Gianforte reported as Montana's next Representative. [UPDATED]

*while on a posting holiday/vacation, layout and sidebar editing happens; some might care to look*

Needing to understand how a near ideal candidate on a near ideal policy set lost as he did, it might be time to take a month off from posting. Allow the Georgia election to happen. Allow a Ryan budget to fare as it may. Allow the DNC to fare as it may. Allow Onward Together to gain funding. All without posting.

Montana had the opportunity to make a difference. And declined. Allow Montanans to appreciate their voting majority's decision.

Allow New York and California Single Payer attempts to happen or be stymied. Watch New York and California join Colorado and Oregon and Washington as bellweather states on changing parts of a status quo, or not. As always these things resolve apart from any single blog analysis and opinion publishing.

Let them. Another option would be to close the blog and remove all content. That drastic a step is not anticipated.

But a month off will be nice. It could lengthen. If an issue seems important enough during the next month, during June, there might be posting but likely not.

There are quality people in Montana. That clearly includes the Quist family.

That Gallitin MT creationist museum is offensive to science and to thought. Ayn Rand would have had her architect dynamite it.

______________UPDATE______________
Gianforte's letter of apology, posted and analyzed, Huffpo.

Having nothing to do with Montana nor, of course, any contention of omitted sentiment in an apology; Strib reporting on post game commentary of LeBron - at closing paragraphs:

As for his own future, James, who is averaging 32 points, 12.3 rebounds and 10.3 assists in the Finals, said he hasn't decided how much longer he'll play.

"I definitely want to compete," he said. "I want to compete for championships every year, and so we'll see what happens."

And James has once again been criticized for not being more aggressive late in Game 3, when he made a pass to Kyle Korver. The sharpshooter missed a potential game-sealing 3-pointer with 50 seconds left. Durant then came down and made his go-ahead 3.

James broke down the play, highlighting every detail — Green with five fouls, Durant collapsing, Curry guarding Kevin Love and Korver being open in the short corner — before delivering his own counter punch.

"I would do the same exact thing," he said.

As the day of reckoning is days away in Montana, the national mainstream media are reporting, but with a beltway bias readers can see for themselves, via Google news websearch returns. [UPDATED and topside]

[THIS POST HAS BEEN DATED MAY 26, 1:30 AM IN ORDER TO KEEP IT ATOP UNTIL A DATE/TIME WHERE MONTANA VOTES WILL LIKELY HAVE BEEN COUNTED. UPDATE: MONTANA'S POLLS CLOSE 8:00 P.M. THURSDAY, MAY 25, AND CURRENT NATIONWIDE REPORTING HAS BEEN CAPTURED BY A SINGLE EVENT - SEE POST BELOW THIS]
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Two web searches to keep bookmarked through the week; each Google news, clearly overlapping:

search = montana

search = montana election quist gianforte


Perhaps a third, or some combo - with this one being a Bing News search, not Google:

search = montana money trump

With the notion there in that last suggestion that beltway pundits want it "a referendum on Trump" which is simplification, beltway bias, and thought channeling that is not fully merited. Also, a referendum on spending in a Congressional seat election wholly out of line with what 2018 with more seats in play might show.


Perhaps the best idea might be simply

search = montana

because it is unbiased toward the election and candidates, just, what's news to the TWO search engines, Google News, or Bing News, leading up to Thursday.

What are the pundits saying, how intensely nationally is the Montana race in focus, and what might it lead one to expect; vs Friday, May 26, when the result is in?

Then, will the pundits be phrasing the result as related to Georgia CD6, or will the pundits ignore any such implication and solely be in apology mode, or told-you-so mode?

_____________UPDATE____________
Apart from Montana, other flyover land, Strib local content re-headlined for the season: "Guide to Minnesota's 13 national wildlife refuges -- Minnesota is home to 13 national wildlife refuges, each with a distinct set of attractions for hunters, anglers, birders and wildlife-watchers. - By Doug Smith Star Tribune - September 25, 2014 — 5:27pm;" source of this image as proof a redwing blackbird will perch on anything to declare and overview territory in breeding season.

Go to the Strib item to enlarge the image full size.

This year male redwings have shown up, but the females migrate later, and I have yet to see them this year in Anoka County.

Public lands matter in the midwest too; but with the issue not as intense as in the west; no Cliven Bundy business happening here, no threat of private expropriation and/or exploitation. No politicians suing the State to limit recreational access of the citizenry via contesting established easements. Minnesota Nice instead.

_____________FURTHER UPDATE______________
Bonus video: Bernie taking time at MSU to talk outside to the overflow crowd of young people - the future of the Democratic Party if the party has a future.

____________FURTHER UPDATE_______________
The Observer, this link with part of the headlining:

‘If you do it here in Montana, we can do it in every state’

And that is why beltway Republicans and their donors and lobbyists for the Trump/Ryan status quo of shame are focused like a laser beam on defeating Rob Quist. They know the truth of that sub-headline. And their wish and will is to add another millionaire to their heartless cabal. Progress needs Quist.

That last paragraph was plain awful, so try again:
Beltway Republicans and their donors and lobbyists for the Trump/Ryan status quo are putting exceptional amounts of money into their effort to defeat Rob Quist. They know the truth of that sub-headline. They oppose progress and they know: Progress needs Quist.

Better. The message IS that progress needs Quist, and it shows better in the re-write.

Gianforte assaults a reporter in Montana on the eve of the election. He did it himself. He did not outsource the assault.

Hope the reporter had good health coverage.

Montana Cowgirl Blog features the story.

You cannot help but hope the situation blows off his chance at going to DC to try to nail down that eight hundred grand tax bonanza that the Ryancare cruelty was aimed to deliver to him and his class.

Poetic justice. And Quist is a poet, as well as a musician and song writer.

A ballad IS due on this story. It can be Montana lore for years.

What's vexing, he had the opportunity to do it to the Trump child.


UPDATE: It's catching.

CBS News screencapture
click image to enlarge and read

In light of Gianforte, wrap your mind around the image, "Pence goes on to slam House Democrats, specifically Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, ...".

FURTHER: YouTube posting of morning after reporting. Comprehensive. Montana newspapers withdrew their Ginaforte endorsement, at 0:25 or so in the video report.

FURTHER: Mother Jones has written it up, Gianforte appearing to lie about what happened:

The reporter, Ben Jacobs of the Guardian, had previously broken a major story about Gianforte's investments in Russian companies.

[...] According to audio of the encounter posted by the Guardian, Gianforte's outburst came after Jacobs asked him about the Congressional Budget Office's analysis of the GOP health care bill, which Gianforte had previously signaled he was supportive of. "I am sick and tired of you guys!," Gianforte can be heard shouting. "The last guy who came in here did the same thing. Get the hell out of here!"

In a statement, a Gianforte spokesman blamed Jacobs for the incident, asserting that Jacobs was responsible for "pushing them both to the ground."

Statement from Gianforte on @bencjacobs: "aggressive behavior from a liberal journalist"

— Holly Bailey (@hollybdc) May 25, 2017

[...] Update: Three members of the Fox News crew that was preparing to interview Gianforte when the incident happened have now corroborated Jacobs' account, and added some new details:

Gianforte grabbed Jacobs by the neck with both hands and slammed him into the ground behind him. Faith, Keith and I watched in disbelief as Gianforte then began punching the man, as he moved on top the reporter and began yelling something to the effect of "I'm sick and tired of this!"

After Jacobs left the room, Fox News' Alicia Acuna reported, "Gianforte looked at the three of us and repeatedly apologized."

[bolding and links in original, italics emphasis added] Gianforte is a large man, apparently a hot-head who cannot stand the heat per the Truman adage. The reporter was normal size, and obviously taken by surprise in that candidates do not usually assault reporters, it's a rare thing.

AND THEN THE GIANFORTE CAMPAIGN LIED ABOUT IT.

WORSENING AN ALREADY BAD SHOWING. UNACCEPTABLE.


.................................
FURTHER: An online law enforcement press conference noted five eyewitnesses. That includes, apparently, Ginanforte as perpetrator, the Guardian reporter as victim, and the three FOX employees as independent eyewitnesses who noted Gianforte's conduct, per the MJ quote above. If so, no Ginaforte staffer was present.

Why misdemeanor assault? Why not felony? It seems questionable charging. Apparently at the time of that press conference prosecutors had not filed any charge, per the officer's response to a specific question.

Next, a Guardian Report filed by the victim of the Gianforte assault, prior to the assault. Read it all. Judge for yourself: Is there any provocative bias to it that would inspire a viscous attack? The man seems too tightly wound when there's some pressure, to be one earning voter respect. Certainly assaulting an unsuspecting victim is not anything to respect. It's like sucker punching someone, but less injury appears to have ensued. It appears no head injury was caused, which is always the worry if being unsuspectingly felled to the ground. CNN in a panel discussion compare audio of the situation with a statement issued the press by Gianforte operatives, and it is not a favorable comparison for the Gianforte prepared statement, truth being the question. FOX eyewitnesses clearly stated there was no provocation.

The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that there was probable cause to issue a citation, but the nature of the injuries “did not meet the statutory elements of a felony assault.”

Still, the incident sent shockwaves across the country and resulted in three key Montana newspapers taking back their earlier endorsements. [...]

The incident occurred Wednesday evening when a Fox News team was scheduled to interview Gianforte at his campaign headquarters. The [three person FOX] team said Ben Jacobs, the reporter from The Guardian, pressed Gianforte about the newly released Congressional Budget Office report on the American Health Care Act.

Gianforte told Jacobs to talk to his press officer. At some point, Gianforte grabbed Jacobs by the neck with both hands and slammed him into the ground, according to witnesses.

The crew watched Gianforte punch the reporter. As Gianforte moved on top of Jacobs, he began yelling something to the effect of, “I'm sick and tired of this!” [...]

Federal records show that the Gallatin County sheriff donated $250 to Gianforte's congressional campaign in March. In his statement, Sheriff Brian Gootkin confirmed the donation, but said, "This contribution has nothing to do with our investigation, which is now complete."

Gianforte is scheduled to appear in Gallatin County Justice Court between Wednesday night and June 7. He would face a maximum $500 fine or six months in jail if convicted.

[link in original, italics added] Montana law would determine whether the unprovoked nature of the assault and the language used established intent to cause severe bodily harm, and according to the story the degree of actual ensuing bodily injury is a factor in a choice between misdemeanor vs felony charges. The Sheriff's office appears to have issued a citation, with it unclear whether this was with or without prior consultation with a prosecuting attorney; nor has any campaign contribution by prosecuting authorities been reported, either way. Details linger, but an unprovoked assault is what it is, and instability under pressure is a disadvantageous trait for any office seeker. From all things report, he derserves maximum fine and jail time, in my view; which had it been Quist breaking loose that way, would be the same. Opinions on that can differ. Again, really, why not felony assault remains unclear.


FURTHER: DCCC has prepared a "What happens when you ask Greg Gianforte a Question" ad; linked to and/or embedded on the latest Cowgirl post.

FURTHER: Direct URL for the new DCCC ad. It is a negative ad, true, but he earned it beyond any doubt. It is interesting the pro-GG trolls are absent today from Cowgirl blog posting. Quelled enthusiasm, or just sound judgment as with the withdrawn press endorsements?

FURTHER: The Atlantic [links in original]:

The citation for assault was an eleventh-hour twist in a race where as many as two-thirds of the ballots had already been cast. Several of the state’s largest newspapers, including The Billings Gazette, The Missoulian, and The Helena Independent Record withdrew their endorsements of Gianforte. “This incident is not Montana. It's not America,” said the Gazette. “It's not who we are, and attacking — literally — those with whom we disagree cannot be justified, tolerated or explained away.”

My nickle bets the guy will not be honorable and drop the contest. He's got eight hundred thousand reasons to regret but stay; each a dollar; each a part of the tax break Ryan's Cruelcare which, if passed, would have yielded him. A piece of work.

FURTHER: FOX gives us: Minneapolis mayor Hodges gave her State-of-the-State speech in a mosque because of a belief that "the city's Muslim community is under attack from the Trump administration." FOX town scold Hegseth posed the hypothetical to the mayor, "... would you do it in a church?" He should pose that question to Gianforte. There in front of the alter and the Cross on the wall. WHAM? Knocking over an incense censer? Scattering alter boys who wonder, does me mean for us to "Get the hell out?"

Hello Montana and the nation: The CBO analysis of the Ryancare trainwreck bill passed on narrowly to the Senate is out now and it says - "It's a trainwreck."

WaPo reporting, NPR reporting, The Hill reporting.

The CBO document itself, online here.

Al Franken on the Senate floor analyzing, with little sympathy for Ryancare, or for dishonesty behind it.

Greg Gianforte wants his taxes cut, as he said when calling east coast lobbyists to raise money. While cheering on the House's Ryancare passage. What passed would mean lower Gianforte family taxes if passed into law.

Bill opponents: Two generations of the Quist family, both musicians, pictured by NPR.

It's a better talent than outsourcing jobs.

It must be great to have a talented daughter. Trump would probably wish for that.

UPDATE: The Franken report has the Senate floor speech video posted. Franken begins by noting rural impacts of the Ryan package. As noted to him by Minnesota rural healthcare providers  during community visits, things would degrade to "survival of the fittest." Towns are further apart in Montana than in Minnesota. Effects would be more severe.

FURTHER: The Franken floor speech is clear, chilling, and true. If you feel you've not a half hour to run that video, you are a fool.

FURTHER: If you believe Greg Gianforte getting an $800,000 cut in his taxes is great stuff even if he attains it by putting millions of Americans closer to death and bankruptcy and losing homes and having retirement savings wiped out; don't bother watching the Franken explanations. He was aiming his remarks at others than Greg and his fellow travelers.

Isn't it refreshing to see all the young people with young thoughts and issues that Tom Perez has brought into the DNC leadership so it would not ossify or die off?

This link. And an eye toward the future. Clearly with this fresh bunch the sin of superdelegate domination over voter opinion and preferences will be a thing of the past. Because they love democracy and the democratic process. And because a fifteen buck minimum wage is an issue it impresses how minimum wage earners are disproportionately represented among the hands on the levers. It makes a strong impression.

They have a "DONATE" page, but not any report online at the site on how the funding is shaking out; income and expenditures stuff. Were it expected to be of interest to voters it clearly would be there, but voters don't care where they get money from or how it is spent. A photo of Trump suffices:

click and
"fight back"

What is a minor trouble, personal to me and clearly of little or no interest to any others, I don't want to "fight back," I want to fight forward.

Nothing there for me, so unlike the multitude, I'm not giving them a single cent; but clearly, somebody is paying the bills.

_____________UPDATE_____________
It's your feelings, stupid. These video talking heads are clearly barking up a wrong tree.

Sad.

___________FURTHER UPDATE____________
Also, the Tom Perez courage in being unequivocal about his Single Payer commitment is compelling. A shade less enthusiastic over Single Payer than Perez, Nina Turner, this video, in support of California's Single Payer legislation effort.

Isn't the reported fortitude and rectitude shown by key Democratic Party inner party functionaries on the Single Payer issue something to behold? It makes you want to cry.

Perez in his DC bunker [DNC DC bunker] is seeing California, per the Nina Turner previous link, and New York pressing upon him from both coasts on Single Payer, and once the nation is energized he clearly will articulate he was for it all along, and it was just Bernie's irrational exuberance that made him play straight man to the Vermont Senator's turn of words. And that he likes heading the DNC and however things shake out he presently has good health coverage from it. And he may be expected to add his support for remaining a superdelegate, feeling super about Single Payer and all once dust has settled and it's law. Getting there, a tiny hedge here and there perhaps, DNC on record as wanting big donor money, but when appropriate expect Perez to say where his heart was all along. He is that kind of a man.

All along able to live with remaining a superdelegate with uninterrupted or unnderfunded DNC paid coverage, and at the right time he might be satisfied to endorse a prior passage into law, once done, of the New York measure Gottfried sponsored and described:

New York Health would be a boon to business. Employer spending on health care eats up a median 12.8% of payroll costs on health insurance, up more than 50% in a decade, with small businesses spending even higher percentages. According to the Friedman study, New York Health could be funded through an income assessment averaging just 8.1% of payroll.

“New Yorkers deserve better,” said Assembly Member Gottfried. “We should be able to go to the doctor when we need to, without worrying whether we can afford it. We should choose our doctors and hospitals without worrying about network restrictions. We deserve health coverage for all of us, paid for based on our ability to pay, not what the market will bear. I’m proud the Assembly has passed the New York Health Act, and I look forward to working with a great community of advocates including medical professionals, medical students, organized labor, and Senate sponsor Bill Perkins, to enact it into law.”

New York Health has been endorsed by the NYS Academy of Family Physicians, NYS American Academy of Pediatrics, NYS Nurses Association, Committee of Interns and Residents, Doctors Council SEIU, NY chapter of Physicians for a National Health Program, SEIU 1199, NYS AFL-CIO, Communications Workers of America, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1056 and 1179, United Auto Workers 9 & 9A, UFCW Local 1500, Capital District Area Labor Federation, Local 32BJ SEIU, NYSUT, United Federation of Teachers, Working Families Party, Green Party, Citizen Action, StateWide Senior Action Council, NYPIRG, League of Women Voters, and others.

Once two houses have passed it and a governor's signed it Perez would be the first to stand up and say, "It's law, in New York." Being hasty, no call for that, because tardiness is next to godliness. Even with Mamon a lead god, tardiness is the best policy. While, of course, being there all along.

Who besides the Republicans are running Nancy Pelosi these days?

Politico, today, May 24, stating in part:

Republicans have long demonized Pelosi, even before she won the speaker’s gavel in 2006, in a strategy that her supporters say reeks of sexism. But the plan for the most part has been wildly successful, with the GOP controlling the House since 2010 and likely for the foreseeable future. And with Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton gone but Pelosi still House minority leader, she’s Republicans’ primary Democratic punching bag.

This time, Republicans aren’t the only ones tuning in to see whether vilifying Pelosi is still a winning strategy. Pelosi’s caucus, restless after years in the minority under her leadership, is watching what happens now more than ever. And some are already privately demanding change if Democrats don’t pick up one of the special election seats up for grabs.

“There’s a real widespread sense if the Republicans’ only attack on us is Nancy Pelosi, why are we leading with our chin?” said one House Democrat. “There’s a greater and greater sense that it’s time for a change in leadership.”

Pelosi’s advocates say any talk of a change in leadership is minor at most and completely unrealistic. And, they argue, Republicans are only targeting her because they have nothing to show for having all the power in Washington.

“The GOP brand is in tatters, and their top legislative priority, Trumpcare, polls at 17 percent,” said Jorge Aguilar, executive director of Pelosi for Congress. “The tired, rehashed strategy of attacking Pelosi doesn’t work and demonstrates just how bankrupt of ideas House Republicans are.”

“Clearly, House Republicans recognize they have no message to run on in the midterms and they’re desperately grasping at straws,” said Tyler Law, a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesman.

While the special election for Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price’s old seat in Georgia’s 6th Congressional District pits Republican Karen Handel against Democrat Jon Ossoff, Republicans in Georgia and Washington have tried to shove Pelosi front and center, peppering mentions of her name and her picture into paid ads for months.

And when Gianforte's strong point is he phone calls lobbyists seeking five grand a pop from each, praises Ryancare's abdication, and says, now get to lowering my taxes; take a dump on Nancy because, why?

Quist has been there and suffered that; big money running both parties; and he's ready to be a real representative for a change.

Dylan Ratigan - What ended his career on MSNBC. Finding things on YouTube that too few people have viewed, and until now were unknown to me.

This video. Hat tip to this one for the insight to track down the first. Each in large measure speaks for itself.

That's all watched before the post is published. Two links, here and here. Do yourself a favor. Follow them.

This fuller video of the first linked item. Very few viewers noted.

Hello, Greg Gianforte.

UPDATE: At about 8:30 into the last video, check out the woman at the workstation in the background and her boogie.

FURTHER: DWS. Who is still in Congress. Because Tim Canova was insufficiently backed. And because she's strong in the district. Ratigan, back years ago in those videos explained the DC money flowing into Montana for Gianforte. May the best Quist win.

FURTHER: Older MSNBC days.