Big Sky Blog

Not all Montana Republicans favor more intrusive government. That’s why there is now an eMail forum for Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC) members and supporters that live in Montana. The goal of this forum is to help better communicate and coordinate RLC events, thus strengthening the network of pro-LIBERTY Republicans in Montana.

This is not a debate or philosophy club.

You can subscribe to the Montana Republican Liberty Caucus eMail forum by sending an eMail to: RLCMT-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Founded in 1990, the Republican Liberty Caucus works to advance the principles of limited government, individual liberty and free markets within the Republican Party and throughout America. The Montana RLC is working to elect pro-liberty Republicans to offices at all levels, partisan and non-partisan, in both primary and general elections. The Republican Liberty Caucus is committed not to just electing more Republicans … but better ones, as well.

Carl Graham is the Montana RLC point of contact. He’s a native Montanan (Glasgow) recently moved back to the state (Bozeman area) after a 20 year career as a naval officer.

The National RLC website address is http://www.rlc.org

Looks like lots of places in Montana will get their first real blast of winter-like weather today, tonight, and tomorrow, along with some snow. Here in Great Falls, we’re expecting a few inches of the fluffy stuff and temps dropping into the teens for the first time of the season. So: are you ready for winter? Are you excited about the cold and snow arriving, or are you cursing Mother Nature?

Source: KPAX

Another Montanan has been killed in action while serving in Iraq…35-year old Petty Officer Second Class Charles Komppa, and three others, died from what the Pentagon called “enemy action” while conducting combat operations in Iraq’s Anbar province. Komppa served as a Seabee with the Third Naval Construction Regiment, and was with the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 18, based in Billings. He had served in the first Gulf War, and then re-enlisted in the Naval Reserves. Komppa, who worked as an electrician at the Stillwater Mine, is survived by his wife Delisa, an 11-year-old son, and a 14-year old daughter.

As always, I’m sure that I can say all our hearts go out to his family and everyone who served with him.

The Masthead is “where the writers are” in the Missoula area. This publication is designed to offer a much-needed resource, haven, and stage for the writers of our great mountain town. Missoulians always seem to be saying, “There sure are a lot of writers in this town,”—and they’re not wrong—but being one of the thousands of English program graduates who stayed in my college town, I often find myself asking, “Where are they? How do I find all these writers in Missoula? How do I get in touch with my people: worshippers of Shakespeare, torch- bearers of Ginsberg, brooding Bloomsday sojourners?” Read more…

. . . and The Masthead is seeking submissions for its fall issue. From The Masthead staff:

Due to a low volume of submissions for the fall issue, The Masthead, Missoula’s Writers’ Magazine, is accepting submissions until November 11. We need poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, rants, writing tips, photographs and artwork to print in our fourth (already!) issue, due out in late November.

To submit, either email us at mastheadmsla AT hotmail DOT com, or mail to The Masthead, P.O. Box, 17883, Missoula, MT, 59808.

No submissions over 6,000 words, please. Email submissions are preferred, but paper is accepted. In either format, please supply a mailing address for receiving your contributor’s copy, should your work be accepted. If sending attachments or paper, please include your name on every page. Visual art will be rendered in black and white.

They tell me that they do accept reprints, with no restrictions on what medium it was published in before. As long as you have the rights to have the piece published again, that’s fine. Humor is always good, because so many people only write things that are serious. But really, we just want good writing.

They also do not give preference to local or Montana writers. This means that those of us who publish on our own websites, wherever we live, are welcome to submit. And I’m not very funny, but many of you are — so go for it.

A few days ago the BBC Reporters Blog linked to GreaterFalls.com as part of a discussion about the US Senate race between Jon Tester and Conrad Burns. Yesterday I received an e-mail from one of the editors at BBC:

Dear David:
I am writing to you from the BBC News website. You emailed our mid-terms blog a couple of days ago and I got your website and email address there.
We are currently looking to speak to voters in Montana, particularly Republican voters, for a panel we are assembling ahead of November’s US mid-term elections.
If you are interested in taking part or would be able to put us in contact with potential voters in your area, please respond with your telephone number and we can speak about it further.

I am not able to participate, but I’d wager that some of you regular readers might find it interesting. If so, drop a comment here or e-mail me at davidmsc AT gmail.com.

Bozeman Blogger Bash – an opportunity for bloggers (and blog readers) to meet up
Where: Mackenzie River Pizza, Main St., Bozeman
When: Nov. 11 (Saturday), starting at 5:30 pm (come when you like…)

(I talked to the hostess at MRP recently. She recommended having a few people arrive before 6 pm, which is when the rush starts. So, I’ll be there (probably drinking beer) before anyone else. If 5:30 is too early for you, come later.)

Questions? Please comment below or email big mike.

Over in the United Kingdon, the BBC is talking about America’s 2006 mid-term elections on their “Reporters” blog, and our very own Montana senate race is getting some “buzz” thanks to Tester’s rather unique hairstyle.

The contest: the funniest (or wickedest?) photoshopped image of either Conrad Burns or Jon Tester. Send your best “altered image” of either Burns or Tester (or both) to me at david AT greaterfalls.com before midnight on Halloween, and I’ll post all entries for judging. The prize: any item from the Big Sky Blog Cafepress shop!

Everyone’s favorite “Parts Runner, Short Order Gourmet Chef, Seamstress, Gardener, Laundress, Collector of too many things to mention, Tractor Operator” has finally moved to her very own place – go visit Karbon Kounty Moos at her new digs!

The Weekly Standard has an interesting article that profiles Jon Tester and provides some analysis of how Montana is turning “purple” – not red enough to be called Republican, not blue enough to be called Democrat. The possible creation of a “new breed” of Democrats is mentioned, too, as well as a nod to Governor Schweitzer as an example of the new purple breed. I wouldn’t quite call the article a big wet kiss to Tester, but it surely doesn’t paint Burns in a positive light, either. Interesting that the reason given for Morrison’s embarrassing loss to Tester in the primaries is simply “impropriety” – no mention of his sexual affair and probable conflict-of-interest charges. By glossing over the reason for Morrison’s loss, the article seems to want Tester to look more popular than he was at the time of the primary.