue Reading →
I just about dropped what’s left of my teeth when I saw on Sunday that the Billings Gazette had endorsed John Lewis for the U.S. House over Ryan Zinke. Zinke seemed to be the natural pick in this race: tons of experience, some of it relevant; an unflappable public presence; a history of edging toward moderation. Even the Butte Weekly, a Democratic-leaning newspaper in a Democratic-leaning town, has endorsed Zinke, a Republican. (more…) Continue Reading →
If the purpose of a political debate is to change voters’ minds, then Monday’s U.S. House debate at Montana State University Billings was a clear draw. It’s hard to imagine that any minds changed after a debate in which Republican Ryan Zinke and Democrat John Lewis seemed to agree at least at often as they disagreed. (more…) Continue Reading →
We appear to be stumbling into another war in the Middle East. Pro football is buckling under the weight of its own violence. In Montana politics, the only issue appears to be whether Steve Daines wants to destroy the country overnight by gutting environmental laws or whether he is willing to wait a few decades for global warming to do the job. So let’s talk about grammar. (more…) Continue Reading →
Friends and family members who gathered to dedicate two park benches in honor of Joan Hurdle may all have known her, but they did not all know her in the same way, former Mayor Chuck Tooley said Saturday. (more…) Continue Reading →
Is it possible that Mayor Tom Hanel was right? I don’t mean right to cast the deciding vote against a nondiscrimination ordinance in Billings last week. I mean right that this town just isn’t ready for such an ordinance. (more…) Continue Reading →
Now that John Walsh has dropped his campaign to become elected to the U.S. Senate, we still have a chance to elect a real conservative this fall. I don’t mean Rep. Steve Daines, R-Mont. Daines’ brief tenure in the U.S. House has offered abundant evidence that he is not really conservative at all. (more…) Continue Reading →
Somebody should step up and defend Sen. John Walsh from charges that the plagiarized an Army War College paper, I suppose, but it won’t be me. The senator should resign. (more…) Continue Reading →
