News you can use
News you can use
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Judicial independence is a matter of constitutional law and American tradition. By the strict design of our Founders, our separate court system has been independent of party politics, and therefore not guided by party platforms and party leaders as are the other two branches of our government. In 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt tested that separation. Frustrated by the U.S. Supreme Court’s resistance to his New Deal programs, FDR backed legislation to essentially expand the court from nine to 15 members. With his o...
John Henry “Gatling Gun” Parker had earned his moniker by providing the covering fire for Teddy Roosevelt’s immortal assault on San Juan Hill. Nearly 20 years later his 6 feet, 3 inch frame made him an easy target while charging at the head of his command, the 362nd U.S. Infantry. As the heroic Parker went down with a wound, behind him came the cries “Powder River!” “Powder River!” Colonel Parker’s regiment, made up nearly entirely of men from Montana and known as the “Powder River Gang,” emerged from World War I as one... Full story
Last month, Chuck Roady, vice president and general manager of F.H. Stoltz Land and Lumber Co., a family-owned sawmill that has been operating in northwest Montana for more than 100 years, traveled to Washington, D.C., to share with the powers that be what it’s like to run a mill in Montana. At the invitation of Rep. Steve Daines, Roady spoke to the House Natural Resources Committee about the web of lawsuits that too often ensnare federal timber sales. He called it, with g... Full story
The name George Custer is etched in the annals of U.S. and Montana history for the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876. Less well-known is that Custer may have been the man who won the Civil War. The incident, known mostly to Civil War buffs, occurred at the critical climax of that war’s decisive battle, at Gettysburg, on July 3 — 150 years ago Wednesday. Under the gifted leadership of General Robert E. Lee, the South had won a series of battles against attacking Union armies. The Confederates decided to become the att... Full story
Since adoption of Montana’s 1972 constitution our Governors have vetoed 293 bills in 21 legislative sessions. More than half the vetoes, however, 149, have been cast in just the last two sessions. What’s going on? Well, Democrats say the tea party takeover of the Republicans has resulted in passage of a tidal wave of extremist legislation that mainstream governors Schweitzer and Bullock have had to veto to protect the public interest. Republicans will tell you the vetoes have more to do with grandstanding and crass pol... Full story
Acting on that truism is the essence of leadership. While it is equally true that you can only get stabbed in the back if you're out front, leaders have the guts to take that risk. Non-leaders do not. Leaders must also earn the trust of others. Trust is built on positive personal relationships. The combination of guts and trust makes an effective leader. So far, Gov. Steve Bullock strikes me as an effective leader. He was up front about his priorities in his State of the State speech, and he's been working hard to earn the tr...
Joe Mazurek was a wise and insightful peacemaker. His passing was not unexpected, but his legacy for fairness and gentle persuasion will live on in the memory of all those who had the good fortune to work with him in the political process of our state. Bob Brown Jim McGarvey was a brave and gallant fighter. He could sometimes be unkind to the King's English, but never to a loyal friend. Montana's legendary union leader, he was the true friend of working class people, and never forgot his common roots in the "sacred city" of...
With the new session of Congress about to begin, the U.S. Senate has an opportunity to reform its filibuster rule, an arcane parliamentary device which has paralyzed the proceedings of the entire legislative branch of our government and crippled our nation's ability to meaningfully address the issues of our time. Anders Blewett Long before cable television, 24-7 news cycles and Super PACs, the filibuster was created via gentleman's agreement and enshrined in the rules of the U.S. Senate. The filibuster allows the minority...
Bob Brown It is said that "facts are stubborn things." So are the figures on which facts are based. The following example didn't originate with me, but in revising and verifying it, I consulted the highly respected, bipartisan Concord Coalition. It is headed up by former Republican Sen. Warren Rudman of New Hampshire and former Democratic Sen. Bob Kerry of Nebraska and has been monitoring the debt and factually warning about it for nearly 20 years. Comprehending the magnitude of the debt owed by all Americans, now measured... Full story
Montana's present constitution is fine the way it is Former Montana Secretaary of State bob Brown Montana's original 1889 state constitution had become increasingly out-dated and unworkable. The 1969 Legislature referred the question of rewriting it to the people, and in 1970, by a nearly 2-to1 majority, Montana voters agreed with the need for a constitutional convention. A special primary to elect convention delegates was slated for September 1971, with the general election in November. After spirited back-to-back statewide... Full story
