Columnist Rod Miller writes: “The cowboy is Doug Vickrey, a Sublette County commissioner who has had a bellyful of billionaire big talk and bullshit. Vickrey says, and I quote, ‘I would like Mr. Ricketts to know that with all his wealth there are some things in this world money cannot buy, and by God I’m one of them.'”
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Columnist Rod Miller writes: “Our elected representatives in Wyoming government still meet in secret to make side deals out of the public eye. They continue to try to pull the wool over our eyes and to hamstring the institution entrusted to keep the public informed – our free press.”
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Columnist Rod Miller writes: “Participation trophies throughout history have included having your village plundered and burned, your land taken, your gods overthrown and your children sold into slavery by the winner. Knowing that alone should make you want to toughen up and hone your competitive skills.”
Columnist Rod Miller writes: “You’ll recall that a week ago, I challenged y’all to come up with a moniker for folks in the Big Empty who call everyone else RINO (Republican In Name Only) and you, friends and neighbors, didn’t disappoint.”
Columnists Rod Miller and Cat Urbigkit write: “Now about Romeo Bouchard. He’s Wyoming’s version of Marjorie Taylor Greene, but with an anger management problem…”
Columnist Rod Miller writes: “What do we call folks who call other folks RINOs? It’s not logical simply to call them Republicans, since the Wyoming GOP defines Republican as anyone registered with the party.”
Columnist Rod Miller writes: “The Freedom Caucus wraps themselves in scripture and preach about a battle with Satan, and how Wyoming must be saved from atheist, baby-eatin’ communists. They confuse the halls of our legislature with the pulpit of their church.”
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Columnist Rod Miller writes: “For years we have watched the legislature try to impinge on the voting rights of Wyoming citizens by outlawing crossover voting, with each effort dying somewhere in the legislative process. But each time it fails, this wrong-headed notion crops up again like a persistent case of herpes.”
In an open letter to GOP chair Frank Eathorne, columnist Rod Miller writes: “I’ll gladly dance on your coffee table and tell the world that you, Oral, don’t amount to a gnat on Bud Brimmer’s butt and you ain’t worthy to carry Jack Speight’s jockstrap.”
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Columnist Rod Miller decides to be a social media influencer like Alix Earle who was paid $70k last weekend just for strutting around Jackson looking cool. But first he had to get a full body wax…
Columnist Rod Miller writes: “If we believe that the family is the basic building block of our state, then families gathered around the table are our most effective legislature, our most solemn church. Here is where we teach our young the fundamental skills that life requires.”
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Columnist Rod Miller writes: Someone call John Wayne! Hordes of hippie celebrities from Hollywood, rainbow sodbusters from Sacramento, and beatnik bitcoin billionaires from Burbank are pouring across our unprotected square border to steal our rodeos.”
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Columnist Rod Miller writes: “His players revered Coach Young not only because he helped them win, but because he helped them become better men. Masculine virtue isn’t only winning, but also becoming better men, fathers and citizens. A proud dad could ask for no better influence on his jock son than that.”
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In reviewing former Wyoming Gov Dave Freudenthal’s new book, Rod Miller writes: “Pardon the mixed metaphors, but Freudenthal eloquently describes the kicking-the-can-down-the-road, all-eggs-in-one-basket corner into which we in Wyoming have painted ourselves.”
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Gloomy columnist Rod Miller writes: “Overcrowding breaks the equilibrium of social order, resulting in Darwinism where only the strongest survive. I think that’s what is happening in the world today.”
Columnists Cat Urbigkit and Rod Miller team up to discuss Wyoming’s 67th Legislature. Or as Cat puts it “It’s been too long since we’ve annoyed CSD readers with our insightful political punditry…”
Columnist Rod Miller writes: “It is doubly disturbing to read that Wyoming’s ‘home grown’ Freedom Caucus wants to closely identify with the D.C. version, and introduce that deconstructionist anarchy into our own legislature.”
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Columnist Rod Miller writes: “Bill Budd left his bootprints all over the dusty flanks of the state he and we all love. His passing on Jan. 2 is cause for us all to mourn, but also to celebrate a life lived in service to Wyoming.”
Columnist Rod Miller writes: “The kid could have worn stiletto heels and a bustier from Victoria’s Secret to the branding and not drawn more ridicule. But, like always, he worked like a demon and drank his share of beer.”
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Columnist Rod Miller writes: “Herschler hired me right off the ranch to work in his office in 1984. He interviewed me in the Cloud 9 Bar just a whisker before Happy Hour. There was likely a glass of Cabin Still & water in front of him…”
Columnist Rod “Santa Claus” Miller writes: “I’ve loved Christmas ever since I was a bundled up little kid, standing out in the windblown yard forty miles from town with snot frozen on my upper lip, listening for sleigh bells. Merry Christmas, y’all. Stay warm!”
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Columnist Rod Miller writes: “Take hate speech, for instance. It is not the words that are doing the hating, the words are just symbols for human thought or emotion. Doing away with the words will do nothing to get rid of hate.”
Columnist Rod Miller writes: “Regardless of how many MAGA memes you’ve seen with Trump portrayed as some flag-draped, screaming eagle uber-patriot, the man places himself above the Constitution and isn’t afraid to say so.”
Columnist Rod Miller writes: “Folks are starting to see through Trump’s bullshit. The crowd is starting to realize that the emperor is buck naked, and it ain’t a pretty sight.”
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Columnist Rod Miller writes: “If your party needs two hundred-thousand votes to win a statewide office, but only fifty-thousand of your fellow Wyomingites buy into your message enough to cast their votes your way, then don’t blame the voters. Blame your message.”
Columnist Rod Miller writes: “I’ll go out on a limb here and say that Thanksgiving is NOT the favorite holiday of Neo-theocrats and Bible-thumpers, like those religious zealots in the Wyoming Republican Party.”
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Columnist Rod Miller writes: “I have had to put down good horses that were injured beyond a vets ability to treat. I hated doing it, but it needed to be done out of compassion – and yes, love – for a suffering horse.”
Columnist Rod Miller writes: Where does Frank ‘Briefly Oral’ Eathorne get the gall to lecture us on the sanctity of marriage? He just went through a messy divorce because of his serial infidelities.”
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Columnist Rod Miller writes: “The remains of Butterfly Isaaksen, a climate activist from Copenhagen, were found today near Fishing Bridge where she had apparently super-glued her hands to a badger.”
Columnist Rod Miller writes: “We all love going to the circus, but we want to wake up in our own beds next morning. I think this is the point Liz Cheney made when she said that the humiliation of the ‘Red Wave’ was a victory for Team Normal.”
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Columnist Rod Miller writes: “Until the party of Herschler, Sullivan and Freudenthal can once again appeal to the center in Wyoming, then the hyphen D behind a candidate’s name will remain the kiss of death.”
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Columnist Rod Miller writes: “Invariably there are two or three tempting offers from folks I don’t know in Burkina Faso or the Ivory Coast who want to make a very rich man of me.”
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Columnist Rod Miller writes: “The Left wants to use the classroom to turn out rainbow unicorns. The Right wants to convert the classroom into a public catechism.”
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Columnist Rod Miller writes: “Today’s GOP has turned its back on the voters of Wyoming as evidenced by its refusal to support Ogden Driskill, the clear winner of the primary in Senate District 1.”
Columnist Rod Miller writes: “I read Bob Budd’s ‘Otters Dance’ as a cautionary tale, warning us against human hubris in the face of a natural world that we often try, and just as often fail, to control.”
Columnist Rod Miller writes: “My old coal-fired, steam-driven flip phone died the other day. This is the unit I got to replace the phone that a horse named Woody tried to eat, and drowned it in horse slobber.”
Columnist Rod Miller writes: “If hateful speech offends you, then express yourself. Stop being a silent majority.”
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Columnist Rod Miller writes: “Rep. Lauren Boebert, Colorado’s lap dancer turned Congresswoman, wants the United States to be a ‘Christian nation.’ Sixty-one percent of her fellow Republicans agree with her.”
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Columnist Rod Miller writes: “My dad, Frank Miller, was posthumously inducted into the Wyoming Cowboy Hall of Fame on Saturday in Cheyenne. My bro, Dr. Mark “Segundo” Miller and I agree that he was the best cowboy we ever saw or even heard about, and the best man we ever knew.”
Columnist Rod Miller writes: “My roommate and bodyguard Good Dog Henry and I have a strategic alliance whereby I keep his food dish full, and he lets me know when someone is at the door.”
Columnist Rod Miller writes: “Until science came along with its pesky questions and demand for proof, myth had a monopoly on the human mind.”
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Columnist Rod Miller writes: “If McPhee has evidence from the archaeological record that horses never left, he should present it. If not, he should confine himself to telling fairy tales to the kids around the campfire.”
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Columnist Rod Miller writes: “We need to see the feral horses in Wyoming for exactly what they are, an introduced invasive species that we imported ourselves. And we need to manage them accordingly.”
Columnist Rod Miller writes: “Near as I can calculate, this is my 100th column for Cowboy State Daily. And its published on my 72nd birthday. When I played football for the Rawlins Outlaws, my jersey number was 72. The numerology boggles the mind!”
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Cody, Wyoming’s Luke Bell was a neon comet lighting up a honky-tonk sky who burned out too early, but showered us with rhinestones in his passing.
Columnist Rod Miller writes: “All the State of Wyoming needs from any political party is a slate of candidates for the general election. The state’s involvement with partisan organizations should begin and end there.”
Columnist Rod Miller writes: “Wyoming lost a card-carrying, sold out, fire-breathing First Amendment zealot the other day with the untimely passing of Jim Angell.”
In discussing the Wyoming Republican primary, columnists Rod Miller & Cat Urbigkit say there wasn’t a “Red Tsunami,” Wyoming’s GOP has a far larger tent that Frank Eathorne would prefer, and how the Dorr brothers had an awful election night.
Columnist Rod Miller discusses his debate with Wyoming political podcaster David Iverson or as he calls him a “redneck’s William F. Buckley.”
Columnist Rod Miller writes: “If you are a drugstore candidate and you lose your primary, the path has been laid out for you by everyone involved in the Big Lie, from Trump on down through the ranks. Here’s what you do…”
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Columnist Rod Miller writes: “Sad news from County Six as Rose’s Lariat has closed, because an auto parts store wants their space for parking. For the uninitiated, Rose’s Lariat in Rawlins has served the best Mexican food north of the Nueces River for fifty years or so.”
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Cowboy State Daily columnists Rod Miller and Cat Urbigkit have teamed up to do a joint column to discuss Wyoming politics!
Columnist Rod Miller writes: “It is entirely within the realm of possibility that, regardless of the outcome of the primary between Cheney and Trump’s anointed turquoise handmaiden, Cheney will run for president in 2024 and win without carrying her home state.”
Columnist Rod Miller writes: “Self-styled “patriots” (small p) or vandals have recently defaced the campaign signs of Rep. Albert Sommers. Since these juvies obviously have no clue what they’re doing, here follow a few helpful hints for them…”
Columnist Rod Miller writes: “My dog Henry is mimicking the behavior of one of our GOP candidates for Secretary of State who has raised barking at non-existent election fraud to an art form. Good Dog Henry is channeling Chuck Gray!”
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Columnist Rod Miller writes: “Do we really want to trust the keys to the Secretary of State’s office to a Sasquatch-believin’ My Pillow Guy surrogate?”
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Columnist Rod Miller writes: “When the U.S. Supreme Court punted on abortion in its recent Roe decision, and dished this hot potato to the states, the ball landed squarely in Wyoming’s hands. And that’s exactly where Wyomingites should want it.”
Columnist Rod Miller writes: “If Wyoming’s Silent Majority comes down on the side of Oral Eathorne’s MAGA carnival, then we can expect a future in which Romeo Bouchard is appointed Superintendent of the State School for Wayward Girls, and the Wyoming Supreme Court is replaced by the Park County Men’s Full Gospel Gun & Glee Club…”
If Wyoming PBS is incapable of sponsoring a PUBLIC debate because it fears the public, then it should yield to field to an entity that has the courage and the will to get the job done.
Columnist Rod Miller writes: “Pardon my French but I’m pissed off. Wyoming PBS announced that the U.S. House debate will be closed to public. If the candidates decided to exclude the public from their debate because of personal or political fear, they are not worthy of the legacy of our Founders.”
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Columnist Rod Miller writes: “But read the scriptures – whether the Bible, the Koran, the Upanishads or whichever holy book blows your skirt up – and you’ll find that our little experience as carbon-based units here on Earth has a ‘use by’ date. Pick your apocalypse. It is written.”
Columnist Rod Miller outlines 7 points in his updated living will including: “Before any dirt is tossed on top of my faithful meat suit, I want to hear the Grateful Dead’s ‘Ripple’ and Bob Marleys ‘Redemption Song’ played loud enough to wake the dead.”
Columnist Rod Miller writes: “I see that a hometown knucklehead got some national ink by being busted with the Patriot Front in Idaho. These stalwart patriots (small p) were crammed into a U-Haul trailer as they were on their way to disrupt a Pride parade…”
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Columnist Rod Miller writes: “If you want to understand why the state you love in changing around you, don’t blame the library for carrying books that describe people diddling. Blame your doctor or dentist for purveying Real Estate Porn.”
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Columnist Rod Miller writes: “The BLM just purchased 35,000 acres of private land near Casper. They did two things with this purchase: They increased the amount of recreational access to the North Platte and they proved the best tool for unlocking land is the good ol’ American dollar.”
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Columnist Rod Miller writes: “I don’t think that Trump’s Jello-Wrestln’, Monster Truck- Pullin’, Brandon- Chantin’ extravaganza made Liz Cheney lose much sleep.”
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Columnist Rod Miller writes: “We tried thoughts and prayers and kids keep dying in school. Let’s try something else. Lets try a well-regulated militia for once.”
When you play for high stakes at the Big Table, the chips get a lot heavier and the competition a lot less friendly. Frank Eathorne, the Ayatollah and Chief Cleric of the Wyoming Republican Party is learning that painful lesson very publicly.
Columnist Rod Miller writes: “Rex Rammell, a self-described ‘constitutional conservative’ should spend a bit more time reading the constitution of the state that he wants to govern. It wouldn’t hurt him a bit to browse through Wyoming’s Act of Admission to the Union, either.”
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Columnist Rod Miller writes: “Let’s look at the court’s decision from another angle. According to that legal reasoning, airspace above private property is public. And if drones are hovering over your backyard while your wife and daughter sunbathe, or they peek into your windows at night with infrared cameras, there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Columnist Rod Miller writes: No longer should the State of Wyoming have any statutory relationship with any political party within its borders. The business of the State of Wyoming is NOT the business of political parties! And vice versa.”
Rod Miller writes: “President Biden just announced his own cadre of comic book superheroes. sent into harm’s way to keep our village safe. Biden calls this new arm of Homeland Security the Disinformation Governance Board. Orwell called it the Ministry of Truth.”
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Columnist Rod Miller writes: I am sick and tired (and I hope you are, too) of reading headlines about who in his party Frank Eathorne considers a RINO. With so much serious work remaining undone, that just makes the GOP look like blithering idiots.
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Columnist Rod Miller writes: “Instead of marketing Yellowstone as some sort of benign, Eden-like fantasy land, we should be honest and say that its one of the few places left on earth where we are not on top of the food chain. I’m convinced that we’ll attract a better, smarter bunch of visitors with that approach.”
Columnist Rod Miller writes: “The following minutes are provided by one of my operatives, disguised as an arms dealer, who secretly and at great risk wore a wire to a recent meeting at an undisclosed location – probably a garden shed behind a member’s mom’s house.”
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Columnist Rod Miller writes: “While we argue over whether the buffalo should face left or right on our state flag, or about how many of the stars on Old Glory represent communist sympathizer states, we often forget how many other flags have flown over Wyoming.”
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Columnist Rod Miller writes on Gov. Gordon’s first term: “First he had to deal with the pandemic and then the goofball wing of zealots in his own political party who were very publicly going batshit crazy.”
Columnist Rod Miller writes: “There are the whispers when two women are seen holding hands, or the ‘wrong’ book shows up on the library shelf, or the ‘wrong’ candidate gets elected….whispers like ‘this used to be such a good place’ and ‘our Wyoming values are changing.'”
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Columnist Rod Miller writes: Until ‘Romeo’ Bouchard, ‘Boondock’ James, ‘Third Rib’ McKeown and the rest of that noisy, ill- mannered crew can behave themselves and act like adults, they need to be relegated to the kids’ table where they can throw food and pitch hissy-fits at each other ‘til the cows come home…”
Columnist Rod Miller writes: “One Outlaw, before he joined his team in celebration, trotted over to the stricken Bearcat and knelt by him, He put his arm over his fallen opponent and leaned down to whisper encouragement to him. He taught us all a lesson.”
Columnist Rod Miller writes: By attacking David Iverson, a voice that should be its greatest ally, WyGO comes off like blithering idiots. When they go after his sponsors, they jump out of the closet as Wyoming’s queen of cancel culture.”
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Columnist Rod Miller writes: “When the Wyoming Senate voted the other day to strip Sen. Anthony ‘Romeo’ Bouchard of his committee assignment, the vote wasn’t close at all. In political terms, it was a landslide.”
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Columnist Rod Miller writes: “The rumor around the ol’ campfire is that we’re fixin’ to get a visitor! Word has it that Oath Keepin’ Frank Eathorne, titular head of the Wyoming Republican Party, has announced that ex-president Donald Trump will grace the Cowboy State with his presence.”
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Columnist Rod Miller writes: “If the Ukrainians are able to repel Putin’s invasion and save their country through armed resistance, they will do more for our Second Amendment rights than the U.S. Supreme Court, Romeo Bouchard, and Wyoming Gun Owners could ever hope to do.”
Columnist Rod Miller writes: “It is clear that Senator James is very fortunate indeed to have escaped with his life. Violent savagery like Driskill’s shock and awe attack simply take the breath away!”
Columnist Rod Miller writes: “House Bill 93 would have provided tools for Wyoming to compete in the film industry against other western states. We have no room to whine about money left on the table that someone else scoops up.”
Columnist Rod Miller writes: “All 3 candidates the GOP picked could fulfill the duties of superintendent if the goal was snake-handlin’, book burnin’, marksmanship, and castin’ out demons.”
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Columnist Rod Miller writes: “Eathorne’s credentials as a secessionist were recently bolstered when leaked documents revealed that he is a member of the Oath Keepers, the paramilitary organization whose leaders were just indicted for their role in inciting that attack on our capitol on January 6.”
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Columnist Rod Miller writes: “January 6 was the Feast of the Jackasses when the cornerstone of our republic, every citizen’s right to self-determination through voting, was attacked by a horde of non-carpenters just because their guy lost an election.”
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Representative Liz Cheney has inherited Nate Champion’s role as a cowboy standing in the breach, halting the advance of invaders whose orthodoxy is that of political road rage fueled by the toxicity of Trumpism.
