Daines, Rosendale ignored election evidence, bolstered baseless allegations

And the biggest load of chokecherries in history to newly elected U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale for representing Montana poorly this week as he voted to oppose the presidential election results that conclusively determined Joe Biden to be the winner. Following the reprehensible attacks on our nation’s Capitol as Congress convened Wednesday, during which a woman was shot and killed, U.S. Sen. Steve Daines at least had the decency to change his mind and accept the official results. But Rosendale, to his lasting discredit, stubbornly stuck by his decision to ignore the overwhelming evidence that the election returns are valid and instead keep alive the baseless “allegations” that led a crowd of rabid Donald Trump supporters to storm the Capitol.  

Acres of publicly accessible huckleberry bushes to the deal between the Nature Conservancy and the U.S. Forest Service that puts more than 12,000 acres of land between Bonner and Seeley Lake into public hands. Instead of the old “checkerboard” pattern of public and private ownership in the region, the addition promises both better continuity for roaming wildlife and improved recreation access for human visitors.

Misplaced chokecherries to the Rev. Eric Jacobs, who twisted an opportunity to bless Republican Troy Downing’s term as state auditor and call for unity under his administration into a political screed alleging “rampant” government corruption that “goes from the workers in the street all the way to the Supreme Court.” Jacobs’ diatribe included mentions of the “Great Reset,” “false pandemic” and “Deep State,” as well as a prayer for “the reseating of President Trump.” Even if his political beliefs weren’t so extreme, an inaugural prayer is not the right time for such rants, and Downing was right to quickly denounce Jacob’s remarks.

A hearing packed with huckleberries to committee leaders in the Montana Legislators who voted to allow remote public participation this session. Sen. Keith Regier, R-Kalispell, had tried to require all public testimony to be presented in person, even though doing so would mean risking the health and lives of vulnerable residents during the coronavirus pandemic. Thankfully, every Senate committee chair overruled the block and upheld the right of each and every Montanan to participate in our government.