In Big Sky Country

We are on our annual trip back to the Last Best Place to visit our home, family, and friends that we left behind when we moved to Shreveport.

It is wonderful to wake up each morning to the cool crisp 50-degree temperatures of the Big Sky Country and watch the sunrise over the Rocky Mountains. We have to get up that early because the noisy mowers start on the fairway about then.

Except for one airline employee named Wendy whom we called a witch - a bad witch – United Airlines treated us well. As Jeff says in Brigadoon, “Yes we have witches where I come from. We just pronounce it differently.” It was only the great efforts, charm, and care of a flight attendant named Maureen, that I was able to board the last flight with my transplant medications. She ran interference and provided us with a solution to our dilemma. Wendy, he gate attendant offered us nothing and only told us to hurry up, because she was closing the door in 4 minutes. Maybe her broom was about to turn into a pumpkin.

Note to Katrina Rogers, my colleague on The Times Community Board, you can come to this huge metropolis of 20,000 and see Sicko- right here in the heart of the Flathead Valley the reddest neck part of Big Sky red neck country.

There is no Sam’s Club here, but there is a Costco. Like Sam’s Club on Youree Drive, Costco here is also on traffic congested 4-lane state highway and adjoins a strip mall. Unlike Sam’s Club and Shreveport you can drive to adjoining businesses without having to go out onto the highway. I don’t know who the responsible party is (the city fathers of Shreveport or Sam’s Club) but they evidently harbor far more concern for their customers’ convenience and safety in Montana than do their counterparts in Shreveport.

It is hotter here than in Shreveport, and all together now, “Yeah, but there’s no humidity there.” The combination of heat, the drought, and lightning has created conditions for the perfect firestorm. Saturday, two fires blew up closing two of the four major highways crossing the Continental Divide, which raised havoc at the height of the summer tourist season.

Well, it’s time to get working on my daily exercise routine – playing with my grandchildren and opening Grandma’s wine bottles.

Careful What's Exposed When the Window Shades are Open

Darn those window shades. I remember a story from college when my dorm room mate returned from the shower with only a towel on. It was night time and our first floor window opened up to the parking lot. It was late August so the window was open and the venetian blinds were wide open. As he entered the room a female voice from the parking lot yelled, "Take it all off." Rather than turn the light off my room mate went for the blinds. Naturally, they did not cooperate, the towel falls off, and now its one of dozens of stories I have from college. Isn't higher education great.

When will persons in public life learn their shades are always open. As long as there are humans there will be human failings. Some are funny, others we learn from, and still others are devastating. Senator David Vitter's human failings are the topic of the day. Some people find this matter funny (I do not). Others might learn from this but the lessons are often short-lived and some of the lessons might be totally missed. Finally, this is devastating to the senator's family and to Louisiana who more than ever count on our elected leadership to rise above the past and to lead our state's and our country's business with competence and integrity.

It is curious that the King of Human Failings, Larry Flynt is involved in this. Better check those shades.

River of Hypocrisy is at Flood Stage

The river is at flood stage! No, not the Red River – the River of Hypocrisy surrounding this whole David Vitter matter. Three tributaries at their high water mark are flowing into that river: the hypocrisy of the Left, the hypocrisy of the Right and the hypocrisy of Senator Vitter.

First and foremost we have the hypocrisy of the Senator himself, the man who championed the sanctity of marriage. Conservatives described Vitter as a family-values conservative. Vitter himself "conceded that infidelity, divorce, and deadbeat dads contribute to the breakdown of traditional families." ‘Nuff said about him, because that information s everywhere and two other tributaries of hypocrisy overflow his.

Another River of Hypocrisy comes from the right. Those who were so critical of President Clinton’s behavior are suddenly forgiving of sins of morality. They say there is no reason for this adulterer to leave office; no censure is required. That he has apologized to his family and asked for God to forgive him is enough. Though it was never enough for Clinton. Vitter’s supporters say that he, unlike Clinton did not commit perjury and commit a crime. They ignore the fact that he had previously denied the charges regarding his hiring of prostitutes in New Orleans and the fact that hiring a prostitute is illegal.

And, oh yeah, we do have that other River of Hypocrisy of the left that was so outraged by the delight that the right enjoyed when Clinton got caught. Now they seem to be clicking their heels with all the same enthusiasm the right enjoyed with Clinton’s impeachment proceedings. Clinton’s supporters, who said his actions did not affect his ability to govern, now question Vitter’s ability to serve in the Senate. The left that was so critical of the “holier than thou” crowd hounding Clinton has now donned that false halo.

It’s time for all to stop contributing to the flow and let the river recede before it overflows its banks and causes more damage to our nation already damaged by the vitriol of partisan politics. Vitter worked to get elected as a Senator representing Louisiana. Let’s hope that the Senator will soon come out of hiding do what is best. Either get back to work representing us, or resign so we can get someone in there that will.