Hats Off To Ryan Zinke

The fundraising efforts of politicians running for national office are fast, furious and wide-ranging. It's almost impossible to commit the time necessary to check into the backgrounds of all but the biggest donors to find out where the money is coming from. $500 wouldn't even register on the radar of most national candidates worried about their image.

It is in that light we should view the $500 received last year by the campaign of at-large U.S. Representative Ryan Zinke (R) Montana (during his election run) from the leader of a white supremacist group cited by alleged Charleston killer Dylann Roof. Zinke is an unquestioned American Hero who served with distinction and was awarded two Bronze Stars for combat and four Meritorious Service Medals as a Navy Seal. Keep in mind that I am a liberal who didn't vote for Zinke... I'm not just blowing smoke.

To his credit, as soon as Zinke learned of the donation from the hate group, he made the decision to the money to a fund set up for the families of the victims of the Charleston shooting.

Politicians don't always do what's right but in this instance Congressman Zinke got it right and didn't have to be pushed in the right direction. Now if Mr. Zinke would urge Republicans in the state of South Carolina to vote to remove the Confederate Battle Flag (a hurtful racist symbol) from any vestiges of state government there then he'd really hit it out of the park... and he wouldn't hurt himself politically here in his home state... just sayin'.