MT: Gianforte vs Quist

[katqanna]

Correlated the Democratic County Committees with the 2017 election map, filled in the county names for those of us that don't know all the county names by shape (yet) and put white Ds in the counties with a committee.

This clearly shows part of the situation. Aside from Fallon, no county with a Democratic office was straight red.

I just sent this to the State Democratic office, just in case they didn't already know.

 

[npaden]

That Malta county is pretty new isn't it?

 

[Nemont]

That Malta county is pretty new isn't it?

Yeah I don't know what is worse: Phillips County being colored in Scottie red or Valley County being labeled Malta.

 

[katqanna]

Oy! I messed up. Thanks for the heads up. I have no idea where I got Malta from. I also corrected the typo on Pondera I didn't see yesterday.

 

[katqanna]

And so it begins...

 

[OriginalOscar]

Kathy Griffinish

 

[katqanna]

Kathy Griffin, as reprehensible an act as it was, was not running or voted in for a Montana legislative seat.

People can lambast and satirize Griffin all they want, deservedly so; but for a legislator to also deserve such, it is not a reflection on one culpable person, but our State and future as a result.

 

[OriginalOscar]

Commonality is labeling with caricatures.

America is a republic; he's your representative now. Participate in our government process if you wish to be part of the solution.

 

[noharleyyet]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOGWbzUM-y8

 

[katqanna]

Gianforte issued an official apology, agreed to donate $50,000 to the Committee to Protect Journalists, filed for an extension for the criminal charges and filed for re-election last Friday

Gianforte pays $50,000 to press group to settle assault of Guardian reporter

 

[Sytes]

Gianforte issued an official apology, agreed to donate $50,000 to the Committee to Protect Journalists, filed for an extension for the criminal charges and filed for re-election last Friday

Gianforte pays $50,000 to press group to settle assault of Guardian reporter

Pretty obvious I care for neither though I find myself pontificating the thought... had the reporter slammed Gianforte and angrily yelled at him something to the effect, "I am sick and tired of you side stepping reporter's questions! Damn it! Sick of it!"

Would the reporter, after apologizing to the fellow journalists and political dung piles hanging around, for his inability to control his temper, be able to walk away and later receive a fine? Wait... a public servant is the holder of the king's badge?

 

[Schaaf]

Gianforte issued an official apology, agreed to donate $50,000 to the Committee to Protect Journalists, filed for an extension for the criminal charges and filed for re-election last Friday

Gianforte pays $50,000 to press group to settle assault of Guardian reporter

Was the donation contingent on them renaming the group after himself?

 

[katqanna]

An important part of this conversation, contrary to all those who cheered that this happened to the reporter or like the stereotypical associations of rape victims, that she must have been asking for it, in this case, the reporter must have been asking for it, is Gianforte's statement -

Notwithstanding anyone’s statements to the contrary, you did not initiate any physical contact with me, and I had no right to assault you...I take full responsibility.

I understand the critical role that journalists and the media play in our society. Protections afforded to the press through the Constitution are fundamental to who we are as a nation and the way government is accountable to the people ... I had no right to respond the way I did to your legitimate question about healthcare policy. You were doing your job.

It is interesting in Montana Code Annotated concerning assault, 45-5-2 have a variety of specific types of assault listed, journalists are not one of those, perhaps this needs to be remedied in this next legislative session. They do however, list peace officer, judicial officer and sports officials.

(1) A person commits the offense of assault upon a sports official if, while a sports official is acting as an official at an athletic contest in any sport at any level of amateur or professional competition, the person:

(a) purposely or knowingly causes bodily injury to the sports official;

(b) negligently causes bodily injury to the sports official with a weapon;

(c) purposely or knowingly makes physical contact of an insulting or provoking nature with the sports official; or

(d) purposely or knowingly causes reasonable apprehension of bodily injury in the sports official.

(2) A person convicted of assault upon a sports official shall be fined an amount not to exceed $1,000 or be imprisoned in the county jail for any term not to exceed 6 months, or both.

That is more than the fine for general assault. I guess that says something about Montana's priorities?

 

[Carnage2011]

An important part of this conversation, contrary to all those who cheered that this happened to the reporter or like the stereotypical associations of rape victims, that she must have been asking for it, in this case, the reporter must have been asking for it, is Gianforte's statement -



It is interesting in Montana Code Annotated concerning assault, 45-5-2 have a variety of specific types of assault listed, journalists are not one of those, perhaps this needs to be remedied in this next legislative session. They do however, list peace officer, judicial officer and sports officials.



That is more than the fine for general assault. I guess that says something about Montana's priorities?

I think you are reading way out of the lines. The truth is that there is a much better chance of a sports official being assaulted than a reporter. It has nothing to do with priorities....it's the reality. You can witness this on any given Friday night during basketball season by strolling into the local gym. Maybe I'm wrong but I don't remember the last time a reporter was assaulted in Montana.

 

[Sytes]

One quoted is specific to the Officiating type protections.

45-5-201. Assault.

(1) A person commits the offense of assault if the person:
(a) purposely or knowingly causes bodily injury to another;
(b) negligently causes bodily injury to another with a weapon;
(c) purposely or knowingly makes physical contact of an insulting or provoking nature with any individual; or
(d) purposely or knowingly causes reasonable apprehension of bodily injury in another.
(2) A person convicted of assault shall be fined not to exceed $500 or be imprisoned in the county jail for any term not to exceed 6 months, or both.

 

[Carnage2011]

One quoted is specific to the Officiating type protections.

Were you replying to me? I know there is protection for officials. I was referring to Kat's comment about priorities.

 

[Sytes]

Not specific to yours clarifying the Official type and the Assault categories.

 

[katqanna]

I think you are reading way out of the lines. The truth is that there is a much better chance of a sports official being assaulted than a reporter. It has nothing to do with priorities....it's the reality. You can witness this on any given Friday night during basketball season by strolling into the local gym. Maybe I'm wrong but I don't remember the last time a reporter was assaulted in Montana.

Carnage, did you see my winky?

But, I do think the higher penalty as a deterrent, may need to be applied towards reporters with all this increased Trump "the media are our enemy" and trying to curtail the First Amendment that has been increasing nationwide, especially when right after the Gianforte assault, a Texas legislator talked about shooting reporters.

 

[katqanna]

Reporter's letter: Gianforte should stop saying journalist initiated election eve attack

An attorney for the reporter who was assaulted by Rep. Greg Gianforte on the eve of his election last May has sent a cease-and-desist letter to the congressman and his spokesman asking them to stop falsely saying the reporter initiated the physical attack.

Gianforte admitted in court in June to assaulting Ben Jacobs, a reporter for The Guardian, when Jacobs tried to ask Gianforte his views about a health care bill before Congress. When pleading guilty to the misdemeanor assault in Gallatin County District Court, Gianforte said Jacobs "did not initiate any physical contact with me." He also wrote a letter to Jacobs saying the reporter did not start the physical altercation...

In the letter posted online by the Independent Journalism Review, Geoffrey Genth, Jacobs' attorney, asked Gianforte and his spokesman Travis Hall to "immediately cease and desist from making any further false and defamatory statements about Mr. Jacobs."

Genth wrote that the letter was prompted by recent news quoting a statement from Hall that "no one was misled, and anyone who says otherwise was mistaken." That statement was in response to coverage of the documents released by the Bozeman court.

"It is unacceptable and actionable for Rep. Gianforte, Mr. Hall, or any other persons working for or affiliated with Rep. Gianforte or his campaign to make false and defamatory statements about the May 24 assault," Genth wrote.

 

[LuketheDog]

Sounds like this attorney is padding his fees by continuing to make news out of the issue...typical