Just Goes To Show You – Thoughts From The Middle of Nowhere

<a href="http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060929/NEWS01/609290325/1002" >Rehberg opts out of signing House drought petition</a> n n<blockquote>Montana's lone congressman is refusing to buck Republican leaders and join with Democrats to force a vote on drought assistance for the nation's farmers and ranchers. n nRep. Dennis Rehberg will not sign the House Democrats' petition that seeks to bring the matter to the House floor before lawmakers adjourn late Friday or early Saturday, his spokesman Todd Shriber said. Congress will not return until after the November elections. n nAs of Thursday afternoon, Marilyn Musgrave of Colorado was the only Republican who had signed the petition. Democrats need 16 Republicans to cross party lines and join them. Republican leaders are blocking the measure, and President Bush has said he will veto it.</blockquote> n nThis just shows how the whole drought aid thing is pure politics in an election year. Will the same Democrats support disaster aid after the election? It will be interesting to see. n nShould Rep. Dennis Rehberg sign the discharge petition? In my opinion, yes. He would show his independence of the Republican leadership and support for Montana's farmers and ranchers. But, since the Democrats aren't focusing on his seat this year he is running very strong against a lightly funded candidate. He needs to look into the future though. In two years the Montana Democrats will target him and he doesn't need this black mark, at least as farmers and ranchers see it, on his record. n nIt will be interesting to see if the lame duck Congress will act on this disaster aid like they claim. My bets are they won't. n nThe idea that we cause harm by doing what we perceive to be the right thing, that's another theme that interests me. Because most people don't intend to cause harm, they cause harm by doing the right thing – in their mind. Andrew McCarthy