Montana to get visit from Commander in Chief

Congratulations to Montana upon becoming the first state in the Greater Pacific Northwest to get a visit from President Barack Obama:

A Bozeman City Commissioner confirmed earlier tonight, President Barack Obama is coming to Bozeman on August 14 and will hold a town hall meeting at an airport hanger.

This marks the third time Obama has visited Big Sky country but its the first time he's visited as Commander-in-Chief.

The last time Obama was here was in May 2008 when he was campaigning for the White Hosue. Then-candidate Obama attended rallies in Bozeman, Billings and the Crow Indian Reservation. As candidate, he campaigned hard in this traditionally Republican stronghold.

Guess that means he won't be at Netroots Nation, which is happening that same weekend in Pittsburgh. (Obama's trusted advisor, Valerie Jarrett, will be stopping by the following morning for a question and answer session, however.)

The president's team made a good choice in selecting Montana for a visit. It's Max Baucus' home state. Perhaps the White House is trying to let Baucus know that compromising on the already announced principles for healthcare reform is simply unacceptable. The idea behind healthcare reform is to improve Americans' lives and end the stranglehold big corporations have over the doctor/patient relationship.

Baucus needs to understand, plainly, that any "deal" or "plan" that is not built around a robust public option is not reform. It's more of the same, only rebranded in a new slick package. That's not what the American people want.