Happy Valentine’s Day! Welcome to another exciting edition of “Caught My Eye” and, for those of you heading to a three-day weekend, be good!

In case you are a first-time visitor, “Caught My Eye” is posted right here every Friday morning! This is when I take a quick look at some of the stories I did not have time to write about during the week. I often throw in a touch of sarcasm just to make you smile – or to irritate you just a little.

Today I write about American Crossroads & Walsh, REAL ID & Daines, Lt. Governor Angela McLean, Senate Committee Assignments, KBGF (NBC) Great Falls, 24/7 DUI Program, plus we have a winner who is Making Montana Proud!

American Crossroads & Walsh:

Just as U.S. Senator John Walsh was finishing up his first day as Montana’s newest senator, American Crossroads hit the Montana airwaves with a negative ad about him.

They plan on spending $138,000 in Montana to run the ad.

Having American Crossroads come out against him may be good news for Walsh. In the 2012 elections, American Crossroads mostly failed to defeat any candidates they opposed, although they spent about 104 million dollars. By the way, that amount includes about $1.8 million they spent opposing Jon Tester who beat their man, Denny Rehberg.

Walsh has an ad up of his own.

In my opinion, it’s pretty disgraceful for American Crossroads to attack a veteran. It would be nice for Senate candidate Steve Daines to come against the groups who attack Walsh over his service to our country – that is if Daines cares for veterans as much as he leads us to believe.

REAL ID & Daines:

The Associated Press is reporting that U.S. Rep. Steve Daines “plans to introduce legislation that would strike the portion of a 2005 anti-terrorism law that sets national standards for driver’s licenses and identification cards.”

This is a waste of time for Daines, but it did get him and Montana Attorney General Tim Fox a few minutes of publicity. I have no problems with a national standard for driver’s licenses and ID cards – just as I have had no problem with the Patriot Act. Freedom isn’t free.

During the Daines and Fox press conference about REAL ID, did anyone notice they resembled Lloyd Christmas (Jim Carrey) and Harry Dunne (Jeff Daniels) from the movie, “Dumb & Dumber?” Compare THIS to THIS.

Lt. Governor Angela McLean:

While I am disappointed that Governor Steve Bullock did not select a veteran to serve as his Lt. Governor, Angela McLean seems like a very nice person who will bring a different dynamic to the office.

We do need more veterans serving in state-wide offices in Montana.

The good news is since Lt. Governor McLean was a teacher, the job of Lt. Governor will be a lot like summer vacation compared to the teaching job.

Senate Committee Assignments:

Anytime there’s a change in the U.S Senate, committee assignments change because of seniority. To me it’s kind of like waiting to see where your team will be playing during March madness!

Senator Jon Tester is now “Chairman” Tester. He heads the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. This is great news for Native Americans in Montana – and hopefully his clout helps the Little Shell tribe obtain federal recognition.

Senator John Walsh received his committee assignments. He will serve on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, Commerce, Science and Transportation, Rules and Administration, and Special Committee on Aging.

While I had hoped Walsh would get a coveted seat on Armed Services, these four committees are important to Montana.

KBGF (NBC) Great Falls:

The Great Falls Tribune has contacted officials at Beartooth NBC about the low-power NBC station in Great Falls and the “lower-resolution analog picture” it provides. I applaud the Tribune for checking into the problem. It’s really bad – the picture freezes for a few seconds, goes black, and the resolution is very poor quality.

I also contacted Beartooth NBC via e-mail in August just before the NFL season started to find out when they planned to upgrade. I received notice that my e-mail was received and then forwarded to someone named Thomas Giammaria. I then received notice that it had been forwarded to someone named Jim Meir. It was never answered. That was in August.

These days I only watch NFL Sunday Night Football and sometimes Saturday Night Live on NBC. I did try to watch about an hour of NBC’s Olympic coverage – by the way Bob Costas’ eye problem can’t really be detected too easily on the low-power station.

I can’t believe anyone would pay to advertise on KBGF in Great Falls.

The folks at Beartooth NBC should upgrade the station so it provides a digital signal or get out of the business altogether.

24/7 DUI Program:

If you’ve read many of the columns on this website, then you know I have a very negative opinion about many Montana judges.

That opinion continues. Now we have another Montana judge who is acting like a moron from the bench.

District Judge James Wheelis from the Libby area recently ruled Montana’s 24/7 DUI program is unconstitutional. The Associated Press reported, “Under the 24/7 program, people charged with a second or subsequent drunken driving offense can be ordered to pay for periodic breath tests or an alcohol monitoring bracelet.”

Luckily the judge’s ruling only applies to Lincoln County.

Hopefully the State Supreme court will slap the judge’s ruling down quickly – and during his next election, maybe the folks in the Lincoln County area will elect someone besides James Wheelis.

Making Montana Proud:

This section is where I mention people or groups whose actions embarrass Montana in some way.

-From the Billings Gazette: “Prosecutors filed charges Wednesday accusing state Sen. Jason Priest of throwing his 4-year-old daughter, shoving his estranged wife and breaking her boyfriend’s rib and then struggling with an officer who intervened in the incident. Priest, 45, faces a charge of felony assault on a minor and misdemeanor counts of partner or family member assault, assault and resisting arrest.”

On their website, the Gazette hyperlinked the story to the words “Throwing daughter” which probably increased web traffic considerably.

Although Priest is innocent until proven guilty, that $1500 bond hardly seems enough, but that’s Montana judges for you.

Ironically, Priest serves as Chairman of the State Senate’s Public Health, Welfare and Safety Committee…

One More Thing:

Don’t forget to stretch…

## END ##

Welcome to “Thursday Numbers!”

If you are a first-time visitor, “Thursday Numbers” is the column where I take a look at the numbers that are in the news (in descending order) and provide commentary (sometimes spiked with a little sarcasm).

This week I write about the Mega Millions jackpot, Taylor Swift, food stamps, Great Falls Public Schools, Obamacare, Uranus, John Lewis, Montana Democrats, unemployment, Montana Republicans, Obama’s approval rating, Bush’s approval rating, “FunnyOrDie,” flood warnings, veterans & suicide, Congressional job approval, Gov. Steve Bullock and his documents, and much more!

353,000,000

That’s the Mega Millions jackpot for Friday night ($353 million).

Your chances of winning are better if you play…

40,000,000

Taylor Swift made almost $40 million last year.

That’s slightly more than this blog made from the ads…

2,000,000

According to Montana Governor Steve Bullock’s office, “he has taken action to prevent over $2 million in cuts to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP) [food stamps] benefits for more than 2,000 low-income Montana families. The cuts would have happened as a result of the new federal Farm Bill.”

It’s good to take care of those less fortunate…

1,600,000

That’s the amount ($1.6 million) the Great Falls (MT) Public School district is asking for in their levy request. There will be a vote on May 6.

I hope it is approved, and I will support it. Unfortunately, there are some folks who are very vocal and are against public schools and children no matter what.

600,000

That’s how much ($600 thousand) that was stolen from Pastor Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church over the weekend.

I was somewhat amazed at how much the church received in just one weekend…

315,000

That’s how many people filed new claims for unemployment last week, which was a decrease from the week before.

22,500

Through February, that’s how many Montanans have signed up for Obamacare. (Source)

I’m sure they don’t want to see it repealed…

1781

On this date in 1781, the planet Uranus was discovered by Sir William Herschel. (Source)

And then the jokes started…

1,100

I received a press release from the campaign of U.S. House candidate John Lewis (D-Mont.) saying he drove 1,100 miles last week on the campaign trail.

Let’s hope and pray that all candidates and their staff have safe journeys while campaigning across our great state…

350

That’s how many candidates have filed for office this year for “two federal seats, 125 state legislative offices, two Montana Supreme Court positions, two Public Service Commission spots and several district judgeships. (Source)

Best of luck to everyone in the race! Montana candidates – follow me on Twitter @TheWesternWord and I will follow you!

125

The Montana Democrats have candidates in 125 state legislative seats. (Source)

According to the great reporting of the Montana Cowgirl blog, some Democratic candidates may be Tea Party members.

41

The latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll shows President Barack Obama has an approval rating of 41% – his worst in history. In comparison, George W. Bush’s second-term average was 37%. Bush’s lowest approval rating was 25%.

I thought I would add a little perspective since this is an independent blog…

40

The Healthcare.gov website’s traffic increased 40% after President Obama did a “FunnyOrDie” interview with Zach Galiafinakis.

I thought it was funny; I did not want to die…

40

The Montana Republican Party has 40 races that will have primaries. (Source)

There are several primary contests on the Republican side which has incumbents being challenged probably because some challengers don’t think the incumbents are “pure” enough.

30

Montana has 30 counties under flood warnings. (Source)

Speaking of floods, the movie “Noah” opens on March 28…

25

The Montana Democratic Party has 25 races that have primaries. (Source)

22

An estimated 22 veterans commit suicide each day in the United States according to a report just released by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

We must do more to help veterans.

15

According to Gallup polling, “With the 2014 midterms now eight months away, 15% of Americans approve of the overall job Congress is doing. This is slightly better than last month’s 12%, but extends a nearly steady string of sub-20% approval ratings for Congress that started in mid-2011.”

If you are serving in Congress, don’t pop the champagne cork just yet. You’re not that good…

12

The Associated Press reported this week that “Documents released Tuesday indicate Gov. Steve Bullock was planning to replace departing U.S. Sen. Max Baucus with former Lt. Gov. John Walsh at least 12 days before the governor announced the appointment in February.”

I think Republicans, the media, and some Democrats are making something out of nothing regarding this appointment. If Montanans don’t like the process, then change it. Contact your legislator.

As for all the e-mails released from the Governor’s office about this appointment issue, I think we can all agree that the staff Governor Bullock has in place is not ready for primetime.

## END ##

True friends stab you in the front. -Oscar Wilde

I think it was President Harry Truman who once said, “You want a friend in Washington? Get a dog.” The same thing could be said for 2014 party politics here in Montana.

Great Falls Tribune Capital Bureau reporter John S. Adams wrote a story for Tuesday’s paper with the headline, “Democratic Party breaks from tradition by backing a candidate in the U.S. Senate primary race.”

It was really not a surprise to me that the Montana Democrats backed John Walsh – he was about the only big name Democrat who did not turn down the chance to run. Besides, most people believe that after everyone else declined, the wheels were set in motion by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and President Barack Obama, to get rid of Max Baucus and give John Walsh at least a fighting chance against probable Republican nominee Steve Daines. This was done by having Baucus step down to be an Ambassador to whatever country needed one at the time, and for Governor Steve Bullock to select Walsh to fill the remainder of Baucus’ term. Democrats are under great pressure to keep control of the U.S. Senate.

But former Republican now Democrat John Bohlinger would not go down without a fight. He went ahead and filed as a Democrat for U.S. Senate. He recently took the gloves off in an opinion piece writing that, after he refused to step aside, “it has been a long, cold winter in politics, in which I learned the dark side of power and money in politics.”

Speaking of a man with no party, poor Bohlinger was condemned by the Montana Republicans a few years ago for being a running mate with their archenemy, Brian Schweitzer. Back in 2007, Bohlinger was not even allowed to purchase tickets to the GOP’s banquet at their annual convention because they disliked him so much. Meanwhile, Team Schweitzer/Bohlinger racked up two easy wins and ran the state for eight years.

I guess the Montana Democrats have forgotten those wonderful eight years…

The Montana Democrats cranked the machine up another notch or two on Tuesday afternoon with a press release that contained the headline, “Daines, Bohlinger Advanced Government Restrictions on Women’s Health Care.”

This is just a guess, but I don’t think they are lumping Daines and Bohlinger together to save ink.

While the press release is geared about 95% toward Daines and his views on healthcare issues for women, it shows a new angle for the Montana Democrats. It also shows that John Bohlinger is making some waves and causing some concerns in the Montana Democratic Party.

I like both Walsh and Bohlinger – they are both veterans who served their country. They understand a little more than other candidates what service and sacrifice means. It’s too bad it has come to this.

A few leaders in the Montana Democratic Party must be wishing they had a “do-over” on this whole appointment deal. It’s become a mess. Meanwhile, the Montana Republicans are cheering on the mess which is taking the light off their mess between the moderate Republicans and the conservative Republicans.

Somebody like Brian Schweitzer needs to step in and get control of the mess.  He should bring his dog…

## END ##

Thanks for stopping by for “Caught My Eye!”

If you are a first-time visitor, “Caught My Eye” is posted right here every Friday morning! This is when I take a quick look at some of the stories I did not have time to write about during the week. I often throw in a touch of sarcasm to make you smile – or to irritate you just a little.

Everyone and everything is fair game!

Today I write about Col. Robert Stanley, the Air Force’s “Bloody Thursday,” Shrimp Peel, Powder River Training Complex, National Monuments, Zombie Apocalypse, plus I have declared TWO winners who are Making Montana Proud!

Colonel Robert Stanley:

On Thursday afternoon, KRTV (CBS) in Great Falls (MT) broke the story about Col. Robert Stanley, the commander of the 341st Missile Wing at Malmstrom Air Force Base, resigning and announcing his retirement. Soon the news spread around the world.

Stanley penned a resignation letter that KRTV quoted from in which he talked about the wing and mission being “tarnished” and added, “Had just one solitary Airman spoken up for integrity, our leadership team would have been able to take action immediately.”

While that line might be good for a farewell letter, leaders like Stanley can also play a significant part in “one solitary Airman” feeling like their leaders will have their back if they do step forward to report cheating. Apparently those Airmen did not trust their chain of command of which Stanley was in charge.

After a thorough investigation the Air Force realized that lack of leadership and fired a bunch of people, including Stanley.

Back in August 2013 after Malmstrom had failed a Nuclear Surety Inspection and Col. Robert Stanley had relieved Col. David Lynch, Security Forces Commander, of duty, I wrote:

Col. Stanley is the commander of a nuclear missile wing that just failed a Nuclear Surety Inspection. That news spread around the world quickly and brought shame to the Wing, to the Air Force, and to the Department of Defense. Stanley’s name is forever attached to the failure. His career took a hit. Stanley’s superiors must have “full confidence” in his leadership ability as well.

That was before the alleged cheating scandal involving 92 missile officers, and before the blast door of their launch control center being left open was made public. In January word came down that Stanley was in line for promotion to Brigadier General. I stated very plainly that he should not be promoted – and he won’t.

Air Force’s “Bloody Thursday”

Back in January when the scandal with cheating in the Air Force was hitting the news, I wrote:

The Air Force needs to completely clean house in the 341st Operations Group at Malmstrom and its three missile squadrons (10th, 12th, and 490th) and bring in new leaders – I’m talking about the O-4 (Majors) up to and including the O-6 (Colonels) who have apparently failed to properly lead those they command and supervise.

In what Associated Press reporter Robert Burns called, “Bloody Thursday” the AP reported Thursday afternoon that the Air Force had basically done just that:

Nine key commanders below Stanley were fired, including the commanders of the 341st Wing’s three missile squadrons, each of which is responsible for 50 Minuteman three nuclear missiles.

Also sacked were the commander and deputy commander of the 341st Operations Group, which oversees all three missile squadrons as well as a helicopter unit and a support squadron responsible for administering monthly proficiency tests to Malmstrom’s launch crews and evaluating their performance.

It’s a new day in the Air Force. Besides doing their daily jobs of protecting our nation, members of the Air Force will need to work at rebuilding the trust of the American people.

Please, Not the Shrimp Peel:

The Montana Cowgirl Blog broke the story about the Republican fight in Teton County writing, “Choteau Republicans have indefinitely postponed their annual Shrimp Peel fundraiser due to party infighting over legislative primaries, but local TEA Party wing of the party has hijacked the event for its own.”

They’ve even paid for competing ads in the local papers.

I’ve filled my belly a few times at the Shrimp Peel over the years and even spoken a couple of times at the event. It’s too bad that it has come to this. Don’t they realize they are driving people away with these silly games of who is most conservative?

With news that the Shrimp Peel is postponed or cancelled, one has to wonder if anything is sacred in the Montana Republican Party these days.

Powder River Training Complex:

Montana’s two U.S. Senators (Jon Tester and John Walsh) are whining about the process being used by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to gather comments about the expansion of the Powder River Training Complex. The senators say the process is “making it difficult for Montanans to respond” with comments about the proposed expansion. So they asked for a three-month extension – which is nothing more than a delay tactic.

Give me a break. Montana’s delegation has shown over the past few years that Montana’s skies are basically closed to the military and other missions that might use Montana’s airspace. Shame on them.

They will probably get the extension, but it’s really nothing more than delaying the inevitable.

National Monuments:

The U.S. House passed H.R. 1459, the Ensuring Public Involvement in the Creation of National Monuments Act, by a 222-201 margin. It probably won’t pass the Senate and for sure President Obama won’t sign it, so it is dead just like so many bills that pass the House.

The National Monuments issue has been around for a long time, and I think there’s a simple fix. We do need to protect some places because once they are gone, that’s it.

In a perfect world, the President should at least get approval from the congressional delegation and the Governor of the state to name some area in their state a National Monument. It would be great if the state legislature and county commissioners had a say, too.

After writing that last paragraph, I think I hear that John Lennon song “Imagine” with the lyrics, “You may say I’m a dreamer…”

Making Montana Proud:

This section is where I mention people or groups whose actions embarrass Montana in some way.

-From the Montana Standard (Butte): “Darwin James Bailey is accused of breaking into a home on Washington Street and ordering three porn movies on pay-per-view.”

But he did more than just watch porn! He is also charged with stealing “collectible coins, which included a set featuring Princess Diana and Prince Charles. He also is accused of taking about 20 DVDs from the home, including seven seasons of ‘Smallville.’”

I thought it was pretty brave for someone to come forward and say they actually owned seven seasons of “Smallville.”

-From the Great Falls Tribune: “Since 2006, area residents have racked up $739,911 in unpaid parking tickets. But statutes limit the city to the last three years for collections, and that tab was $109,657.50 two weeks ago.”

I applaud the Tribune for publishing the names of the offenders and their plans to do more of it in the future, but it’s too bad that the city of Great Falls was not more aggressive in getting the fines paid. If the fines listed above are correct, the city missed out on collecting about $630,000 in fines because of the statute of limitations. The city could have taken out an advertisement in the paper and probably recouped the cost of it with what they collected.

This whole parking ticket mess would have made great television on the former “Parking Wars” show…

Zombie Apocalypse:

When the Governor of Montana tweets about the Zombie Apocalypse, it has to get a mention here at The Western Word. Maybe Governor Bullock is letting us see that he does actually have a sense of humor.

Let’s get serious. Montana came in as 6th most likely to survive a Zombie Apocalypse with Alaska and Wyoming coming in first and second, followed by Colorado, Idaho, and New Mexico.

Here’s what the writers of the Zombie Apocalypse article said about Montana:

The state’s residents previously prepared to face the zombie apocalypse, but that was because pranksters hacked into a TV station’s EAS and broadcasted a message that the zombie apocalypse had begun. Had that not been a test, those zombies would have experienced the full wrath of Montana’s arsenal because that state is heavily armed.

Montana’s Congressional Delegation could help the state’s standing if they brought more military personnel into the state. The first thing the writers of the article looked at was how many active duty military personnel were in the state:

Active Military Personnel: States with more soldiers per capita means states with more people who are physically fit, trained to fight, and have access to weapons.

Montana also ranked high in survival skills and veterans categories, but pretty low in laser tag and last in the martial arts category.

Ironically, there wasn’t a category for generations – like if you were a third, fourth, or fifth – generation Montanan, or if you were a native.

One More Thing:

Don’t forget to stretch…

## END  ##

Welcome to “Thursday Numbers” – the spring break edition! Let’s be careful out there!

If you are a first-time visitor, “Thursday Numbers” is the column where I take a look at the numbers that are in the news (in descending order) and provide commentary (sometimes spiked with a little sarcasm).

This week I write about Michael Bloomberg, Matt Rosendale, Steve Daines, John Walsh, Ryan Zinke, federal employees, unemployment, Hustler magazine, Reince Priebus, al Qaeda, Glamour’s Sexiest Men, Ford Mustang, Tea Party rallies, NBA playoffs, C-130 cargo planes, Steve Bullock, and much more!

50,000,000

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is investing $50 million “to launch a new gun control organization that he hopes can rival the National Rifle Association.”

Maybe I’m going out on a limb here, but I don’t think Bloomberg’s gun control plan will play well in Montana – in fact his plan will probably get shot down like a drone over Matt Rosendale’s ranch…

38,000,000

That’s how many gallons of water (38 million) will be drained from a reservoir near Portland, Oregon, because a 19-year-old was caught on videotape urinating in it.

Maybe they should make him take a swim…

1,200,000

Congressman Steve Daines raised $1.2 million during the first three months of this year for his U.S. Senate campaign. Overall he has raised $3.6 million since the beginning of 2013, and he has about $2.2 million in the bank. (Source)

Respectable fundraising, but not outstanding…

946,000

U.S. Senator John Walsh raised $946,000 during the first three months of this year for his senate campaign. Overall he has raised $1.53 million since he became a candidate in October. Walsh has about $700,000 in the bank. (Source)

Walsh has done pretty well in fundraising considering he started raising money nearly nine months later than Daines. They will both have enough money to get their messages out.

460,260

According to a press release from the Ryan Zinke for Congress campaign, he “raised a total of $460,260 in the first quarter of 2014 (January 1 to March 31) more than all other Republican candidates combined. Additionally his cash on hand, $423,774, is also more than all other Republican candidates combined.”

The GOP primary for U.S. House is shaping up to be a good one.

304,000

That’s the number of new claims for unemployment filed last week, which was an increase from the week before. (Source)

200,000

There are over 15,000 federal employees who make at least $200,000 per year. (Source)

535

That’s how many members of Congress there are, and copies of Hustler magazine are delivered to each of their offices every month, courtesy of Larry Flynt. He’s been sending them for 30 years.

The free perks in congressional offices are endless…

226

Reince Priebus, Chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC), sent me an e-mail with the subject, “We are suing the IRS” in which he wrote, “Over 226 days ago, we filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the IRS to uncover the truth, but they are illegally stonewalling our legal requests for information.”

Have fun with that…

100

According to CNN, “A new video shows what looks like the largest and most dangerous gathering of al Qaeda in years. And the CIA and the Pentagon either didn’t know about it or couldn’t get a drone there in time to strike.” Experts estimate over 100 al Qaeda members attended the meeting in Yemen.

I guess we still need a little work on our intelligence gathering…

60

That’s the percentage of men who made Glamour’s Sexiest Men list who have some facial hair.

Although I did not make Glamour’s list this year, I have facial hair!

50

Happy 50th Anniversary to the Ford Mustang. (Source)

The greatest chase scene in a movie that used a Ford Mustang was in the 1968 movie “Bullitt” with Steve McQueen. Watch it HERE.

45

That’s approximately the number of people who attended the Big Sky Tea Party Association rally Tuesday at the capitol in Helena, Montana. (Source)

Don Pogreba over at the Intelligent Discontent blog managed to get an “exclusive photo” of the rally. See it HERE.

43

That’s how many years it’s been since “Two South Dakota girls on their way to an end-of-school-year party at a gravel pit in May 1971 drove off a country road and into a creek where their remains lay hidden until last fall when a drought brought their car into view, authorities said Tuesday.” (Source)

The waiting had to be so tough on the families – prayers for them.

40

That’s approximately the number of people who attended the Tea Party rally in Billings, Montana, on Tuesday. That’s “not counting political speakers, or the transients drawn to the big doings by the promise of a free sandwich” according to the Billings Gazette.

Wish I’d known about the free sandwiches…

16

That’s how many NBA teams will make the 2014 playoffs that will stretch well into June.

There are 30 teams, so your team is pretty bad if they did not make the playoffs.

8

Congressman Steve Daines and several other House members are concerned “that the Air Force has failed to adequately fund the modernization of the ANG C-130 fleet” so they wrote a letter to the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) leaders. (Source)

If the modernization is not adequately funded, that might hurt the Montana Air National Guard (MANG), which is scheduled to receive eight C-130H cargo planes. It’s looking more and more like the C-130H planes coming to MANG were taken off the back lot of a used car dealership…

6

That’s how many people were in an ad-hoc group that advised the state forester on which federal land should be nominated by Montana Governor Steve Bullock for priority restoration. Unfortunately, the process was not open to the public according to a report in the Great Falls Tribune.

I wonder what part of “open meeting” the governor’s folks don’t understand. The process should start over with open meetings that are publicized well ahead of time.

## END ##

Welcome to “Thursday Numbers” – thanks for stopping by!

If you are a first-time visitor, “Thursday Numbers” is the column where I take a look at the numbers that are in the news (in descending order) and provide commentary (sometimes spiked with a little sarcasm).

This week I write about Facebook, Apple iPhones, mill levy, Governor Steve Bullock, Mariah Carey, Great Falls visitor center, coffee pot problems, IRS, Presidential sushi, Chicago Cubs, Jodie Foster, Obama’s job approval rating, 2014 Senators Classic Committee, Icebreaker, Chelsea Elizabeth Manning, clemency, earthquake, Russian bombers, unemployment, and much more!

1,276,000,000

That’s how many (1.276 billion) monthly active users there are on Facebook. (Source)

Instead of watching soap operas, I read posts on Facebook…

43,700,000

Apple sold 43.7 million iPhones in the fiscal quarter two of 2014. They also sold 16.3 million iPads and 4.1 million Macs. (Source)

I’m a rebel; I use a Blackberry…

1,644,158

That’s the mill levy request for Great Falls (MT) Public Schools. More information about what it will be used for can be found HERE.

I will be supporting the levy. I urge other Great Falls residents to support our children, too.

329,000

That’s the number of new claims for unemployment filed last week which is an increase of 24,000 from the previous week. (Source)

Increases are not good…

145,000

The Governor of Montana and his wife made $145,000 last year and “paid just over $23,000 in state and federal income taxes.” (Source)

Is this a great country or what?

118,000

That’s how much it is costing singer Mariah Carey to book the first class section of a British Airways flight from New York to France for the Cannes Film Festival next month.

I think I’d just rent a jet…

60,000

According to the Great Falls Tribune, “The city of Great Falls operates the [visitor] center at a cost of more than $60,000 per year, and in its upcoming budget the city proposes not to spend any money on the center.”

I can think of some things/positions to cut so they can fund the visitor center…

5,001

That’s how much a jury ordered a man to pay to his former co-worker whose coffee pot he admitted to spiking with his own urine.

Now we have another thing to worry about…

2,200

This is post #2,200 here at The Western Word. Whoop, whoop!

A big thanks goes to all my readers! 

1,150

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) paid 1,150 employees bonuses although they owed back taxes. (Source)

Maybe they can locate them to make them pay…

300

President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe dined at a famous Tokyo sushi restaurant called Sukiyabashi Jiro, where multiple courses of sushi will run $300 per person.

I like sushi…

100

The Chicago Cubs celebrated 100 years of Wrigley Field on Wednesday. They invited several stars from the past, except Sammy Sosa.

51

Jodie Foster is 51 and she married her girlfriend Alexandra Hedison over the weekend. (Source)

Congrats – my favorite Foster movie is “Contact.”

42.4

According to Gallup, “President Barack Obama’s job approval rating averaged 42.4% during his 21st quarter in office, a slight improvement from 41.2% in the prior quarter, but still one of his lowest quarterly averages as president.”

In comparison, George W. Bush was 38.5% and Richard Nixon was 26.1% during the same time in their presidencies. Bill Clinton was 63.3%.

35

The 35th annual Icebreaker Road Race is this Sunday in Great Falls, Montana. More info can be found HERE.

35

Bradley Edward Manning, who is currently serving 35 years for leaking classified documents to WikiLeaks, has legally changed his name to Chelsea Elizabeth Manning.

Good luck with that…

19

There are 19 GOP candidates who are members of 2014 Senators Classic Committee. It includes Rep. Steve Daines who is running for U.S. Senate in Montana. It’s one of those joint fundraising committees, which can raise $96,200 per donor. This has come about since the U.S. Supreme Court’s McCutcheon decision.

Those on the left should not fret, they can do the same thing…

10

If you’ve been in federal prison for 10 years or longer and you’ve been a good prisoner, you should apply for clemency according to the Justice Department. (Source)

3.5

That was the magnitude of an earthquake near Lincoln, Montana. It happened Wednesday morning. (Source)

2

Two Russian bombers flew close to UK airspace and they were chased away by an RAF jet fighter. (Source)

Seems as though we’re back in the Cold War, and I thought I helped win that darn thing…

## END ##

Thanks for stopping by to read “Caught My Eye” – the last one for April, so buckle up!

If you are a first-time visitor, “Caught My Eye” is posted right here every Friday morning! This is when I take a quick look at some of the stories I did not have time to write about during the week. I often throw in a touch of sarcasm to make you smile – or to irritate you just a little.

Today I write about Barry Beach and Bullock, Lawrence VanDyke and the Supremes, Corey Stapleton telling us “Folks are Upset,” Cliven Bundy telling us “about the Negro,” and (sadly) about 40 veterans who died in Arizona.

Plus, we have a winner who is Making Montana Proud! Read on…

Barry Beach:

Apparently Montana Governor Steve Bullock woke up and decided he needed to do or say something about Barry Beach just before Beach’s clemency application is considered by the Montana Board of Pardons and Parole.

Somebody probably told him it could help him politically. Sadly, that is what his letter to the board was all about. Scoring political points is the norm these days. On a side note, when Bullock speaks does anyone else feel like they are hearing Forrest Gump?

Way back in April 2008, I was one of the first to write about Barry Beach. Back then I said Beach deserved a new trial. He certainly deserves clemency.

While Beach deserves to be released from prison, the Montana Attorney General’s office over the years deserves shame. Bullock, who was Montana Attorney General (AG), has been part of the problem, along with current AG Tim Fox, former AG Mike McGrath, all the way back to Marc Racicot.

Lawrence VanDyke:

VanDyke, who works for Montana Attorney General Tim Fox as the Montana solicitor general, is trying to run for a seat on the Montana Supreme Court against current Justice Mike Wheat. The key word there is “trying.”

VanDyke’s eligibility is being questioned. Some might question his judgment for wanting to be on the Montana Supreme Court, too.

According to the Associated Press:

The Montana Constitution says a candidate is eligible to run for the state Supreme Court if he has lived in the state for two years and was admitted to practice law in Montana at least five years prior to the election.
VanDyke was admitted to the Montana State Bar in 2005, but went on inactive status in 2007 to practice law outside the state. He was reinstated as an active member to become solicitor general in 2012.

The interesting part about all the fun and games with eligibility is that the club (Montana Supreme Court) to which Justice Mike Wheat belongs will get to ultimately make the decision about VanDyke’s eligibility. I bet it’s Wheat’s turn to buy the donuts…

I’m not a lawyer (and I don’t play one on TV), but I have watched a few episodes of Law and Order so that puts me on pretty equal footing with some in the business, so here is my prediction: VanDyke will be found ineligible to be a candidate for the Montana Supreme Court.

“Folks are Upset”

U.S. House candidate Corey Stapleton posted his “Folks are Upset” 30 second video last week. See it HERE. Stapleton talks about learning here (Montana) and at the Naval Academy that if you get knocked down you get up and fight back. He then talks about President Obama dismantling our country. He says that folks are upset and fed up with being lied to and tired of a government that keeps spending us into debt.

He closes with “I’m Corey Stapleton, fourth generation Montanan, Navy veteran, proud conservative, and I approved this message.”

Amazingly, Stapleton did not shoot a drone or even carry a weapon (unless it was concealed). The delivery was pretty good, but the hand gestures were a little odd. I don’t know where the video was filmed, but it looked a little like he was outside of a prison.

I give it a seven out of ten.

Cliven Bundy (Part II):

You’ve probably heard the saying “keep your powder dry” which basically means stay prepared and save your resources until they are needed.

There are several Republicans, Tea Party folks, and conservatives who wish they would have kept their powder dry in support of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy. Bundy is the rancher who had a stand-off with the government over his not paying grazing fees.

TheWire.com reported that Bundy is a “pro-slavery racist” after The New York Times ran a story about him with his thoughts “about the Negro.” Those remarks have several elected officials making a mad dash to get away from Bundy. National Journal reported, “Now that rancher Cliven Bundy is officially racist, Fox News isn’t too eager to even utter his name.” This is what Bundy said that caused the turmoil:

“And because they were basically on government subsidy, so now what do they do?” he asked. “They abort their young children, they put their young men in jail, because they never learned how to pick cotton. And I’ve often wondered, are they better off as slaves, picking cotton and having a family life and doing things, or are they better off under government subsidy? They didn’t get no more freedom. They got less freedom.”

I’ll bet a lot of Tweets were deleted and Facebook posts erased from elected officials after these remarks. Some responses to constituents who had contacted their elected officials had probably already gone out the door.

40 Veterans:

I found out through a press release from my friends at Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) that CNN reported this week:

At least 40 U.S. veterans died waiting for appointments at the Phoenix Veterans Affairs Health Care system, many of whom were placed on a secret waiting list. The secret list was part of an elaborate scheme designed by Veterans Affairs managers in Phoenix who were trying to hide that 1,400 to 1,600 sick veterans were forced to wait months to see a doctor.

It was also reported, “Internal e-mails obtained by CNN show that top management at the VA hospital in Arizona knew about the practice and even defended it.”

First, the “top management at the VA hospital in Arizona” should be fired. I urge my fellow veterans and veterans groups to demand this.

Second, every veteran in Arizona who is waiting for an appointment should be given access to civilian healthcare near their homes – for free.

Third, Congress must decide if spending money on leasing and purchasing buildings, hiring doctors and medical personnel, is better than sending veterans to civilian medical professionals close to home and covering their medical bills – and getting them the quality and timely care they deserve.

We would see fewer problems such as this if we had more veterans in Congress and more veterans running the VA.

Making Montana Proud:

This section is where I mention people or groups whose actions embarrass Montana in some way.

-From the Montana Standard in Butte: Barbara Allyn Guest, 51, was arrested for a probation violation when officers responded to a call about “an extremely intoxicated woman stumbling around Quartz Street with one shoe” and wearing “an ankle bracelet which is used to monitor alcohol consumption.”

I’m not an expert on ankle bracelets, but I don’t think this one was working properly…

Happy Birthday:

Actor Al Pacino turns 74 years old today. My favorite Pacino movies: Godfather, Scarface, Any Given Sunday.

What is your favorite Pacino movie?

Quote for the Week:

“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.” -Benjamin Franklin

One More Thing:

Don’t forget to stretch…

## END ##

Welcome to the first “Caught My Eye” of September.

If you are a first-time visitor, “Caught My Eye” is posted right here every Friday morning! This is when I take a look at some of the stories I did not have time to write about during the week. I often throw in a touch of sarcasm to make you smile – or to irritate you just a little – or both.

Today I write about the dam sale, Bullock, Beach & clemency, Bob & Maureen McDonnell, Congress returns, Joan Rivers, TWW on Facebook, plus we have a winner who is Making Montana Proud!

The Dam Sale:

Montana Public Service Commissioners (PSC) Kirk Bushman, Roger Koopman, Bill Gallagher, and Bob Lake voted to raise Montanans electricity bills yesterday when they “approved NorthWestern Energy’s proposed $870 million purchase of 11 hydroelectric dams.”

They are all Republicans.

According to Lee Newspapers:

The approval, however, comes at a price for those customers, who will see an estimated 5 percent electric rate increase this fall – and put those rates among the highest for among major utilities in the region. The average household customer’s bill will go up about $4.50 a month.

Commissioner Travis Kavulla, also a Republican, voted against the sale. Lee Newspapers reported that Kavulla said putting ratepayers on the hook for the full $870 million price gives NorthWestern a hefty guaranteed profit over many years, while consumers get only a promise of below-market rates in the distant future.

Thanks goes to Kavulla for looking out for Montanans.

Clemency:

According to the Associated Press, “Members of the Law and Justice Interim Committee adopted five bills to introduce during the 2015 legislative session, two of which would give the governor more control over the (Pardons and Parole) board.

Lee Newspapers reported, “The clemency bill, supported by advocates for freeing convicted murderer Barry Beach, would allow the governor to consider clemency requests from any state prisoner, regardless of the Parole Board’s recommendation.” Beach’s latest request in June was denied.

While Montana Governor Steve Bullock seems to have “supported” Beach’s request to “commute his 100-year sentence” we’ll see how he acts when an actual request is sitting on his desk.

It will probably depend more on the election calendar than anything.

The McDonnells:

The Hill reported that “former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) was found guilty Thursday of 11 corruption charges and his wife, Maureen, was found guilty of nine counts, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”

There were so many counts that the media covering the verdicts could not keep them straight.

According to this article, it all started with a dress. The most ironic part of the whole case is that authorities offered him a pretty sweet deal. The Washington Post reported, “authorities proposed that then-Gov. Robert F. McDonnell plead guilty to one felony fraud charge that had nothing to do with corruption in office and his wife would avoid charges altogether. The governor rejected the offer, the people with knowledge of the conversations said.”

Bob McDonnell was a “family values” type of politician…

Notice:

Congress is back in session next week after the August recess – so you have been warned! One article in National Journal put it this way: “Congress Returns to Doing Nothing.”

As I’ve written many times, it’s all about the next election in Washington.

Joan Rivers:

Joan Rivers died yesterday. She was 81. One of my favorite jokes from Rivers:

“I’ve had so much plastic surgery, when I die they will donate my body to Tupperware.”

Rest in Peace Joan Rivers.

Making Montana Proud:

This section is where I mention people or groups whose actions embarrass Montana in some way.

-From the Billings Gazette: Joseph Edward Newton, 49, who has “domestic violence convictions in Idaho and Montana is facing a fourth partner assault charge after he allegedly punched and slapped his girlfriend when she confronted him about having a drinking problem.”

I agree with his girlfriend – I think Joseph has a drinking problem.

Joseph Edward Newton is an embarrassment to Montana.

The Western Word on Facebook:

Just look over to the right and click “Like” on The Western Word on Facebook box. Or you can go to the actual page HERE.

I post information throughout the day on the Facebook page from the media, bloggers, and campaigns, so you if want to be in the know follow The Western Word on Facebook.

Tell your friends!

One More Thing:

If you drink, please use a designated driver.

## END ##

Thanks for dropping by The Western Word. Get prepared – your free dose of knowledge awaits!

“Thursday Numbers” is the weekly column where I take a look at the numbers that are in the news (in descending order) and provide commentary (sometimes spiked with sarcasm) just to make you smile, shake your head, or make you send me nasty e-mails or Tweets.

This week I write about education, brotherly love, weapons of mass destruction, tips, richest people, spookiest spots, control of the government, Kansas City Royals, St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula, ACLU of Montana, and much more!

37,000,000

That’s how much ($37 million) Gov. Steve Bullock wants to expand prekindergarten programs in Montana. (Source)

“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” – Benjamin Franklin

1,000,000

When they were kids, Eric Hale told his younger brother Quinn that if he ever won the lottery, he would split it with him. Eric won $1 million. (Source)

Brotherly love…

264,000

That’s how many new claims for unemployment were filed last week. (Source)

This is another decrease and great news!

5,000

The New York Times is reporting, “American troops secretly reported finding roughly 5,000 chemical warheads, shells or aviation bombs” in Iraq.

In other words, weapons of mass destruction did exist.

1,268

That’s the tip ($1,268) a pizza delivery driver received for delivering two pizzas that cost $12.50. (Source)

I accept tips (and donations) here at The Western Word…

236

All 236 episodes of “Friends” are coming to Netflix on January 1. (Source)

Let the binge-watching begin!

51

Here are the 51 spookiest spots you can visit across the United States. (Source)

50

Are you the richest person in your state? Find out who the richest person is in each of the 50 states HERE.

I failed to make the list again…

37

A new poll from Gallup found that “30% say it is better to have a one-party government, 28% say a divided government is better, and the highest percentage, 37%, say it makes no difference.” (Source)

People realize that our government is pretty screwed up no matter which party is in control.

8

The Kansas City Royals are the first team to start a postseason with eight straight wins. (Source)

They are heading to the World Series!

4

There are four hospitals in the United States “with special isolation units designed to contain biohazards like Ebola.” One of those hospitals is St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula. (Source)

Hello Missoula…

4

According to a story in the Great Falls Tribune, “The ACLU of Montana on Wednesday filed a motion in U.S. District Court in Great Falls asking Judge Brian Morris to rule in favor of four same sex couples who sued the state to overturn Montana’s constitutional ban on gay marriage.” (Source)

The ban on gay marriage is slowly going away across the USA…

## END ##

There are only FOUR days until Election Day 2014!

By the way, that is a really scary mask you have on today – HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

If you are a first-time visitor, “Caught My Eye” is posted right here every Friday morning! This is when I take a look at some of the stories I did not have time to write about during the week. I often throw in a touch of sarcasm to make you smile – or to irritate you just a little – or maybe both.

Today I write about election night coverage, Walsh & Plagiarism & NRSC, Absentee Ballots, Daines & fundraising, Ryan Zinke’s records, Student’s Mock Election, Battle for the U.S. Senate, plus I have a winner who is Making Montana Proud!

TWW Election Night Coverage:

The Western Word (TWW) will have all hands on deck for election night. I will be up most of the night following the races and providing independent updates (and these updates will be posted mostly before anyone else).

So, here is what you need to do: You need to follow me on Twitter @TheWesternWord for updates. If you don’t have Twitter, go to my website TheWesternWord.com and follow the Twitter feed on the right side of the screen (Hit refresh every few minutes).

Finally, make sure to buckle your seatbelts Tuesday night around 8:00 p.m. Montana time.

Walsh & Plagiarism & NRSC:

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) executive director Rob Collins claims the NRSC “was the source behind the story that forced Montana Sen. John Walsh to drop out as a result of plagiarism at the U.S. Army War College.”

This is a good time to release this information to show the donors who have donated to the NRSC what their money pays for, and to maybe get some more donors to come on board in the last few days of the campaign.

Collins says researcher Mark McLaughlin found the paper that Walsh had written in 2007, and it caught his attention partly because it was “a very, very pro-Bush ‘neocon’ thesis.” So he checked it for plagiarism and soon after he probably did a happy dance. The NRSC gave it to the New York Times and the rest is history.

In THIS BOOK I write about opposition research, and I list a numbers of things that candidates should ask themselves or people looking for candidates should ask the candidates before getting into a political race.

I’ve done a lot of opposition research and the variety of items I’ve found has helped my candidate to score some points. I have files of information on most public officials, staffers, and others (because you just never know).

If you’ve read this blog much you know that I can’t stand the NRSC – some of their staff (at least they used to be) are snot-nosed rich kids who work there because their parents are rich donors. You’ve probably read here that I’ve said the NRSC normally screws up elections instead of winning them. They have not won a senate race in Montana in 14 years.

But, here’s a compliment – the catch made by McLaughlin on Walsh’s paper at the War College was great work, and I salute him for it.

The Montana Democrats and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) should have found it first, but really current Governor Steve Bullock and his people should have found it even before them because Walsh was his Lt. Governor. How about the Montana Republican Party? That info would have been a jewel to release during that really close governor’s race between Bullock and Rick Hill. People must be wondering, what else is out there on Montana candidates!

One thing for sure, people learned a lot from McLaughlin’s work…

MT Absentee Ballots:

According to the Associated Press on Thursday “Montana election officials have received completed absentee ballots from nearly 64 percent of the voters who received them.” That’s 155,533 ballots out of the 243,495 ballot sent.

Scale Back?

On Thursday, the campaign of senate candidate Steve Daines (R) sent a fundraising e-mail saying “We’ve got to raise $27,500 by Sunday night to fully fund our get-out-the-vote plan for this weekend. I don’t want to scale back – not even one bit – and jeopardize our chances of victory.”

I do receive fundraising e-mails from team Daines, but not press releases.

It’s a sprint to the finish and I’m thinking that $27k should be enough to buy pizza for the volunteers, booze and food for the election night party, and bonuses for the campaign staffers…

A Done Issue?

The campaign of U.S. House candidate Ryan Zinke (R) was quick to use comments from a local political science professor in a press release regarding Zinke’s military records release.

Dr. David Parker, who is moonlighting or volunteering or something as “a political analyst for MTN” and getting more than his 15 minutes of fame told viewers, “I have heard the drum beat on these records from way back in the primary, and I didn’t seem [Sic] anything there, so I think for all intents and purposes, it’s a done issue.”

Even with the esteemed Dr. Parker on my television, the media coverage of the 2014 election gets about a “C” in my book.

I wonder why Zinke waited so long to release the records, which as far as I can tell had only one small blemish. I wonder who advised him not to release the records – and if they still work for him.

Zinke has probably taken more of a beating from those who call themselves Republicans than Democrats. It will be interesting to see how many votes the Libertarian gets in this race.

2014 Student Mock Election for Montana:

Don’t forget to check out the website that has the results from the student vote in Montana HERE.

Battle for the U.S. Senate:

There are about nine races that will decide which party controls the U.S. Senate. Those races are in the following states: Alaska, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and North Carolina.

I won’t be surprised if the Democrats lose the majority. It may be decided on Tuesday night (although some states may need a runoff election). Overall, most of the changes after the GOP takes control of the senate will take place in Washington as the chairs of the committees will change and committee staff will change over.

The gridlock will still be there. Daines or Curtis will be near the bottom in seniority.

Click on a handy map of the senate races HERE. After looking at it, click on the section marked “Senate No Toss Ups” or click HERE.

I am still hoping for a Mitch McConnell loss, a Pat Roberts win, and a Mark Begich loss.

Making Montana Proud:

This section is where I mention people or groups whose actions embarrass Montana in some way.

-From television station KRTV in Great Falls: Kasey Michelle Thorne, age 29, of Billings “has been charged with a felony offense after her 9-year-old daughter called 911 to report she woke up in the middle of the night and found her mother was gone.” The mother was charged with felony criminal endangerment and misdemeanor DUI.

It was also reported that there were three other children ages 7, 4, and 1 at home. One other child, a 2-month-old, was with her mother.

Kasey Michelle Thorne is an embarrassment to Montana.

One More Thing:

Don’t forget to Vote!

## END ##

Congratulations – You made it to Friday and to another exciting edition of “Caught My Eye!”

If you are a first-time visitor, “Caught My Eye” is posted right here every Friday morning! This is when I take a look at some of the stories I did not have time to write about during the week. Sometimes I throw in a touch of sarcasm to make you smile – or to irritate you just a little – or maybe both.

Today I write about Bullock and Tester, Planned Parenthood, Chemtrails, Max Baucus, Little People, plus we have a group that is Making Montana Proud!

Democratic Leadership:

Montana Governor Steve Bullock was recently elected chair of the Democratic Governors Association. A few weeks ago, U.S. Senator Jon Tester was elected chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. That’s pretty good clout in the political world from one state. I think even Vice President Joe Biden would say this is a big %^&$ deal!

The Democrats suffered severe losses in 2014. Now it’s up to Bullock and Tester to right the ship. The Montana Republican Party took notice of Bullock’s new position with a couple of press releases HERE and HERE.

Walsh Farewell Speech:

U.S. Senator John Walsh gave his farewell speech this week in the U.S. Senate. You can see it HERE. It would be an understatement to say this has been a tough year for Walsh, and most of us would probably not have handled it as well as he. Walsh admitted his mistakes and now he is moving on.

One thing for sure, veterans and military personnel are losing a strong advocate in the senate.

Thank you for your service, Senator Walsh.

Planned Parenthood:

The Associated Press reported this week “Montana’s political practices commissioner has ruled that Planned Parenthood violated campaign law.”

I don’t see how this can happen. The Commissioner leans to the left and he was appointed by a Democrat (Governor Steve Bullock). Planned Parenthood is a left-leaning organization.

Holy Cow…

Making Montana Proud:

This section is where I mention people or groups whose actions embarrass Montana in some way.

-From the Montana House Leadership: The Republicans have the majority in the Montana House of Representatives and their one page “dress code” for the upcoming legislative session is being ridiculed across the country, especially item #3, “WOMEN SHOULD BE SENSITIVE TO SKIRT LENGTHS AND NECKLINES.”

The Montana House Leadership is an embarrassment to Montana.  

Chemtrails:

Dr. Ed Berry over at the PolyMontana website devotes about 1,700 words to Chemtrails. You can read it HERE. Enjoy!

The truth is out there…

Max Baucus:

Ambassador Max Baucus turned 73 yesterday (Dec. 11).

Little People:

This week Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis called Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel “a midget.” The Bengals play the Browns this week.

Lewis apologized for his remarks, but that did not keep a Cleveland television station from sending a little person to Lewis’ midweek press conference for an interview.  Watch it HERE.

By the way, Manziel is six feet tall.

One More Thing:

Nobody gets out alive…

## END ##

And just like that it’s Thursday – and your weekly dose of knowledge awaits!

In case you are a first-time visitor, “Thursday Numbers” is the weekly column where I take a look at the numbers that are in the news (in descending order) and provide commentary (sometimes spiked with sarcasm) just to make you smile, shake your head, or make you send me nasty e-mails or Tweets.

This week I write about the national debt, the Bullock campaign, female lawmakers, veterans in Congress, Elvis, Montana Legislature, John Thune, unemployment, independent voters, coldest cities, John Boehner, Sarah Laszloffy, Charlie Hebdo, baseball Hall of Fame, and much more.

18,082,480,907,100

Since this is the first “Thursday Numbers” of 2015, and we’re starting a new year and a new congress, with the Republicans in control of the U.S. House and Senate, I think it is fitting to list the U.S. National Debt. As of this morning it was over $18 trillion. (Source)

That’s about $56,000 per citizen. Ouch.

320,000

Governor Steve Bullock’s (D) campaign has raised $320,000 and has about $273,000 in the bank. (Source)

Who will run against Bullock?

294,000

That’s how many new claims for unemployment were filed last week. (Source)

104

That’s how many female lawmakers will be serving in the 114th Congress. There are 535 members of Congress. (Source)

This is a record, but more women are needed.

98

There are 98 members of the 114th Congress who have served in the military. (Source)

We need more veterans in Congress.

80

According to the Washington Post, “the new Congress is 80 percent white, 80 percent male and 92 percent Christian.” (Source)

80

Elvis Presley was born 80 years ago today in Tupelo, Mississippi. (Jan. 8, 1935)

64

The 64th Montana Legislature convened on Monday. (Source)

Many people head to Helena with the best intentions, but for some reason they end up drinking out of a “stupid fountain” that must be somewhere down a dark hall in the capitol. Many of these people end up making asses of themselves and embarrass Montana.

Wait and see…

54

U.S. Senator John Thune of South Dakota turned 54 yesterday. Happy birthday, Senator!

Thune is my favorite GOP Senator…

43

According to Gallup, “An average 43% of Americans identified politically as independents in 2014, establishing a new high in Gallup telephone poll trends back to 1988.” (Source)

Gallup also found that “In terms of national identification with the two major parties, Democrats continued to hold a modest edge over Republicans, 30% to 26%.”

Since independents are the majority, shouldn’t it be easier for independents to run for public office in places like Montana? Maybe the legislature will get right on that…

25

Here is the list of the 25 Coldest Cities in America!

Congrats to Great Falls, Montana, for making the list. Great Falls probably has the worst snow removal of all those cities…

24

John Boehner, R-Ohio, was elected Speaker of the House with 216 votes, although 24 Republicans voted for someone else while one voted present. According to one report, “it was the largest rebellion by a party against its incumbent speaker since the Civil War.”

I have never been overly impressed with Boehner’s leadership or his tan…

23

Montana State Rep. Sarah Laszloffy (R) is the 23-year-old chairwoman of the House Education Committee. According to a story in the Great Falls Tribune, Laszloffy received her education “from home schooling and private schools.”

While Rep. Laszloffy might be a great person with a bright future in politics, I don’t think being chairwoman of the House Education Committee is the best fit for her.

12

That’s how many people were killed in a terrorist attack at the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo which is in Paris, France. (Source)

My prayers for those killed, their friends and family.

5

According to Reuters, “A Florida man is accused of bringing his 5-month-old son to a home burglary attempt, during which he set the baby down so that he could pull a knife on the homeowner.”

Sometimes you can’t fix stupid…

4

There will be four new members of the Baseball Hall of Fame (HOF). (Source)

Roger Clemens should be in the HOF. So should Pete Rose. There are others who belong there, too. The Baseball Writers’ Association of America (these are the people who vote for the players) are a joke.

## END ##

In case you missed the political news over the weekend, on Saturday the Montana Republican State Central Committee voted to join a lawsuit that would prevent voters who are not registered Republicans from voting in a Republican primary.

The vote was 83 for joining the lawsuit and 43 against joining the lawsuit.

According to the Associated Press (AP), the lawsuit “asks a federal judge to strike down as unconstitutional Montana laws allowing any registered voter to participate in any party primary.”

The AP also reported, “Many Republicans said at the meeting closed primaries are needed because people not in their party have been voting in their primaries and influencing election outcomes for years.”

Those 83 people who voted to join the lawsuit are paranoid. They remind me of the new DirecTV commercial with the “Overly Paranoid Rob Lowe.” See it HERE.

As a moderate and independent voter, if I am required to register, I won’t be registering as Republican. I’ve voted for Republicans and I’ve voted for Democrats. I also worked for a Republican (U.S. Sen. Conrad Burns) for about 12 years.

I am also a taxpayer who is helping to pay for these primary elections – elections in which I may not be able to participate.

As for “people not in their party have been voting in their primaries and influencing election outcomes for years” the Montana Republicans seem to be doing just fine. The Republicans control the Montana State House 59-41. The Republicans control the Montana State Senate 29-21. The Republicans have complete control of the Montana Public Service Commission (PSC) 5-0. The Republicans control two-thirds of the Federal delegation (Sen. Daines, Rep. Zinke). They also have a Republican as Attorney General.

It seems the current system is serving them well, but the paranoid extremists seem to be determined to take over the Republican Party.

The big tent that is talked about in Republican circles was zipped up and closed a little more on Saturday by a group of 83 extremists who voted to join the lawsuit. They see moderate and independent voters in Montana, not as possible supporters, but as an enemy who is too impure for inclusion.

## END ##

It’s Thursday – and that means your weekly dose of knowledge awaits!

In case you are a first-time visitor, “Thursday Numbers” is the weekly column where I take a look at the numbers that are in the news (in descending order) and provide commentary (sometimes spiked with sarcasm) just to make you smile, shake your head, or make you send me nasty e-mails or Tweets.

This week I write about Samsung & Blackberry, Montana infrastructure, Obamacare, Starbucks, Mitt Romney, Hillary Clinton, Jeb Bush, Judge Kenneth Neill, unemployment, Denver Broncos & John Fox, Super Bowl, Forrest Gump, Ann Curry, must-follow Twitter accounts, job approval, Paul “Bear” Bryant, Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, and the most important problem facing the country!

7,500,000,000

Reuters is reporting Samsung Electronics Co Ltd recently approached BlackBerry Ltd about buying the company for as much as $7.5 billion.

I have a Blackberry Z-10 – and it’s a great smartphone. Yes, I am pretty cool….

391,200,000

That’s the cost of an infrastructure plan ($391.2 million) proposed by Montana Governor Steve Bullock, who is a Democrat. (Source)

Although it’s just a plan, it will be interesting to watch this bill make its way through the Republican-controlled legislature.

316,000

That’s how many people filed new claims for unemployment last week, which was an increase of 19,000 from the previous week. (Source)

45,278

Through last Friday, that is how many Montanans have signed up for health insurance (Obamacare) during this enrollment period. According to Lee Newspapers, “That’s about three times the amount by this time last year and more than the signups through the entire 2014 enrollment period.”

This is a good thing. Hopefully the Republicans and Democrats will work together to make the program better for all Americans.

1967

On this date in 1967, the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League defeated the Kansas City Chiefs of the American Football League 35-10 in the first Super Bowl.

The halftime show for the first Super Bowl was the Universities of Arizona and Michigan Bands. (Source)

192

It is 192 miles from Circle, Montana, to the nearest Starbucks which makes it the farthest place from a Starbucks in the United States. (Source)

I could not determine which Starbucks is 192 miles from Circle…

67

That is the age of possible Presidential candidate Mitt Romney. (Source)

If he runs again, that means we get to talk and write more about his car elevator, strapping the dog to the top of the car, the 47%, and on and on…

67

That is the age of possible Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (Source)

Will it be Hillary or bust for the Democrats in 2016?

61

That is the age of possible Presidential candidate Jeb Bush. (Source)

I don’t know if Jeb Bush has the fire in his belly to run for President. He seems even more rigid than his brother.

52

Anthony Mason of CBS News reported Wednesday via Twitter that “52% US stations now selling gas below $2.” (Source)

Is this a great country or what? Road trip…

50

State District Court Judge Kenneth Neill sentenced Ernest Frank Miller, 22, “to 50 years without any time suspended for firing multiple rounds at police officers during a standoff near Sunnyside Elementary School in May.” (Source)

Maybe Judge Neill is finally getting tough on crime…

46

Former Denver Broncos head coach John Fox had a 46-18 record with the Broncos. He was 3-3 in the playoffs with the Broncos. (Source)

John Elway just went all-in. As a life-long Chiefs fan I hope he falls flat on his face.

44

In the movie “Forrest Gump” Forrest wore #44 for the Alabama Crimson Tide football team. (Source)

It never hurts to have a Forrest Gump reference…

25

Ann Curry is leaving NBC News after 25 years. (Source)

Congrats goes to Ann on her new job. Shame on NBC for the way they treated her in regard to the Today Show. Jerks.

17

The Billings Gazette has published 17 “must follow” Twitter accounts for the Montana Legislative session. See the “must follow” Twitter accounts HERE.

When I grow up, I want my Twitter account (@TheWesternWord) published in the Billings Gazette. This should be on everyone’s bucket list…

16

According to a new poll from Gallup, “Early into the first session of the new 114th Congress, Americans give the legislative body a 16% job approval rating — matching the December reading of the famously unpopular and divided Congress that preceded it.”

The new Republican majority will turn that frown upside down…turn that frown upside down… (sing with me)…

5

Former Alabama head football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant has five national championships (1961, 1964, 1965, 1978, and 1979). Bryant’s record was 323-85-17 and his winning percentage was .780. (Source)

Many think Bryant was probably the best football coach in the history of major college football.

4

Alabama coach Nick Saban has a winning percentage of .748 as a college football head coach. His record in college is 177-59-1. Saban has won four national championships (one at LSU and three at Alabama). (Source)

3

Ohio State coach Urban Meyer has a winning percentage of .844 as a head coach. His record is 141–26. Meyer has won three national championships (two at Florida and one at Ohio State). (Source)

Urban Meyer may win several more, as he is only 50.

1

When Gallup Polling asked what the most important problem facing the country was, the number one thing was dissatisfaction with the government, followed by the economy in general. (Source)

I don’t see the leaders in Washington changing this anytime soon because it’s all about the next election…

## END ##

It’s Thursday and the Super Bowl is this Sunday – is this a great country or what?

Notice: Some of today’s numbers may enable you to seem knowledgeable about the Super Bowl at your Super Bowl party.

In case you’re new around here, “Thursday Numbers” is the weekly column where I take a look at the numbers that are in the news (in descending order) and provide commentary and sometimes sarcasm.

This week I write about all things Super Bowl (winners, pay, MVPs, most wins & loses, players), TracFone, Apple’s money, State of the State speech, the most popular & hated NFL teams, marijuana, unemployment, Friendship Nine, and much more!

40,000,000

That’s how much ($40 million) TracFone Wireless will pay “to settle government claims that it misled millions of smartphone customers with promises of unlimited data service.” (Source)

265,000

That’s how many new claims for unemployment were filed last week. This is a decrease from the week before. (Source)

That’s good news!

50,000

Yahoo! Sports reports, “Using an astounding array of analytics, the Predictalator on PredictionMachine.com ran 50,000 simulations of Super Bowl XLIX. And 57.5 percent of the time in its simulations, the Seattle Seahawks beat the New England Patriots.”

As for the final score, it was 24-20 Seahawks.

15,000

That’s how much ($15,000) the winner (Green Bay) of Super Bowl I was awarded. The losing team (Kansas City) received $7,500. Last year’s winners received $88,000 and the losers $44,000. (Source)

556

According to USA Today Money, “Apple has so much dough, it could afford to pay every man, woman and child in the U.S. $556. Each.”

Hello Apple! If only our government was run this well…

74

That’s how much women working full-time make (74 cents) for every $1 made by men for performing the same job in Montana. This information was shared by Montana Governor Steve Bullock in his State of the State speech last night. (Source)

This needs to change…

74

That’s how much (74%) the legal marijuana business grew in 2014. (Source)

It should be legal in all states…

54

According to Public Policy Polling, the Green Bay Packers hold the title of most popular NFL team with 54% viewing them favorably. The Dallas Cowboys are the country’s most hated team for the fourth straight year. (Source)

51

According to Lee Newspapers, Montana Governor Steve Bullock’s State of the State address last night “was interrupted 51 times by applause.” (Source)

According to my Twitter feed, the Democrats loved the speech and the Republicans hated it.  Amazing! 

26

If you are picking a Super Bowl MVP, then it’s good to know that quarterbacks have been named Super Bowl MVP the most (26 times). Running backs have been named MVP seven times. (Source)

9

According to CNN, “A South Carolina judge on Wednesday threw out the convictions of the Friendship Nine, who were jailed in 1961 after a sit-in protest in Rock Hill, South Carolina, during the civil rights movement.”  (Source)

This is a very good thing.

8

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been to eight Super Bowls, winning six of them. (Source)

6

On Sunday Patriots QB Tom Brady will join Mike Lodish as the only players to play in six Super Bowls (Source)

5

Charles Haley (San Francisco, XXIII-XXIV; Dallas, XXVII-XXVIII, XXX) has played on five Super Bowl winning teams. (Source)

4.2

That is Montana’s unemployment rate (4.2%). (Source)

4

The Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills have both played in four Super Bowls and lost all four. (Source)

I wonder if they sing “Row, row, row your boat gently down the loser stream.” 

## END ##

Congratulations – it’s Friday and there are only two days left in January!

If you are a first-time visitor, “Caught My Eye” is posted right here every Friday morning! This is when I take a look at some of the stories I did not have time to write about during the week. Sometimes I throw in a touch of sarcasm to make you smile – or to irritate you just a little – or maybe both.

Today I write about the Keystone XL pipeline bill, Tester/Daines & amendments, Montana Democrats & PACs & Zinke, State of the State speech & the Montana Republicans, Montana VA & Tester, shame on the Great Falls Tribune, Montana’s best political reporters, Marshawn Lynch, plus there’s a Super Bowl poll!

Reminder: Everything and everyone is fair game. Grab your coffee and buckle up…

Amendments to Keystone:

According to Congress.gov there were about 247 amendments to the Keystone XL Pipeline bill in the senate. It looks like about 41 amendments received a vote; few passed. The Keystone XL bill passed the senate 62-36 Thursday afternoon. The bill now must be reconciled with the version the House passed.

I don’t believe that the big amendment supported by Montana’s U.S. Senators, Jon Tester and Steve Daines, even saw the light of day. It was an amendment that would prohibit the Air Force from occupying low-level airspace over a crucial onramp for Bakken oil in Baker, Montana. Basically, it was another Hail Mary against the expansion of the Powder River Training Complex.  I imagined a lot of senators just laughed at the absurdity in it.

Although their ridiculous amendment did not get a vote, once again Tester and Daines have shown the world that they would like Montana’s skies closed to military and aerospace companies and, more importantly, they are showing a lack of support for our brave military men and women.

From the Desk of…

I’ll admit the Montana Democrats got me. Boom! For a few seconds, I thought THIS EMAIL with the subject “HIRING ALERT!” and with the header, “From the Desk of Congressman Ryan Zinke” was actually from Ryan Zinke, and that he was advertising for a job opening.

It was the first point that kind of gave it away-

Applicants must:
-Be willing to coordinate directly with my campaign.

By the last two points, I was laughing out loud:
-Spend most of the PAC money on my next election.
-Funnel money into my family’s “consulting” firm.

The Montana Democrats don’t seem too happy that Congressman Ryan Zinke started a Political Action Committee (PAC), although PACs are about as common as noses in Washington. Other pure and clean Montana politicians had/have them: Max Baucus had one, Jon Tester has one, and Steve Daines has one.

Zinke’s PAC called SEAL PAC is set up to support veterans running for office, but the veterans have to be Republicans.

I have considered starting a PAC to support veterans (seriously), but my PAC would be for all veterans running for elective office regardless of political leanings. The money would spend the same.

State of the State Speech:

Here in Montana we recently had the “State of the State speech” by Governor Steve Bullock who is a Democrat. The Montana Legislature (House and Senate) is controlled by the Republicans.

Fun times.

I did not watch the speech live, but did watch it later. I also read it. Governor Bullock did OK. The big thing to remember is that what stops the boys/girls in the legislature from running wild is Bullock. What stops Bullock from running wild are the boys/girls in the legislature.

I kind of like the tradeoff. Montanans are all safer this way.

The Montana Republican Party did call Bullock “Governor Hypocrite” in their press release, which seemed a little harsh.

Pro-Tip: I use words such as “clowns” and the “Three Stooges” to describe elected officials (from both parties). Full Disclosure: Since the legislature started, I have had the yearning to use the word “dipsh**” a few times…

Montana VA Director:

I enjoyed reading the press release from U.S. Senator Jon Tester about the Montana Veterans Affairs being without a director. The first line made me chuckle, “After eight months without a permanent VA Montana director, Senator Jon Tester has some harsh words for the VA.”

The good senator should realize they want insiders to be in these positions and not someone who would make waves and hold them accountable.

Someone I know applied for several jobs with the VA a few years ago. These were the GS-11-13 level jobs, but they were told confidentially by a VA employee from within the organization that because this person held their feet to the fire as a congressional staffer, they would probably never get a second look from those who do the hiring within the Montana VA.

The Montana VA will get their director – and you can bet it will be someone who won’t make waves and someone who does not expect 100%.

The Montana VA should follow what Malmstrom AFB did during the cheating scandal – and that is to get rid of most of the higher level managers and bring in new blood.

Montana’s Best Political Reporters:

Four members of the Montana media made “The Fix’s 2015 list of best state political reporters.” Congratulations. Those making the list are:

John S. Adams – Great Falls Tribune
Lisa Baumann – Associated Press
Mike Dennison & Chuck Johnson – Lee Newspapers.

I voted for Adams. He needs to write more.

It is worth mentioning that no Montana radio or television political reporters made the list.

Great Falls Tribune:

Shame on the Great Falls Tribune newspaper (and Publisher Jim Strauss) who decided to publish the name of the 14-year-old boy who was accused of the attempted kidnapping of a teacher at North Middle School.

It was such a cheap move that I won’t even link to the story. Shame on local television station KRTV for following the Tribune like sheep.

The act the child is accused of was terrible, and my thoughts and prayers go to the teacher as well as the staff at North Middle School. My thoughts and prayers also go with the child and his family, who now have the added burden of everyone piling on because the Tribune needs to drive traffic to their website and sell papers.

I don’t believe children under 16 should have their names published in the newspapers and on television for crimes of which they are accused. There should be some decency from the local newspaper and television stations. Professionalism would help, too.

This is a small town in Montana, not New York or Los Angeles or even Denver.

Marshawn Lynch:

I wrote about Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch this week, and his decision to not speak to the media.  He basically gave fans, the NFL, and the media the middle finger.

Lynch spoke a little more at his final press availability yesterday. You can read it HERE.

After hearing Lynch speak, the following quote which has been credited to Abraham Lincoln, Mark Twain, and others came to mind:

“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.”

One More Thing:

Take the poll – Who do you want to win the Super Bowl?

## END ##

It’s Thursday. Friday is in our headlights so hang on…

In case you’re new around here, “Thursday Numbers” is the weekly column where I take a look at the numbers that are in the news (in descending order) and provide commentary sometimes sprinkled with sarcasm. Everyone and everything is fair game.

This week I write about the Super Bowl, Ronald Read, unemployment, Obamacare, major Montana newspapers & Twitter followers, concealed weapons on college campuses, Stress in America, Bullock fundraiser, Republican & Democratic-leaning states, Anti-Bully Law, Grammy Awards, rock songs, Montana judges, the NFL & Marshawn Lynch, and much more!

114,400,000

That’s how many people (114.4 million) watched Super Bowl XLIX making it the most-watched show in U.S. TV history. (Source)

I watched the game again on Tuesday, and Seahawks coach Pete Carroll called that same pass play again…

6,000,000

Ronald Read was a former gas station employee and janitor. He recently died at age 92. He left $6 million to his local library and hospital. His attorney said he was so frugal that when he visited her office he would park far away so he wouldn’t have to put money in a parking meter. (Source)

278,000

That’s how many people filed new claims for unemployment last week. (Source)

This is an increase from last week’s report, but still below 300k.

48,000

There are more than 48,000 Montanans who have signed up for health insurance through the online marketplace. (Source)

This is a good thing. If Republicans want to repeal Obamacare, they need to have something in place to help those who have it.

16,100

That’s how many followers the Missoulian newspaper has on Twitter. (@missoulian)

That’s pretty impressive…

11,991

That’s how many followers the Billings Gazette newspaper has on Twitter. (@billingsgazette)

The Missoulian is kicking the Gazette’s butt on Twitter. Billings is Montana’s largest city.

7,970

That’s how many followers the Bozeman Daily Chronicle newspaper has on Twitter. (@bozchron)

It’s very surprising that the Chronicle, being a college town, is so far behind the Missoulian. The Chronicle is one of the last places I go for news.

5,138

That’s how many followers the Great Falls Tribune newspaper has on Twitter. (@GFTribune)

Although the Tribune has mastered outing 14-year-old children, it does not appear that they have mastered journalism/social media 101…

It’s amazing with all the free advertising that the Gazette, Chronicle, and the Tribune have, that they don’t have more followers on Twitter.

143

The Associated Press reported that the Montana state senate “narrowly endorsed” Senate Bill 143 which “would allow people to carry concealed weapons on college campuses in Montana.” The vote was 25-24.

Dumb. Very dumb.

72

The American Psychological Association’s “Stress in America” survey results for 2014, released this week, shows that 72 percent of adults report feeling stressed about money at least some of the time, and 22 percent say that they experience extreme stress about money. (Source)

50.5

According to a new poll from Gallup, 50.5% of Montanans lean Republican and 32.8% lean Democratic. Wyoming and Utah are the most Republican-leaning states and Massachusetts and Maryland are the most Democratic leaning. (Source)

50

That’s the minimum suggested contribution ($50) to Friends of Steve Bullock campaign for an event in Great Falls tonight. If you want to give more, you can be a Sponsor for $300, a Co-Host for $650, or a Patron for $1,300.

Right now I don’t see any Republicans being able to beat Bullock, except maybe Steve Daines. Daines has run for several offices already, so who knows what he will do. 

49

This headline was pretty embarrassing: “Montana Ponders Joining 49 Other States With Anti-Bully Law.” (Source)

Montana’s Legislature is horrible. It’s a circus with clowns performing daily. Ponder that…

20

With the Grammy Awards coming up this Sunday, here are (courtesy of Rolling Stone) the “20 Most Awesomely Retro Moments in Grammy History.”

15

According to Yahoo! Music, here are the “15 most downloaded rock songs of all time.”

I’m pretty cool; I have a few of them.

10

50-year-old Gale Spottedbear of Great Falls “has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for threatening a police officer and his pregnant wife after being arrested for a drunken disturbance.” (Source)

If only the judges were this tough on drunk drivers.

0

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, “Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch complied with his obligation to attend all required media sessions at the Super Bowl and will not be fined, according to an NFL official.” Schefter reports that Lynch won’t be fined for the Beast Mode hat he wore at the media sessions, either.  (Source)

I’m surprised. Lynch acted like a jerk and I thought his actions sent the wrong message. I’d look for more players to go this route since Lynch did not get punished. Fans are the losers here.

## END ##

PPL issued a statement yesterday telling folks that they “will permanently shut down the J.E. Corette power plant in Billings” in August. It is powered by low-sulfur coal from the Powder River Basin in Wyoming, and it has been in operation since 1968. There are 30 full-time employees.

Back in 2012, PPL announced that the plant would be placed in a “mothball” status, but now they have discovered the cost to restart the plant would be significant, so closure is the best option.

The 2012 “mothball” announcement was an issue in the 2012 U.S. Senate race between Jon Tester and Denny Rehberg with the Rehberg camp blaming Tester and President Barack Obama for it being mothballed. Read an article about it HERE.

The goal of the Rehberg campaign was to tie Tester to Obama. That strategy failed miserably.

So here we are in 2015 and with the news of the permanent closure, the Montana GOP fired off a press release trying to blame Governor Steve Bullock (a Democrat who is up for re-election in 2016) and Obama for its closure:

The Corette power plant in Billings will be forced to shut down because of the Bullock-Obama-EPA job-killing energy regulations, which will eliminate 35 good-paying Montana jobs, result in higher energy prices, and reduce funding for our infrastructure and schools.

The Bullock administration told the Associated Press (AP):

David Parker, a spokesman for Gov. Steve Bullock, said the EPA rule does not mean Montana’s remaining coal plants will have to close, as some critics claim.

“We’re doing everything we can to make sure these coal plants stay open,” Parker said.

The AP reported about the J.E. Corette power plant, saying:

The cost of a re-start stemmed primarily from the expense of new pollution controls needed to meet federal restrictions on emissions of mercury and other toxins produced by burning coal.

The AP also reported about more closures:

By the end of the decade, the mercury restrictions and competition from cheap natural gas are expected to bring the retirement of coal plants across the country that generate more than 60,000 megawatts of power, according to the Energy Information Administration.

U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R) issued a statement where he blamed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Obama:

“Once again, good-paying American jobs are falling ruin to the Obama administration’s war on American energy. The closing of the Corette power plant isn’t just a blow to Montana’s economy – it’s devastating news to the Montana families who rely on the plant for a stable income,” Daines stated. “The EPA’s misguided agenda doesn’t just hurt Montana’s coal industry— it directly affects thousands of Montana families, union workers and tribal members who rely on coal for good-paying jobs and reliable, affordable energy. I’ll continue fighting to stop the Obama administration’s war on coal and support the thousands of Montanans who rely on this resource every day.”

Congressman Ryan Zinke (R) followed the same theme blaming the EPA and Obama:

Today, PPL Montana announced that due to regulations implemented by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) it is being forced to permanently shut down the J.E. Corette power plant in Billings. PPL previously mothballed the plant, but due to the spike in costs to upgrade the facility as well as impending EPA regulations recommended by President Obama, keeping the 30-worker facility operating was not an option.

I think it is perfectly fine to blame the new EPA regulations on the closure, and it is fine to blame the President for supporting stronger regulations. If people remember back a few years ago, every bad thing was George W. Bush’s fault; and now it looks like we are starting to transition into every bad thing being Barack Obama’s fault.

As for trying to tie the next Democrat who is running for reelection (in this case, Bullock) to Obama – that strategy will probably fail…again.

## END ##

Welcome to Friday the 13th and another (almost) award-winning edition of “Caught My Eye.”

If you are a first-time visitor, “Caught My Eye” is posted here every Friday morning! This is when I take a look at some of the stories I did not have time to write about during the week. Sometimes I throw in a touch of sarcasm to make you smile – or to irritate you just a little – or maybe both.

Today I write about the Commissioner of Political Practices, Ground Troops & Zinke, letters from Bullock, Daines, and Zinke, Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald, Ashton Carter & the Department of Defense, plus we have a winner who is Making Montana Proud!

Commissioner of Political Practices:

Maybe the subcommittee in the Republican-controlled Montana Legislature that has the most clowns on it is the Joint Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government.

According to a Lee Newspapers story, the Republicans on the subcommittee “voted to eliminate the in-house attorney in Montana’s political practices commissioner’s office and to lower the commissioner’s salary by 23 percent.”

For the final slap, the Republicans “also failed to fund the $2,759 request sought by the commissioner to pay for temporary staff to copy, scan and post copies of campaign finance reports.”

For those not acquainted with the Commissioner of Political Practices, the current Commissioner of Political Practices (Jonathan Motl) was appointed by Democratic Governor Steve Bullock. The Legislature is controlled by Republicans. That is one problem.

Basically, they don’t like that the Commissioner re-opened some closed cases. Three of the Republican members of the subcommittee were listed in the article. They are Chair Rep. Ryan Osmundson, Rep. Brad Tschida, and Sen. Janna Taylor.

I’ve written several times over the years that the legislature needs to make changes to the Political Practices office – not only in the way the commissioner is chosen, but to help whoever is in the office to be able to referee politics in Montana – and we need more referees.

The actions by the Republicans on this subcommittee is nothing but sleazy. Some adult needs to step in and tell Osmundson, Tschida, and Taylor to grow up.

Ground Troops:

This week President Barack Obama formally asked Congress “to formally authorize the use of military force in the war against ISIS.” I’m sure Congress will debate this to death and maybe approve it before their August recess.

The Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) “does not call for the deployment of ground troops in Iraq or Syria.” That is wrong.

I don’t believe our country should ever take anything off the table when going into battle. Maybe we won’t use ground troops, but don’t give the enemy that knowledge and advantage.

I’m glad to see that U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.) understands this. According to Lee Newspapers, Zinke said he believes Congress does need to authorize action, but said ground troops are necessary. He also said, “I’m always very concerned when we put troops in harm’s way that they have the right leadership, training, equipment and the right rules of engagement to win decisively on the field.”

It was also disclosed in the article that Zinke joined top House Republican House leaders who met Tuesday night with some of Obama’s senior advisers.

Bringing people to the table who have a “particular set of skills” is always helpful.

In Your Letter…

According to a letter from Montana Governor Steve Bullock to Montana’s Congressional delegation, Montana will lose $16,197,368 this year in funding if the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (SRS) is not reauthorized by Congress. (Source)

U.S. Senator Steve Daines and U.S. Representative Ryan Zinke sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker John Boehner asking them “to swiftly move forward legislation to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program.” (Source)

I don’t know whose letter was first, but since Daines and Zinke are now on record asking for Federal money, maybe they should tell their friends in the Montana Legislature to approve Medicaid expansion. That Federal money could also help Montana…

VA Secretary Remarks:

Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald was testifying in the U.S. House and the problems with the Denver VA hospital were brought up by Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colo.). I mentioned yesterday about how messed up VISN 19 (Rocky Mountain Network) where the Denver VA Hospital is located. VISN 19 also includes the Montana VA.

McDonald was not happy with the questions posed by Coffman and at the end said, “I’ve run a large company, sir. What have you done?” See the exchange HERE.

McDonald should be ashamed that he asked that question. Coffman is a combat veteran who has served in the Army, Army Reserve, Marines, and Marine Reserve.

I don’t know if Robert McDonald is making any headway as VA Secretary. It’s only been six months, but I thought we would see some heads roll by now.

Ashton Carter:

Dr. Ashton Carter is the new Secretary of Defense. Yesterday the Senate confirmed Carter by a vote of 93-5 with Montana’s Senators voting to confirm him. You can read a statement from U.S. Senator Steve Daines HERE.

I am not that excited about Carter, but since the President gets to select his cabinet and the senate confirms the pick, I guess he will have to do. Plus, there’s not a lot of time left in the Obama term. As far as I can tell Carter does not have any active duty military experience, but he has spent years guarding a desk as a civilian in the Pentagon. At least he will know his way around. You can read his bio HERE.

Carter has bachelor’s degrees in physics and in medieval history and a doctorate in theoretical physics, which leads me to believe he would bore most people to death over dinner.

Making Montana Proud:

This section is where I mention people or groups whose actions embarrass Montana in some way (this one was pretty easy).

-From Time Magazine (Time.com): Montana Rep. David Moore “is introducing a bill to strengthen the state’s indecent exposure laws after a group of naked bicyclists pedaled through the city of Missoula in August.”

The article continued, Moore’s proposal would tighten indecent exposure laws to include any nipple exposure—including men’s—and any clothing hat “gives the appearance or simulates” a person’s buttocks, genitals, pelvic area or female nipple, the Associated Press reported.

Fortunately, the bill is dead. Unfortunately, Rep. Moore made Montanans and especially the legislature look pretty ridiculous. I did a Google search for “Yoga Pants and Montana” this week and got about 13,000,000 results.

The circus continues in Helena until the end of April; rest assured there are plenty of clowns to make you laugh…

One More Thing:

Reminder – Chocolate will be on sale after Valentine’s Day!

## END ##

When there are several political stories out there that I want to comment about, I combine them into a “potpourri” column.

Today I provide valuable independent commentary about the plane & the governor, Food Stamps & limits, transfer of federal land, Montana veterans, and a twenty percent approval rating! There’s a lot more, so read on!

The Plane…

I often wonder if those serving in the Montana Legislature know they are embarrassing Montana with their “gotcha” politics. I’ve said before that when they get to Helena many must end up drinking out of the “stupid fountain” that must be somewhere down a dark hallway in the capitol.

The latest chapter comes from the Republicans on the Joint Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government. The Republican members of that subcommittee must have located that “stupid fountain” and took a swig. Lee Newspapers reported the subcommittee “stripped away the money to pay for operation of the airplane used by Montana Gov. Steve Bullock from the state budget.” For those who do not follow Montana politics that closely, Bullock is a Democrat and the Montana Legislature is controlled by Republicans.

Montana is a big state – 147,000 square miles. Our governor should have access to a plane. That is common sense. The leadership in the Montana House and Senate must better control the nutjobs who are embarrassing the state.

No Food for You:

Lee Newspapers reported that Republican state Senator Fred Thomas introduced a bill (SB 206) that “says work requirements for able-bodied, childless adults who get food stamps can be waived only in high-unemployment areas.”

The bill should be called “The Limit Bill.” It places limits on waivers from work requirements, it establishes limits on food and beverage items purchased by recipients of supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits, and it establishes limits on expanding eligibility. The bill also requires photo identification.

The 21 page bill seems pretty cold-hearted.

Transfer of Federal Lands:

I have one word for the idea of transferring Federal land to the State of Montana: No.

According to several reports, there are a lot of people who showed up for a rally in the state capitol who agree with me.

I could write a few thousand words about it, but the word “No” sums it up best.

Montana Veterans:

Yesterday I wrote about the problems with the Department of Veterans Affairs in Montana. Today the Billings Gazette has an editorial about the VA which is titled, “Montana veterans deserve better than VA delivers.”  It’s worth a read.  Read it HERE.

I hope other Montana newspapers will voice their concerns about the poor performance of the VA in Montana.

Twenty Percent:

Now a little bit of good news about the boys and girls in Washington, D.C.

According to a new Gallup poll, congratulations are in order for the new Congress! Their approval rating has increased from 16% to 20%.

Before you schedule the parade, just one in five Americans approve of congressional job performance.

The approval rating will probably go down if the Department of Homeland Security is not funded.

## END ##