Montana

Richard Gage of Architects & Engineers For 9/11 Truth joins us on the eve of their "13-City Pacific Northwest Film Tour" to talk about where we are nearly 15 years later.

-by NoahAs the old saying goes, elections do have consequences. One need only compare two side by side states, Minnesota, rebounding under Democratic Governor Mark Dayton’s administration, and, Wisconsin, being run into the ground by the Koch brothers-backed Governor Scott Walker, who runs Wisconsin as if it was Bolivia or Uganda.Unfortunately, Wisconsin is, by far, not the only state whose citizens are at risk under Republican rule. Here’s a quick look at just a few of the 33 states that have a Republican governor and a matching state legislature.

Does this schmuck from New York pick Florida's senators?De facto DCCC chair Steve Israel is contemptible and utterly worthless. Chuck Schumer, incoming Democratic Senate Leader is also contemptible and utterly worthless but because Israel is as dumb as a brick and Schumer is anything but, Schumer is far more dangerous.

It’s been nearly a year since illegal, unexpected GM wheat was found growing at a Montana State University test lab field, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service told The Gazette they still have no idea how the genetically modified grain turned up at the Southern Agricultural Research Center.

Yesterday we listed the 6 Members of the U.S. Senate most likely to cross the aisle and help Mitch McConnell move his agenda. #6 was Montana's senior senator, Jon Tester. At the same moment, Politico broke the story that Harry Reid would probably appoint Tester to be the next DSCC chair.

It will probably take more than prayersThe person with the most at stake, Harry Reid, is screwing up Democratic chances to hold onto the Senate in November. He's decided to roll the dice on two unlikely conservative Democrats in deep red states, Georgia and Kentucky. Predictably, both his candidates, Michelle Nunn and Alison Lundergan Grimes, are losing.

Yesterday, the NY Times published a Senate forecast that is simplistic and misleading. It concludes that the Republicans have a 58% chance to win the majority and that the Democrats have a 42% chance. It's the perfect example of one thing: statistics run wild in politics. The while things is virtually worthless. It takes 11 Democratic states out of contention, including New Hampshire (where Republicans are spending millions on Scott Brown) and Oregon (where the Kochs are spending millions to defeat Jeff Merkley).

The news from Hawaii yesterday was great. Progressive Senator Brian Schatz beat corrupt conservative New Dem Colleen Hanabusa in the two Puna precincts on the Big Island that didn't vote in last weekend's primary because of Tropical Storm Iselle. Schatz went into yesterday's vote with a 1,635 vote lead. While Hanabusa spent the week whining about "voter irregularities" and making all sorts of demands to change the voting rules, Schatz was in Puna helping his constituents with storm recovery.

On Thursday we updated our Montana post about the likelihood that centrist Democrat John Walsh-- who the DSCC brain surgeons had forced on Montana Dems-- would withdraw by announcing he had just dropped out. He had no real chance to win anyway and should have never been selected over more populist choices.

UPDATE: John Walsh officially dropped out of the race this morning.When the DSCC under Schumer tried to insert a Beltway-oriented corporate DLC hack, John Morrison as the Democratic candidate against floundering Republican incumbent Conrad Burns in 2006, Montana Democrats rose up and slapped Schumer down by nominating insurgent populist John Tester (now Senator John Tester).