House Passes 263-171
Rehberg Opposes Bailout Bill, Again
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Rep. Denny Rehberg |
HELENA – Rep. Denny Rehberg on Friday voted against the $700 billion government bailout of the battered financial industry, saying he hopes the legislation will work but could not support it.
The House passed the measure 263-171 and sent it to President Bush, who signed it.
"Congress needed to get this right the second time, and get it right quickly," said Rehberg, who voted against the initial House version of the bill on Monday. "Instead, we faced resistance to any alternatives at every level."
Juniors lead Flathead and Glacier soccer teams
Frey and Hebert Stand Tall
Glacier's Maddey Frey and Flathead's Kassi Hebert are two of the state's leading goal scorers over the last two years. - Lido Vizzutti/Flathead Beacon
Glacier High School girls soccer coach Paul Holmgren has only one suggestion for his all-state junior forward Maddey Frey, who is widely regarded as the best at her position in the state. But he’s not sure Frey can do it.
“Grow three inches,” Holmgren said of the 5-foot-3 Frey. “That’s about it.”
Stumptown Ice Den
Ice Rink Opens For Season
File photo. --Becky Lomax, for the Beacon
The Zamboni circled the ice yesterday, buffing out the surface for the season opening of Stumptown Ice Den today. But it wasn't the same old Zamboni. "It's brand, spanking new, just delivered two days ago," says Andy Hergesheimer, who manages the rink. "It's like moving up from a Datsun to a Cadillac."
Along with a new Zamboni, the ice rink purchased all new rental skates. "We spent lots of dollars on comfy, cushy skates," says Hergesheimer, adding that skaters should come check them out for themselves.
Guest Commentary: John D. Zaiss
Placing Blame Won’t Fix the Economy
“I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it anymore! You’ve got to say it! Then we’ll figure out what to do about the depression and the inflation and the oil crisis.”
Peter Finch delivered these classic lines in his Oscar-winning performance as a newscaster in the movie Network. His words are eerily prophetic.
A Daily Taste of Top Stories
Weekend Buffet: Jewel Trout Back, Baucus Defends Bailout, Rabid Bat Show-and-Tell
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Good morning and happy German Unity Day. Biologists study how life is returning to trout in a Jewel Basin lake. Early and absentee voting could make for an unpredictable Election Day. UM students protested the GOP's move to challenge the eligibility of 6,000 voters. Baucus says the bailout was likely flawed but necessary. John McCain's lead over Obama shrinks, but not by much. And a Stevensville parent brings a dead, rabid bat to school for their child's show-and-tell.
[read more]Same-sex parental rights
Appeal Filed in Same-Sex Parental Rights Case
HELENA – A Missoula woman who lost a court battle with her former same-sex partner over parental rights filed an appeal Thursday with the Montana Supreme Court.
District Judge Ed McLean of Missoula on Monday ruled in favor of Michelle Kulstad of Turah, following what attorneys for both sides called Montana's first same-sex parental rights trial.
What borrowers can do to get favorable terms
Mortgage Hunt Tough, Not Impossible
NEW YORK – If you were thinking of getting a mortgage before the current blizzard of bad financial events struck, the good news is: You can still get a home loan, and, at least for now, rates have been falling.
But the caveat is: You'd better be creditworthy.
The US Treasury's takeover of mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac earlier this month signaled that mortgage money will remain available.
Hassling Voters Doesn't Make Friends or Win Elections
Update: The GOP’s Disingenuous Voter Challenge
UPDATE: Taking issue with my blog, GOP Executive Director Jake Eaton called this morning to make the case that his party’s move to verify voter registration across the state is anything but “disingenuous.”
While many Democrats regard Schweitzer’s remarks about tampering with 2006 U.S. Senate election results as jokes, Eaton said he has heard many anecdotes from that election night that match up “far too closely” with what the governor told the attorney’s convention.
“I think there’s a lot of truth to what (Schweitzer) said,” Eaton added.
Read the rest of Eaton's response and my original post after the jump.
Blackfoot Lake
Life Returns to a Poisoned Lake
FWP Fisheries biologist Matt Boyer sifts out insects from Blackfoot Lakes' outlet to see if life is coming back to the lake. - Photo by Katrin Frye/for the Beacon
Blackfoot Lake sits at the bottom of a Jewel Basin mountainside, surrounded on one side by the limbless, charred tree spikes left over from a 2003 wildfire, and on the other by thick, green evergreens. Today, the fish are jumping.
“There’s a rise, and another one, oh yeah John, they’re here,” Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks biologist Matt Boyer said. He and his colleague John Fraley hiked up to the lake to collect what will probably be the last samples of the season.
Vice Presidential Debate
Palin, Biden Spar on Iraq, Economic Crisis
ST. LOUIS – Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin accused Barack Obama of voting against funding for U.S. troops in combat Thursday night in her much-anticipated debate with Obama's running mate, Joe Biden, whom she chastised for defending the move, "especially with your son in the National Guard" and headed for Iraq.
"John McCain voted against funding for the troops," as well, Biden countered, adding that the Republican presidential candidate had been "dead wrong on the fundamental issues relating to the conduct of the war."
