Words – so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them. – Nathaniel Hawthorne

Welcome to the big show to end the week “Caught My Eye” (CME). Be advised, there’s a full moon tonight!

If you are a first-time visitor, CME 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 – maybe both.

Topics this week include Jon Tester & #DoYourJob, Greg Gianforte & Emili, Steve Bullock & No Accident, TWW picks the winning candidates (so far), Barry Beach, dominoes falling, and much more!

Tester – #DoYourJob:

Montana’s senior U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D) was busy this week following the Democrat’s playbook and calling out his colleagues for “their partisan politics” and for their “refusal to do their job.” Tester claims the Senate may recess next week for the election in November “without addressing many of the problems facing the country.”

So what else is new?

Tester took to Twitter to drive home the point and like several Democrats used the hashtag #DoYourJob in several posts.

This is all fine and good and some gullible folks might buy what Tester is selling, but it’s pure BS. Tester knows that if the Democrats ran the Senate, they would be doing the same thing. The House and Senate fail to do much, if anything, during an election year no matter who runs it – especially when it’s a Presidential election year.

As the head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) most, if not all, of Tester’s moves are to help elect Democrats to the Senate.

As you probably have seen me write before, it’s always about the next election in Washington, D.C.

Bumper Sticker Mania:

Thanks to former Montana Republican Party Chair Will Deschamps, The Western Word received a Trump for President bumper sticker!

If you are a state-wide candidate and want your bumper sticker featured here on one of Montana’s “prominent blogs” send me an email! Thanks again to Will Deschamps for coming through!

New Campaign Ad – Gianforte:

Republican candidate for Montana Governor, Greg Gianforte, has a new 30-second campaign ad posted called “Emili.”

Here is the transcript:

The worst part right now is just the uncertainty. My daughters are the third generation to call Colstrip home. Nobody knows what’s coming tomorrow. It’s scary to think of having a house in a ghost town.
I don’t think we have an advocate in the governor’s mansion. And I’ve heard him talk and say that he’s been doing things to help, but I haven’t seen him stand up for us.
Greg Gianforte proved it to me that he’s on our side. I know we can be a lot more confident in our jobs and in our future with Greg Gianforte as Governor.

The Gianforte campaign is attempting to show that Greg Gianforte will fight to protect jobs in the coal industry more than his opponent, Steve Bullock.

Like the “Travis” ad, this one is a little boring and that’s on the people who made it, not because of Emili’s story. She is way too nice. Gianforte could have had someone say, “Steve Bullock is trying to kill Colstrip and the coal industry in Montana” or something like that to get the point across. If you are going to spend thousands on ads, you might as well swing for the fence.

I give this ad the same rating as the Travis ad, a seven out of 10 (7/10). You can view the ad HERE.

New Campaign Ad – Bullock:

Montana Governor Steve Bullock (D) has a new 30-second campaign ad posted called “No Accident.”

The ad starts with beautiful scenery and shows Bullock throughout. Bullock talks about Montana being ranked as the most fiscally prudent state in the country. He says that here we believe in fiscal discipline and accountability and that he worked with Republicans and Democrats to balance the budget every year with a rainy day fund and no new taxes. He also said he cracked down on waste to save millions. He adds at the end of the ad that fiscal responsibility is the governor’s responsibility for all Montanans.

Most people who follow Montana government know that the state constitution requires the Legislature to balance the budget every session. So yes, he did that but it was not anything extraordinary.

There’s plenty to agree and disagree with in the ad – depending on whom you support for governor.

The Bullock campaign took something that is boring as hell (the budget) and made it almost watchable. I give “No Accident” an eight out of 10 (8/10). You can view the ad HERE.

If The Election Was Today:

Almost every week until Election Day (mostly on Friday), I will pick who I think is winning eight key races from President on down to state-wide races in Montana. This does not mean they will be the winners in November or that I am personally supporting them, I just think they are winning their contests at this particular time. These picks are made from what I am hearing, seeing, and from my vast experience in the political world!

If the election was today, I think the winners would be:

President: Clinton
-Trump seems to be gaining in some states

MT House At-Large: Zinke
-Juneau received a bounce when CQ Roll Call called it one the top five winnable races. The race still leans toward a Zinke win.

MT Governor: Bullock
-I think Gianforte is showing some life; this race may be getting closer

MT Secretary of State: Lindeen
-It’s never good to be the one to tell Montanans there will be a 58% rate increase for health insurance, so that may help her opponent. 

MT Attorney General: Fox
-Fox is the vanilla candidate, but it’s working for him

MT State Auditor: Laslovich
-Will the rate increase for Obamacare hurt Laslovich at the polls?

MT OPI: Arntzen
-Romano needs to get some name recognition – a big TV ad buy would help.

MT Supreme Court Justice #3: Juras
-Sandefur might be making a move – does having other former justices supporting him help?

If you see any of the races differently, let me know in the comment section. Unlike the Billings Gazette, here at The Western Word we allow comments.

Barry, Barry, Barry:

It was announced this week that the Billings City Attorney’s Office had declined to pursue criminal charges against convicted killer Barry Beach on allegations that he propositioned a 12-year-old girl for sex just a few months into his parole. (MTN News)

It was also reported that Beach had declined to comment on the allegation, which was probably the smartest thing Beach could do.

Although he will not be charged, Beach messed up and tainted his reputation by putting himself in that position. Some of the folks who wholeheartedly supported Barry Beach when he was trying to get out of prison should probably offer to help him with his social skills.

One More Thing:

Here is what it looks like when 15,000 dominoes fall. You’re welcome…

I would probably forget to push record on the camera….

## END ##

Who do you think won the Montana Gubernatorial debate Monday night between incumbent Democrat Steve Bullock and challenger Republican Greg Gianforte?

## END ## 

None are more unjust in their judgments of others than those who have a high opinion of themselves. – Charles Spurgeon

Today these items caught my attention:

• New Juneau Ad
• Bumper Sticker Mania
• MT Gov Debate Poll Results

New Juneau Ad:

We have a response to the recent attack ad called “Bang” from Congressman Ryan Zinke!

This is the ad in which Zinke says his opponent, Denise Juneau, supports more gun control. The new Juneau ad also mentions the public lands issue that is being talked about in several Montana campaigns.

Juneau hits back at Zinke with a new ad called “Expect.” The ad calls Zinke a “Washington politician” and saying his “claims” have been called “wrong” and “shocking” by the press. The ad then says, “The Truth? Denise Juneau supports the Second Amendment and keeping public lands public.”

The second part of the ad then hits Zinke saying he “abandoned Montana, voting against our public lands, even signed a pledge to sell them off the highest bidder.”

The ad closes saying “Ryan Zinke, Washington values, wrong for Montana.”

I’ll give the Juneau ad “Expect” a seven out of ten (7/10). You can view the ad HERE

Bumper Sticker Mania:

Over the summer I asked several state-wide and national candidates to send me a bumper sticker. Many responded, some blew me off, and some did not have a “contact” link on their website to even ask (which is weird).

The campaign for Congressman Ryan Zinke gets an “A” for providing me with some campaign swag! Besides the bumper sticker, I received a one of the ISIS Hunting Permits, a Commander Ryan Zinke coin, and a brochure. Thanks to Evan from the Zinke campaign for the stuff:

If you are state-wide candidate and would like to see your bumper sticker featured here on one of the “prominent” Montana blogs, send me an email (western_word@yahoo.com)

Montana Gubernatorial Debate Poll Results:

A couple people contacted me asking me about my thoughts on the Montana Gubernatorial debate held Monday night in Billings. I’ve only seen a few minutes of the debate, but I hope to watch it for my Friday column.

I did ask my readers which candidate they felt won the debate. The response was overwhelming – and it went back and forth until I closed the poll around 5:00 a.m. this morning.

Here are the final results:

BULLOCK: 53.2%
GIANFORTE: 40.8%
NEITHER: 3.4%
TIE: 2.4%

Thanks for participating!

## END ##

There is an eagle in me that wants to soar, and there is a hippopotamus in me that wants to wallow in the mud. – Carl Sandburg

Welcome to “Thursday Numbers!” In case you’re a first-time visitor, this 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.

This week’s topics include the Yellowstone River, Twitter & the NFL, Montana Governor TV ads, unemployment, the bar exam in Montana, cell phone violations, Steve Bullock is popular, trust in political leaders, liquor licenses, and much more!

12,000,000

That’s how much ($12 million) Exxon Mobil agreed to pay to settle damage claims over a 2011 oil pipeline break in the Yellowstone River. (AP)

Pipelines break…

2,000,000

That’s how many people watched last week’s Thursday Night NFL game between the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets on Twitter. (USA Today)

Is this a great country or what?

329,000

According to an email from the Steve Bullock for Montana Governor Campaign, his opponent, Greg Gianforte, bought another $329,000 in TV ads for next week. They also say that brings his total television spending to $3.6 million.

Great googly moogly…

252,000

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

266

That’s the score you now need to pass the bar exam in Montana (out of 400). (GF Tribune)

They lowered it because it was too difficult for some. If my math is correct 266/400 is like getting a “D” in most subjects.You can leave your best lawyer joke in the comment section. Here’s one: “It was so cold today I saw a lawyer with his hands in his own pockets.”

200

Apparently the City of Great Falls has found that issuing cell phone violation tickets is a gold mine, so they are contemplating increasing the fine for the second offense (within 24 months) to not less than $200 and not more than $500; forfeit license plates within 48 hours of conviction, for 90 days; or 20 hours of community service within 90 days. (GF Tribune)

It would be nice to see city officials dedicate this much time to combat drunk driving…

66

That’s the approval rating of Montana Governor Steve Bullock, which makes him the nation’s fourth most popular governor. (Bozeman Daily Chronicle)

Can he turn his popularity into a win in November?

42

That’s the percentage of American people who trust their political leaders. (Gallup)

Pro-Tip: Other than the part in the commercial where the candidate says, “I’m XX candidate, and I approved this message” most of the remaining part of the commercial is probably a lie.

14

The Montana Department of Revenue will hold a public lottery for 14 available liquor licenses after receiving more than 1,000 applications to operate alcohol establishments in nine communities throughout the state. (MT.gov)

It’s too bad Montana does not allow all stores to sell liquor (that want to)…

2

Montana has the distinction of ranking No. 2 in the nation for auto versus deer, elk or moose collisions, according to a report by State Farm insurance company based on the number of claims filed. (MT Standard)

Let’s be careful out there…

## END ##

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. – Winston Churchill

Welcome to the big show to end the week “Caught My Eye” (CME)! This is the 316th edition of this non-award winning column.

If you are a first-time visitor, CME 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 – maybe both.

Topics this week include my analysis of the Montana gubernatorial debate, Congressional Inventions Caucus, The Western Word picks the winning candidates (so far), Values Bus Tour, Bruce!, Between Two Ferns, and much more!

Montana Gubernatorial Debate:

When the choice is football or debates, I usually pick football. I will probably make an exception to this rule this upcoming Monday night during the Presidential debate. I did pick football over the gubernatorial debate between Greg Gianforte and Steve Bullock. Due to technology, I was able to watch the debate later in the week. Here is my expert analysis:

• The people asking the questions were journalists Tom Lutey of the Billings Gazette, Jackie Yamanaka of Yellowstone Public Radio, and Greg LaMotte of KULR 8. The moderator was Becky Hillier from Wake Up Montana.
• It was awkward to have candidates walk across stage – its wastes time. They had problems with timing – it seemed for awhile like this was going to be amateur hour.
• Gianforte came across more articulate, but he was too aggressive like the kid sitting in the front row raising his hand because he knows the answer. He comes across much better when he calmly answers questions. He started the debate by going on the attack (or going negative) which I think was a bad move.
• Bullock stumbled and bumbled some with his “yeah” comments to start some of his responses – and he’s the politician. I would think that after all these years as a public servant and as a lawyer he would be able to think on his feet and communicate better. During his campaign commercials, Bullock comes across much better.
• Gianforte knows business well, but he is weak in most everything else. He somewhat reminds me of John Malkovich in the movie Con Air.
• Bullock mistakenly said “IUD” instead of “IED” during his answer about former Lt. Governor John Walsh. After seeing what was said on social media during the debate about the error, Gianforte supporters made the gaffe bigger on social media than it actually was during the debate.
• Greg LaMotte of KULR 8 News asked the candidates a question about extramarital affairs, which was absurd. The same people who have been sending me and others emails telling me about one of the candidates having an affair must have contacted LaMotte. He took the bait. If a reporter had evidence (not rumors) about an affair, he/she should ask the question one on one and not during a debate. Each candidate is married and has children who were probably watching the debate, so it was dumb for him to ask the question.I figured when it was LaMotte’s turn to ask another question, he would ask the candidates when the last time was they beat their dog.
• Overall I believe there were around 15 questions asked. I have Bullock winning on six questions and Gianforte winning on four questions. The remaining answers to questions were too close to call.

Congressional Inventions Caucus:

From the “you can’t make this *&^% up” file, U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R) announced this week that he and Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) launched the Congressional Inventions Caucus in the U.S. Senate.

I’m hoping they will “invent” a way to get more work out of Congress during election years. I’m sure Daines would like to hear your ideas about inventions. You can contact him HERE.

If The Election Was Held Today:

Almost every week until Election Day (mostly on Friday), I will pick who I think is winning eight key races from President on down to state-wide races in Montana. This does not mean they will be the winners in November or that I am personally supporting them, I just think they are winning their contests at this particular time. These picks are made from what I am hearing, seeing, and from my vast experience in the political world!

If the election was held today, I think the winners would be:

President: Clinton
-Trump seems to be gaining and making this race closer. The big debate on Monday may give one of the candidates some momentum. It will probably be the most-watched debate of all time.

MT House At-Large: Zinke
-The dueling ads are up, but I still see this race leaning toward a Zinke win.

MT Governor: Bullock
-The debate changed little. I still see Bullock leading this.

MT Secretary of State: Lindeen
-Monica Lindeen is on TV with some ads. I think this race between her and Corey Stapleton will be close.

MT Attorney General: Fox
-In the words of Lt. Dan from Forrest Gump, “Get down! Shut up!” That seems to be the way Tim Fox is campaigning. BTW, I look for Fox to run for Governor in four years.

MT State Auditor: Laslovich
-We’re yawning here, but Laslovich is favored. I don’t see this race as very close.

MT OPI: Arntzen
-I’m starting to see some billboards and yard signs for Romano. She needs name recognition big time.

MT Supreme Court Justice #3: Juras
-Sandefur supporters are turning up the heat. Will third-party ads play a role in this race?

If you see any of the races differently, let me know in the comment section. Unlike the Billings Gazette, here at The Western Word we allow comments.

Values Bus Tour:

FYI – Family Research Council Action is co-hosting a coast to coast “Values Bus” tour with Concerned Women for America in over 20 states encouraging pro-family voters to vote their values when casting their ballot on November 8th. The bus will stop in Montana at:

Beartooth Harley Davidson
6900 S. Frontage Rd.
Billings, MT 59101
Tuesday, September 27th
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

More information can be found by clicking HERE.

Happy Birthday Bruce!

Bruce Springsteen is 67 today – here’s one of my favorite videos:

One More Thing:

ICYMI – Between Two Ferns With Zach Galifianakis – He interviews Hillary Clinton:

## END ##

Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud. – Maya Angelou

Welcome to Monday – Are you ready for a great week?

Today I take a look at:

• Montana Governor
• Bozeman Daily Chronicle & Zinke
• Citizens for Worse Schools
• The Debate
• Very Little Confidence

Montana Governor:

ICYMI – MTN Chief Political Reporter Mike Dennison posted a couple of his stories about the Montana Governor race that is well worth the read.

Here they are:

• Gianforte calls for Commerce director resignation, over tourism contract
• Gianforte answers charge that his company helped “outsource” U.S. jobs

There are new campaign ads in the Montana Governor’s race. I will try to take a look at them later this week. I wonder what the record is for most televised campaign ads run by a candidate in Montana history?

Bozeman Daily Chronicle & Zinke:

The Bozeman Daily Chronicle Editorial Board went after U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke over his stance about the Forest Service ban on target shooting in the Hyalite Creek drainage south of Bozeman. Read it HERE.

The BDC Editorial Board stated:

If Rep. Zinke wants to do something constructive, he should facilitate talks between shooters and forest managers about setting up a safe shooting range in the area where shooters could police their own ranks and ensure public safety.

But micromanaging a thoughtful and cautious decision on the part of forest managers on this issue is not a wise use of a public office.

I’m sure Rep. Zinke is taking notes…

Citizens for Worse Schools:

I enjoyed the Great Falls Tribune’s “The Edge” column on Saturday about a group calling themselves “Citizens for Better Schools” which the Tribune said is opposed to the bond issues to repair/replace several public schools in Great Falls.

The key point was this:

A better name would be “Citizens for Worse Schools,” because that’s what we would get if Great Falls voters opt not to repair their school buildings. This is the first comprehensive effort to fix school structures in Great Falls in nearly 50 years.

I support the bond measures in Great Falls. ICYMI – Read my column about it HERE.

The Debate:

Get ready – I will be tweeting during the Presidential debate tonight @TheWesternWord. Toward the end of the debate, I will be posting a poll asking readers who they think won. The poll will stay up until Wednesday morning – so tell your friends to vote!

Here are a couple of key pre-debate points:

• Trump won the GOP nomination for being bombastic and on the attack during the GOP primary debates. The easy-going teleprompter-reading candidate that Trump portrays sometimes does not do him well. Which one will show up tonight?
• Clinton is the better-qualified of the two candidates. She needs to show the country and be presidential against each and every Trump attack.

I think this will be the most-watched reality TV show of all time. I heard someone suggest that during the debate, some TV stations should show a “puppy bowl” for those who don’t like to watch debates. Good idea…

Very Little Confidence:

Gallup released a new poll today that shows:

The campaigning over the past four months has done little to improve Americans’ confidence in the potential presidencies of either major-party candidate. Americans are about as likely to say Hillary Clinton (33%) and Donald Trump (25%) would be a “great” or “good” president as they were in May. More Americans still think each candidate would make a “poor” or “terrible” president than a “good” or “great” one.

It’s good to see others feeling the same way I do about this Presidential election. I think a good Presidential ticket would be if vice Presidential candidates Mike Pence and Tim Kaine were on the same ticket.

## END ##

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen. – Winston Churchill

Today these items caught my attention:

• Bullock’s Emails
• Gianforte’s New Ad
• Zinke’s New Ad
• TWW Debate Poll Results
• Fact Checkers

Bullock’s Emails:

The Great Falls Tribune reported earlier this week that the chairman of the state Senate Judiciary Committee (Scott Sales) asked Attorney General Tim Fox on Monday to do an inquiry to determine why Gov. Steve Bullock’s state emails from Bullock’s time as attorney general were deleted instead of being transferred to the state archives.

Sales and Fox are both Republicans. Bullock is a Democrat.

I wonder if Sales contacted Fox from his private email address (sales4mtsenate@hotmail.com) which is listed on his Legislator profile on the State of Montana’s website. By the way, how can Sales use a campaign email for official state business?

The Tribune also reported that last week, Montana GOP chairman Jeff Essmann called on the governor in a letter to not destroy any more emails. Essmann told the Tribune that the letter was not a political maneuver. If you believe that I have some oceanfront property to sell you near Geyser.

After reading the Tribune story, it’s no wonder people hate political parties so much – it’s a clown show some days.

Gianforte’s New Ad:

Republican candidate for Montana Governor, Greg Gianforte, has a new 30-second campaign ad posted called “Fish Stories.”

Gianforte is shown fly fishing in a stream. He introduces himself and says, “It’s a good thing I have these waders because it’s getting deep in the campaign.” He then says, “I knew it would be a challenge to take on the career politicians in Helena because they will say or do anything to hold on to power.” He then says, “But all the attacks ads in the world won’t change the fact that we’re 49th in wages. So I’ll keep talking about bringing high-wage jobs to Montana no matter how many ‘fish stories’ they tell about me.”

It is getting deep in the Montana gubernatorial campaign – from both sides. I like the ad and it reminded me that I really need to go fishing more. As for 49th in wages, that has been a big talking point for Gianforte. Some don’t agree with that number.

Often we see Montana candidates, especially Steve Daines and Greg Gianforte, talking about their outdoor adventures and with photos to show they are outdoorsy. Most Montanans could not even afford most of the gear they use on their little weekend adventures.

I do like the message that it is “getting deep” and I like fishing. I give this ad an eight out of 10 (8/10). You can view the ad HERE.

Zinke’s New Ad:

On Tuesday the Zinke for Congress campaign released a new campaign ad, titled, “Public” which is a 30-second ad. Here is the transcript:

VOICEOVER: “Denise Juneau claimed Congressman Zinke wanted to sell our public lands.
Fact checkers said that’s not true.
Ryan Zinke even stood up to his own party to protect our lands.
Ryan’s a lifelong hunter, fisherman, and he’s endorsed by the Outdoor Industry Association.
Zinke’s one of us.
Juneau lies about Montana lands. Zinke fights to preserve our land.”
ZINKE: “I’m Ryan Zinke and I approve this message.”

First, applause to the Zinke campaign for sending the transcript of the ad with their press release. That’s professional.

I always get a kick out of the unflattering photos used by campaigns to show their opponent. They show an unflattering photo and sometimes the opponent is moving in slow motion. If I was in one of those ads, they would probably catch me eating with my mouth open or rubbing my nose. Maybe worse.

The Zinke ad sets the record straight. He had to respond to the “Expect” ad by the Juneau campaign. It was not that exciting.

I’ll give the Zinke ad “Public” a seven out of ten (7/10). You can view the ad HERE.

TWW Debate Poll Results:

During the first Presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, I posted a poll on The Western Word asking readers who won the debate. I closed the poll early this morning. Here are the results:

CLINTON: 61%
TRUMP: 30%
TIE: 9%

Most people who have participated in debates or follow debating closely believe that Clinton easily won. You can read my full analysis of the debate HERE.

Fact Checkers:

Julianna Goldman of CBS Evening News reported on a story last night that was a “Holy Cow” moment for me:

Fact checkers were kept busy during Monday night’s presidential debate. CBS News and other organizations found that 80 percent of the false statements belonged to Donald Trump.

Great googly moogly.

Watch the report HERE.

## END ##

Excellence is not a skill, it’s an attitude. – Ralph Marston

Happy National Coffee Day!

Welcome to “Thursday Numbers!” In case you’re a first-time visitor, this 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.

This week’s topics include Donald Trump’s net worth, Montana’s budget surplus, debate viewers, unemployment, false statements, Montana’s lottery for liquor licenses, Congress & the spending bill, medical marijuana initiative I-182, Kansas City Royals, the override of President Obama’s veto, and much more!

3,700,000,000

That’s the estimated net worth ($3.7 billion) of Donald Trump according to Forbes magazine – $800 million less than a year ago. (Forbes)

Trump should release his tax returns.People believe he is hiding something…

109,000,000

The state of Montana’s budget surplus is projected to shrink to $109 million by next year, according to a new legislative report, which says state tax revenues continue to fall short of expectations. (MTN News)

That information should make for some interesting talk in the Governor’s race, not to mention legislative races, in the remaining days of the 2016 campaign season.

84,000,000

An estimated 84 million people tuned in to watch the first debate of the 2016 presidential election on Monday, Sept. 26, 2016. (Nielsen)

CNN reports that Nielsen’s 84 million total counts people who watched via traditional TV channels at home. People who watched the debate at parties, bars, restaurants, and offices were not counted. Neither were C-SPAN viewers. This means the actual total audience is even higher.

I watched the debate on C-SPAN because I am cool…

254,000

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

265

This is the 265th edition of “Thursday Numbers!” The first column was posted in June 2011.

I started “Thursday Numbers” to show how many new claims for unemployment were being filed. That first week, the new claims for unemployment came in at 427,000. As you see above, last week there were 254,000 new claims for unemployment.

80

In case you missed this from Wednesday’s column, fact checkers were kept busy during Monday night’s presidential debate. CBS News and other organizations found that 80 percent of the false statements belonged to Donald Trump. (CBS News)

Trump was interrupted more by the moderator because he had a hard time telling the truth and answering questions…

14

The Montana Department of Revenue announced the winners of the public lottery to apply for the 14 available liquor licenses to operate alcohol establishments in nine communities throughout the state. Click HERE to see the winners.

Now comes the hard part – paying for the license. The Montana liquor license system is ancient. The Montana legislature could bring Montana into this century and change the way liquor licenses are awarded, but most are afraid of the lobbyists.

10

Congress passed a 10-week spending bill this week to keep the government operating through December 9. (Roll Call)

It’s been years since they have actually done their jobs.

9

That’s how many states will be voting soon to expand legal access to marijuana. The Associated Press reports that Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada will consider legalizing the recreational use of pot. Florida, Arkansas, and North Dakota will decide whether to permit marijuana for medical purposes. Montana will weigh whether to ease restrictions on an existing medical marijuana law.

I urge fellow Montanans to vote “YES” on medical marijuana initiative I-182. More information about I-182 can be found HERE.

4

With four games left in the 2016 MLB season, the 2015 World Series Champion Kansas City Royals were eliminated from making this season’s playoffs. (MLB.com)

It was a great run the last couple of years.

1

Congress voted Wednesday to override President Obama for the first time in his eight-year tenure. They rejected a veto of legislation allowing families of terrorist victims to sue Saudi Arabia. The Senate voted to override the President’s veto 97-1 and the House voted to override the veto 348-77. (Roll Call)

About the only time members of Congress agree this much is when they vote for adjournment to go on recess…

## END ##

The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. – Terry Pratchett

Welcome to the big show to end the week and September “Caught My Eye” (CME)!

If you are a first-time visitor, CME 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 – maybe both.

Topics this week include Montana Supreme Court & the Last Straw, Gianforte & Sales Tax, The Western Word picks the winning candidates (so far), Three Things You Should Do, The Perfect Cake, and much more!

The Last Straw:

You knew they were coming. Even last week I mentioned in CME that I wondered if third-party ads would play a role in the Montana Supreme Court Justice #3 race. The answer is yes – and it will probably get the award for the nastiest ad, at least so far.

The Flathead Memo blog broke the news about the new ad from the “Stop Set ‘Em Free Sandefur Committee” called “The Last Straw.” You can visit the website and view the ad HERE. Here is the script, courtesy of the Flathead Memo:

For some, it’s Judge Dirk Sandefur’s refusal to give prison time to two child pornographers. For others, the last straw is Judge Sandefur’s mere seven-year sentence of a man guilty of repeatedly raping a 10-year old girl. But for all, Dirk Sandefur’s decision to give no prison time to a man convicted of sexually assaulting a toddler and holding a gun to the child’s head is the Last Straw.

I imagine we’ll see a few more ads from this group. The way the election/campaign rules/laws are these days, this really is the wild wild west.

Gianforte & Sales Tax:

This is not a “fish story” that Greg Gianforte speaks about in a recent ad, so you won’t need your waders, but as Joe Biden would say, “This is a big %^&%$ deal!”

The Montana Democrats revealed that Republican candidate for Governor Greg Gianforte “lobbied to replace Montana’s income tax with an unpopular sales tax when he was CEO of RightNow Technologies.”

Ouch. Being for a sales tax in Montana is probably the second worst thing to support as a Montana candidate. Being for more gun control is first. Both will probably earn the candidate a loss.

Right after the announcement, the Gianforte campaign sent an email telling the press that Gianforte “Does Not Support a Sales Tax.” One reason he claims he does not is because in his 406 plan, “The zero in his tax relief plan clearly states: NO SALES TAX.”

OK, I got it.

The Gianforte campaign also provided information from a 2002 interview with the Billings Gazette, where it was reported:

Gianforte’s solution is for Montana to eliminate its state income and capital gains taxes and replace them with a sales tax, which be ideal for encouraging high-tech business but he conceded was perhaps not possible to sell politically…Another option, he said, was to lower the state’s income tax rates, calling the top rate of 11 percent “offensive,” and pay for tax rate cuts by no longer allow state taxpayers to deduct their federal taxes from state taxes.”

I don’t think that last paragraph helped Gianforte’s fight against what the Montana Democrats were saying.

Maybe Gianforte once supported a sales tax and does not now. This will haunt him for the remainder of the campaign. All the Democrats need to do now is run a 15-second ad several times a day until Election Day saying, “Greg Gianforte supports a sales tax.”

If The Election Was Held Today:

Almost every week until Election Day (mostly on Friday), I will pick who I think is winning eight key races from President on down to state-wide races in Montana. This does not mean they will be the winners in November or that I am personally supporting them, I just think they are winning their contests at this particular time. These picks are made from what I am hearing, seeing, and from my vast experience in the political world!

If the election was held today, I think the winners would be:

President: Hillary Clinton
-The Monday debate showed Donald Trump that he needed to prepare. Clinton seemed more presidential and I think the polls in the coming days will show her widening her lead in this race.

MT House At-Large: Ryan Zinke
-They are still going head to head with their ads which is great for Denise Juneau to be able to match the incumbent Zinke. I still see this race leaning toward a Zinke win, although with the news today about Zinke’s “relationship with convicted felon Kevin Moore” there might be some problems on the horizon for Zinke.

MT Governor: Steve Bullock
-With the news that Montana’s budget surplus is projected to shrink to $109 million by next year that could have helped Greg Gianforte. But, it was revealed that Gianforte once supported a sales tax in Montana to replace the income tax (although he says he does not now). The sales tax issue is more of a dent in Gianforte’s campaign than the smaller surplus is to Bullock’s campaign.

MT Secretary of State: Monica Lindeen
-Last week I said that Monica Lindeen is on TV with some ads. Now Corey Stapleton is on TV with an ad. He needs to act happier in his ad. This contest leans slightly to Lindeen so a smile might help.

MT Attorney General: Tim Fox
-Tim Fox is being asked by fellow Republicans to use his office for political purposes, which may hurt him with moderates and independents if he does appear to be political with any investigations. Larry Jent is better qualified but he’s just not getting any traction.

MT State Auditor: Jesse Laslovich
-We’re still yawning here, but Laslovich is favored. I saw some Matt Rosendale signs in my recent travels, so there is a heartbeat.

MT OPI: Elsie Arntzen
-Melissa Romano is showing some signs of life. Arntzen is better known, but Romano has the MEA-MFT Union behind her – she needs their help and money.

MT Supreme Court Justice #3: Kristen Juras
-The Last Straw ad from the third-party group will probably hurt Dirk Sandefur. Do his supporters have a response besides talking about Juras’ dislike of a sex column in a college newspaper?

If you see any of the races differently, let me know in the comment section. Unlike the Billings Gazette, here at The Western Word we allow comments.

Three Things You Should Do:

We are 39 days away from Election Day 2016! Are you ready?

Since it’s getting close to crunch time this campaign season you really need to keep informed!

You can get the best independent commentary and info about the candidates by doing three things:

1. “Like” The Western Word’s Facebook page by clicking HERE.

2. Follow The Western Word on Twitter @TheWesternWord

3. Subscribe to The Western Word blog at TheWesternWord.com (on the right side of the home screen) to get columns delivered straight to your inbox.

The Perfect Cake:

A former deputy apologized to a woman he tased by giving her a cake that had “Sorry I Tased You” written on it. The story gets more interesting because it was about the theft of some “sweet tea.” Read the whole story from USA Today HERE.

I like sweet tea…

One More Thing:

Don’t forget to stretch…

## END ##

Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow. – Helen Keller

Welcome to another edition of Terrific News Tuesday (TNT)!

In case this is your first time reading TNT, this column is all about good news. I know it’s hard to believe, but I won’t be complaining or criticizing anyone or anything in this column today – just writing about some terrific news that caught my attention!

Here is some of the good stuff in this edition of TNT:

• Ben Steele
• Billings Senior High Homecoming
• Great Falls School Bond Election
• Vice Presidential Debate
• The Oregon Cowboy
• Get on the Ground

Ben Steele:

It’s nice to see Montana honoring this patriot!

Montana Governor Steve Bullock has ordered all flags in the state to be flown at half-staff on Tuesday in memory of Benjamin Charles Steele, a World War II veteran, Bataan Death March survivor, educator and artist. (GF Tribune)

I happened to have the honor of meeting Ben Steele several years ago. He was a great man. Rest in peace.

Billings Senior High Homecoming:

It was a sweet moment as Billings Senior High selects girl with Down Syndrome as their Homecoming Queen. See the video HERE.

Congratulations to Aspyn!

Great Falls School Bond Election:

Folks in Great Falls will get to see tonight if the $98.8 school bond levy will pass.

The ballots for the Great Falls school bond levy have to be turned in by 8:00 p.m. tonight. Voters can drop off their ballots in the drop box at the Cascade County Election Office, 325 2nd Ave. N., or at Exhibition Hall at Montana ExpoPark until 8 p.m. (GF Tribune)

I wholeheartedly support the bond levy and hope that my Great Falls readers will vote “Yes” for Great Falls kids. More information about the facility plan can be found HERE.

Vice Presidential Debate:

Many people cannot name the Vice Presidential candidates, but the good news is we will get to see them tonight. Mike Pence and Tim Kaine will debate for the only time tonight.

The debate starts at 7pm in Montana (9pm Eastern) and it’s being held at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia. Yes, Farmville. The debate will be moderated by Elaine Quijano of CBS News.

The New York Times has a VP quiz to see how well you know the candidates – click HERE.

The Oregon Cowboy:

Imagine if you were a 911 operator and received this call, “We got a guy who just stole a bike here at Walmart. I got him roped and tied to a tree.”

That’s what happened when cow roping cowboy Robert Borba used his skills (and his horse) to catch a thief outside of a Walmart in Oregon.

You can see/read the rest of the story HERE.

Get on the Ground:

When a little boy laid on the ground in a moment of frustration, a police officer didn’t hesitate to lay down beside him to talk it out. (HotTopics.tv)

See the photo and story HERE.

Some days I just want to lie on the ground, too.

## END ##

No man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar. – Abraham Lincoln

Welcome to “Thursday Numbers!” In case you’re a first-time visitor, this 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.

This week’s topics include unemployment, data breaches, U.S. House debate, Cubs, Pence vs. Kaine, voter turnout in GF, VP poll results, the hospital bill, fundraising, Rex the beagle, and much more!

249,000

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

108,851

That’s how many victims of data breaches there were in Montana the last year. (Billings Gazette)

Those breaches came from 280 businesses.

300

The Great Falls Tribune is reporting that “More than 300 people attended” the U.S. House debate in Great Falls Wednesday evening between Ryan Zinke, Denise Juneau, and Rick Breckenridge.

Who do you think won the debate? The Western Word poll is still open for voting. Click HERE.

108

That’s how many years it has been since the Chicago Cubs have won the World Series. (AP)

Since the Royals and Cards are out of it, I’ll be cheering for the Cubbies.

70

Vice Presidential candidate Tim Kaine, Hillary Clinton’s running mate, interrupted Mike Pence, Donald Trump’s running mate, 70 times Tuesday night, including 27 times in just the first 30 minutes. Pence interrupted Kaine a total of 40 times. (ABC News)

The debate commission needs to do something to prevent the interruptions.

65

That was the voter turnout (65%) in Great Falls for the recent school bond election. (MTN)

Thanks to all who voted for the levies!

60

That’s the percentage of people who participated in The Western Word poll and who thought Mike Pence won the vice presidential debate Tuesday night. Tim Kaine took 35% of the vote and 5% felt the debate was a tie.

Thanks for all who took the time to vote! The results of the Montana U.S. House debate poll will be released Friday in the Caught My Eye column.

39.35

That was a charge on the hospital bill Ryan Grassley received after the birth of his son. The charge was for “skin to skin” contact after his wife gave birth via cesarean section. (AP)

The AP reports that the fee technically wasn’t for Grassley to hold his baby, but to have an additional nurse present in the hospital recovery room for C-section patients to ensure mother and baby were safe.

6

In a fundraising email received Wednesday, Governor Steve Bullock’s campaign says, “Six days from now, Montanans will begin marking their ballots for either Steve or Greg Gianforte.”

They also wanted me to pitch in $15…

5

A 2-year-old beagle named Rex took off after a rabbit at Hillcrest Dog Park in Grand Rapids, Mich. But when he came back, he was sneezing and had a bloody nose. Rex continued to have problems and after about six months, his vet did a CT scan and discovered that Rex had a five-inch stick stuck in his nose. (USA Today)

Rex is doing fine now. If he’s like my beagle, he’s probably either looking for or dreaming of food right now…

## END ##

I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend. – Thomas Jefferson

Welcome to the big show to end the week “Caught My Eye” (CME)!

What a week! Here I am working my tail off to bring you the best independent commentary from The Western Word world headquarters, which is located in a well-stocked underground bunker (in an undisclosed location). I worry about the Feds like Obama coming to take my guns or the UN moving in and taking over my compound. Now I have the added worry about freaking CLOWNS, running around my neighborhood, too? Beam me up, Scotty!

If you are a first-time visitor, CME 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 – maybe both.

Topics this week include Montana U.S. House debate poll results, Pinski vs. Briggs, The Western Word picks the winning candidates (so far), Hurricane Matthew, and much more!

Montana U.S. House At-Large Debate Poll:

Thanks to all the people who participated in The Western Word poll which asked who won the U.S. House debate in Great Falls Wednesday night between Ryan Zinke, Denise Juneau, or Rick Breckenridge.

It was back and forth the whole time the poll was up but in the end, Zinke won with 52% the vote and Juneau was second with 46%. Breckenridge had 2%.

More people participated in this poll than any poll in the history of The Western Word. Thanks!

Montana’s Best & Worst Campaign Ads (so far):

I try to watch as many campaign ads as I can and I subscribe to several candidates’ YouTube channels to be able to catch the new ads. My best and the worst awards don’t include third party ads. My awards are for the ads that the candidates paid for and have their names listed on as the one who paid for and approved the ad.

The Worst Campaign Ad:

The “winner” for the worst ad (so far) is Greg Gianforte’s “Syrians” ad. Gianforte is a Republican running for Montana Governor. The 30-second ad was posted October 3.

This ad has some beautiful Montana scenery and his campaign could have really used it for a positive message, but most of the audio and the accompanying email, in my humble opinion, is made up of half-truths and flat out lies about his opponent, Steve Bullock, wanting to allow unvetted Syrian refugees to come to Montana. The fact is, Bullock does not have a say in the matter and refugees coming into the state are vetted. No governor would knowingly place their state in danger.

According to the Great Falls Tribune, several clergy have come out against the ad. They sent a letter to Gianforte which in part says:

Instead of inviting a conversation about the truths of war, you turned war into a political attack in order to score points in an election. When almost every major paper in the state editorialized against the mailer you released with similar imagery, you continued to stand on the backs of some of the most vulnerable people in the world a few weeks later when you released this TV ad with the same sentiment.

Here is the “Syrians” ad:

Best Campaign Ad:

The winner of the best campaign ad (so far) is Denise Juneau’s “Grow” ad. Juneau is a Democrat running for Montana’s lone U.S. House seat. The 30-second ad was posted September 23.

You can’t really go wrong with a campaign ad when you have some cute kids speaking. Juneau understands that children are the future and as a politician, she needs to make sure she works to give them a better future. It’s a positive ad in a sea of slimy ads.

Here is the “Grow” ad:

Congratulations to the winners. I wish I had a trophy to award to you, but The Western Word is on a limited budget. Readers – If you have different choices, let me know via email or in the comments section.

Pinski vs. Briggs:

Joe Briggs is a Cascade County Commissioner. Greg Pinski is a state of Montana district judge based in Great Falls. Stick with me here…

They are having a back and forth in the newspaper about the county providing more office and courtroom space for the possibility that a new district judge will be added to Cascade County in 2019.

Yep, 2019. I checked my calendar and this is 2016.

I don’t care for Briggs or Pinski that much. Briggs is up for reelection this November, so maybe one of the reasons Pinski is taking time out from whining about his busy schedule to write letters to the Tribune about Briggs’ suggestions is to help defeat him in November. Maybe Briggs’ opponent, Mitch Tropila, will be able to miraculously crap out more courtroom and office space for Pinski’s 2019 judge.

Pinski has been a judge for just a few years, but it seems to me that he craves publicity and attention. It seems there is always one judge in the larger counties who needs to be the attention getter. Pinski seems to be it for Cascade County.

I suggest Commissioner Briggs and Judge Pinski cease the back and forth note-passing in the paper and, if Briggs is re-elected, settle the issue face to face like adults in 2017.

Let me know about the meetings and I’ll bring the popcorn…

If The Election Was Held Today:

Almost every week until Election Day (mostly on Friday), I will pick who I think is winning eight key races from President on down to state-wide races in Montana. This does not mean they will be the winners in November or that I am personally supporting them, I just think they are winning their contests at this particular time. These picks are made from what I am hearing, seeing, and from my vast experience in the political world!

If the election was held today, I think the winners would be:

President: Hillary Clinton
-There’s another debate Sunday night for Donald Trump to try and score some points. Trump’s running mate (Mike Pence) may have helped him with his debate performance.

MT House At-Large: Ryan Zinke
-Denise Juneau’s supporters are throwing everything they can at Zinke to try and derail his campaign. I look for this race to get nastier as we approach November 8. Zinke did well in the last debate, but not great.

MT Governor: Steve Bullock
-Bullock’s opponent, Greg Gianforte, has saturated the airways with his ads and he has poured about $3.2 million of his own money into the race. I think he is losing ground to Bullock. The key thing in this race is that Bullock comes across as likable and Gianforte comes across as standoffish. Bullock and Gianforte will participate in a televised debate on Saturday. The debate will be held at the CBS and Montana Television Network affiliate KRTV studio in Great Falls and will begin at 6 p.m.

They really need to stop scheduling debates when football games are being played.

MT Secretary of State: Monica Lindeen
-Lindeen and Corey Stapleton both have ads up on TV. I still give Monica Lindeen a slight edge. 

MT Attorney General: Tim Fox
-This is the quiet race. Can Larry Jent make it competitive?

MT State Auditor: Jesse Laslovich
-Both Jesse Laslovich and Matt Rosendale had an opinion piece in the Great Falls Tribune. Laslovich does have the experience and is probably better known than Rosendale. I think that will be enough.

MT OPI: Elsie Arntzen
-Melissa Romano has an ad up on television now. This race will probably be decided by just a few thousand votes. Hard work in the last few weeks may make a difference.

MT Supreme Court Justice #3: Kristen Juras
-Dirk Sandefur has an ad up and may be making a move this week, but did the nasty third-party ad hurt him? Probably. Do all the judges and former judges and law enforcement people he contends support him really help? Maybe they just want preferential treatment from him? That’s the problem with judges being political candidates.

If you see any of the races differently, let me know in the comment section or send me an email (western_word@yahoo.com)

One More Thing:

With all the talk of Hurricane Matthew on the east coast, it brings back memories of my wife and me surviving Typhoon Roy (category 4) which hit the island of Guam in January 1988. Peak winds were about 130 mph.

I was stationed at Andersen AFB during this time. Being on an island, there was no place to go to escape the typhoon. We just had to hunker down for a day or so.

## END ##

Who do you think won the Montana gubernatorial debate Saturday evening (Oct. 8)?

Click on “Continue Reading” to take the poll.

## END ## 

We have met the enemy and he is us. – Walt Kelly

What a weekend – politics, football, and playoff baseball! Are you ready for another great week?

Today I take a look at:

• Montana’s Gubernatorial Debate
• The Second Presidential Debate

Montana’s Gubernatorial Debate:

Republican Greg Gianforte and Democrat Steve Bullock faced off Saturday night in a debate.

For future reference, debate organizers should not schedule a debate on Saturday night. Montanans enjoy football and the Montana State Bobcats were playing at the same time as the debate, and the Montana Grizzlies finished playing a couple hours before the debate, so many people were traveling.

Tim McGonigal of MTN News was the moderator. He was not very good (and I’m being nice). The panel consisted of MTN’s chief political reporter Mike Dennison, along with MTN anchors Donna Kelley and Jay Kohn. They did a good job.

I thought that Bullock seemed a little sluggish during the debate and that he could have used a shot of an energy drink. Gianforte was his usual aggressive self. I thought they both landed some shots.

In The Western Word poll, voters said that Steve Bullock won the debate with 57% of the vote, and 41% of the voters thought Greg Gianforte won. Another 2% thought they tied.

Thanks to all who participated in the poll.

The Second Presidential Debate:

The headline from Roll Call sums up what I think about the second presidential debate, “Trump Was Better but Remains a Terrible Standard-Bearer for GOP.” The secondary headline was “Billionaire showed he’s wildly uninformed about foreign and domestic policy.”

One other thing I heard about the debate and Trump is “Don’t get into a bar fight with someone who has nothing to lose.”

Yes, overall Trump did better. He actually landed some shots and made Hillary Clinton go on defense some, but during the first 30 minutes of the debate, he was too nasty. Trump still lacks any substance in his answers beyond a sentence or two.

I think the pulse Trump had in this campaign was pretty much extinguished with the release of the tape last week that caught him saying, that he can “grab” women “by the p***y” simply because he’s “a star” and that “I did try and f— her. She was married,” and “I moved on her like a bitch, but I couldn’t get there. And she was married.”

After those remarks came out, the “rats” started to abandon the Trump ship.

There are about 35-45% of base voters who loved what Trump said to Clinton during the debate, like that he would put her in jail. They will stick with him no matter what.

The best thing Trump has going for him is that he is running against Hillary Clinton.

The Western Word poll asking who won the second presidential debate will be open until Wednesday morning. Go HERE to vote.

AP FACT CHECK — USA TODAY FACT CHECK — NY TIMES FACT CHECK

## END ##

From there to here, and here to there, funny things are everywhere. – Dr. Seuss

Today these items caught my attention:

• Game Set Match?
• Federal Driver’s License Rules
• The Protest
• TWW Presidential Debate Poll

Game Set Match?

I miss doing research on Westlaw and NexisLexis. I’m still good at it, but those tools help. The Feds should give all us retirees a free lifetime subscription to one of these programs for our faithful service.

The Montana Democrats must have used some research skills to come up with this little gem about Greg Gianforte from the June 2002 Great Falls Tribune’s “The Edge” column:

Back off Bubba
“If we had our due diligence, Montana wouldn’t be our state.” – Greg Gianforte, founder and CEO of RightNow Technologies, based in Bozeman.
Gianforte was complaining about Montana’s tax structure, which he said discourages recruitment of high-paid executives who face unusually high income and capital gains taxes here.
RightNow opened a branch office in Dallas to accommodate executives who refuse to move to Montana.

If this information is correct, Gianforte has a lot of explaining to do. In simpler terms, there’s a big hole in the USS Gianforte and it is sinking.

Federal Driver’s License Rules:

The Associated Press (AP) is reporting that Homeland security officials have warned Montana Gov. Steve Bullock that the state may not get any more time to comply with federal driver’s license rules, meaning residents may eventually need a different form of identification to board commercial aircraft. The AP also reported that Bullock wrote Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson a letter Tuesday urging him to suspend implementation of the Real ID Act and accept Montana licenses as secure forms of identification.

I’m sure Johnson will get right on that.

I don’t need to worry about this because I have a passport, but that’s not the case with many Montanans.

I’ve written about this issue several times. A few years ago I jokingly said this:

I imagine in the not too distant future we’ll probably have a national identification card with a chip embedded in it. That way drones can more easily find us…

I also said our elected officials should quit acting like cowardly lions and support REAL ID because sometimes freedom is not free.

The Protest:

About 20 people gathered outside of Congressman Ryan Zinke’s Great Falls’ office Tuesday to protest his continued support of presidential candidate Donald Trump.

The Great Falls Tribune and local television stations KRTV and KFBB covered the protest, so the protestors can say it was a success.

I wonder how many of the 20 people were actually voting for Zinke in the first place. That would have been a nice question to ask the protesters.

TWW Presidential Debate Poll:

The results are in from The Western Word poll asking who won the second presidential debate. Thanks to all who participated!

Trump: 82%
Clinton: 16%
Tie: 2%

I do believe Trump did a lot better in this debate than he did in the first one. 

## END ##

You’ve got a lotta nerve to say you are my friend
When I was down you just stood there grinnin’
-Bob Dylan

Welcome to “Thursday Numbers!” In case you’re a first-time visitor, this 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.

This week’s topics include Wells Fargo, Bullock & settlements, unemployment, Montana Supreme Court election, National Hockey League, Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, Montana Cowgirl, Election Day 2016, Congressional job approval, Jon Tester, Steve Daines, Ryan Zinke, drunk driving, and much more!

134,000,000

That’s how much ($134 million) John Stumpf, the embattled CEO of Wells Fargo, will receive in his retirement package. Wells Fargo employees were accused of creating close to 2 million accounts without the knowledge of customers. (USA Today)

It probably makes the grilling and going through the grandstanding from senators, including Montana’s senior Senator Jon Tester, and representatives in congress worth it.

900,000

The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reports that Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock’s administration has paid more than $900,000 in settlements to state employees over the last three years, according to public records. On most, state agencies won’t say why.

Great googly moogly…

246,000

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

40,000

In a Montana Supreme Court election forum held in Missoula, Justice Jim Shea opened the forum by calling for increased public interest in judicial elections. He noted that in 2014 when two seats were contested, 40,000 Montanans who cast a ballot “just skipped the Supreme Court races.” (Missoulian)

It might be a good time to say that Shea is running unopposed in this election.

You don’t have to vote for every race on your ballot, that’s a fact. I don’t like judges running for office. I don’t think judges should prostitute themselves out like politicians do, so I have often left those races blank. For example, I don’t care for Montana Chief Justice Mike McGrath, and I can proudly say I have never voted for him in any race – and will continue that trend in 2016.

100

Wednesday night was opening night in the National Hockey League (NHL) and the 100th anniversary of its founding. (LA Times)

I enjoy the playoffs in the NHL but seldom watch much hockey otherwise.

84

Gallup Polling reported Hillary Clinton over the past five days has seen her favorable rating rise from 81% to 84% among Democrats, but take a slightly negative turn among independents, from 35% to 32%. Clinton has been the focus of news events, including WikiLeaks-released transcripts of emails involving Clinton, her campaign strategy and Wall Street speeches.

It looks like voters detest Trump’s treatment of women more than they do Clinton’s emails.

64

Gallup Polling reported that Donald Trump’s favorable rating among Republicans dropped from 69% to 64% in the fallout after The Washington Post released a 2005 video in which he made lewd comments about women, and after the second presidential debate on Sunday night.

Maybe it was because he started attacking fellow Republicans for coming out against him for his lewd remarks about women.

50

The Montana Cowgirl blog reported that Montana Supreme Court candidate Kristen Juras donated $50 to a group called SafeMontana which is opposed to Medical Marijuana Initiative I-182. The Great Falls Tribune also reported the story…after Cowgirl.

I support I-182.

Of course, the people who are against Juras being on the Montana Supreme Court are coming out and saying this is wrong for her to donate to this group since she may have cases come before her on this issue. In my opinion, it was not a smart thing for Juras to do. But it’s also my opinion that judges (and people running for seats on a court) raise many issues since they are politicians. For example, should the lawyers who donated to a judge’s campaign be prohibited from arguing a case in his/her court because of that donation? I think so.

One thing for sure I have noticed in the Juras/Dirk Sandefur race for the Montana Supreme Court: the good ol’ boy network is alive and well in Montana.

26

That’s how many days there are until Election Day 2016!

Are you registered to vote? Get information on how to register in Montana HERE. Other states click HERE.

18

Gallup reported that with less than a month to go before the U.S. congressional elections, 18% of Americans approve of the job Congress is doing. This rating has been low for some time, and has not cracked 25% since 2009.

I’d like to congratulate my members of Congress from Montana for sucking so much at their jobs. They are Democrat Senator Jon Tester, Republican Senator Steve Daines, and Republican Representative Ryan Zinke.

That’s the good thing about being an independent blogger – you can say members of congress from both political parties suck in one sentence…

8

The Missoulian newspaper reported that an Alberton (MT) man arrested Friday and charged with what would be his eighth DUI allegedly put a pig’s ear and a piece of buckskin between his leg and an alcohol monitoring bracelet to avoid detection.

Making Montana proud – Someone with seven DUIs should not be free to roam our streets.

## END ##

No matter what name we give it or how we judge it, a candidate’s character is central to political reporting because it is central to a citizen’s decision in voting. – Roger Mudd

Welcome to the big show to end the week “Caught My Eye” (CME)!

If you are a first-time visitor, CME 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 – maybe both.

Topics this week include the Zinke commercial, Montana Secretary of State, Confidential Settlements, The Western Word picks the winning candidates (so far), ballots, and much more!

BREAKING NEWS:

In the new Ryan Zinke for Congress campaign ad called “Protect,” Lola Zinke photobombs her husband during his commercial:

Well, maybe not. I contacted the Zinke campaign and asked if there was some reason Lola Zinke did not speak during the commercial. I was told that there was no specific reason, that’s just what the Zinkes decided to do.

Alrighty then…but I wonder what Donald Trump thinks…

You can watch the whole commercial HERE.

Montana Secretary of State:

I’ve always liked Montana Secretary of State Linda McCulloch (D) and the few times I have met her she was professional and personable.

It was reported that McCulloch sent a letter to the editor of the Helena newspaper about the voting records of the two candidates running to replace her as Secretary of State. The Helena IR reports that McCulloch sent a letter to the editor about how often Republican Corey Stapleton and Democrat Monica Lindeen voted. She contends that Stapleton missed voting in several elections and that Lindeen has not missed voting in any election going back several years.

This is a negative mark on McCulloch’s public service career. I know it’s hard to believe, but Montanans expect their Secretary of State, who is also the head of elections, to at least appear to be neutral in our elections. Her action should concern all of us – and it was out of bounds.

The other concern we should all have is the information McCulloch released does not appear to match the public voting information Lee Newspapers obtained and the information the Montana GOP obtained about Stapleton’s voting record.

You can read the whole story from Lee Newspapers HERE to draw your own conclusions. I think you will agree that something smells.

Confidential Settlements?

The negative stories for Governor Steve Bullock, who is running for re-election, just keep rolling in.

The latest one was a story posted on the Bozeman Chronicle website earlier this week. Troy Carter of the Chronicle reported that according to public records Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock’s administration has paid more than $900,000 in settlements to state employees over the last three years and that on most state agencies won’t say why.

There are those who believe that it is correct to keep the identity of the people receiving the settlements confidential and there are those who believe the confidentiality violates Montana’s open records law.

Although each settlement is different, I can’t believe that all $900,000 in taxpayer money used in these settlements should be confidential.

No matter what you believe, this latest disclosure does not help Bullock.

If The Election Was Held Today:

Almost every week until Election Day (mostly on Friday), I will pick who I think is winning eight key races from President on down to state-wide races in Montana. This does not mean they will be the winners in November or that I am personally supporting them, I just think they are winning their contests at this particular time. These picks are made from what I am hearing, seeing, and from my vast experience in the political world!

If the election was held today, I think the winners would be:

President: Hillary Clinton
–The lewd comments from Donald Trump, plus other women coming forward with information about his alleged exploits has Clinton in pretty good shape. Are there any email leaks that will sink Clinton? This past week CBS News’ Scott Pelley talked about the polls showing Trump far behind and said, “No candidate has ever come back from this far behind this late.”

MT House At-Large: Ryan Zinke
-The Bozeman Daily Chronicle endorsed Denise Juneau this week. Zinke did not withdraw his support for Trump, so this has made this race closer, but still leaning toward a Zinke win.

MT Governor: Steve Bullock
-This race has almost as many twists and turns as Clinton/Trump. The feel I get from talking to moderates and independents is Bullock will win. The Republicans are doing a good job at tying Bullock to “scandals” like plane-gate, the marketing contract being awarded to a Wisconsin company, and now we have the confidential settlements. Bullock’s opponents must be wondering when one of these “scandals” will stick.

MT Secretary of State: Toss-up
-The race between Monica Lindeen and Corey Stapleton will keep many people up late on election night. I say it is now a toss-up from leaning Lindeen. The information about the current Secretary of State, Linda McCulloch, releasing information about the voting records of two candidates running to fill her office may backfire and help Stapleton. Only time will tell, but the information about McCulloch may affect this race.

MT Attorney General: Tim Fox
-Fox should win this race over Larry Jent.

MT State Auditor: Jesse Laslovich
-Unless things change, Laslovich will beat Matt Rosendale pretty easily.

MT OPI: Elsie Arntzen
-It’s getting closer! Melissa Romano is making a push during the last week. She needs to keep it up through Election Day. Like I said before, this race will probably be decided by just a few thousand votes.

MT Supreme Court Justice #3: Toss-up
-I now rate the race between Kristen Juras and Dirk Sandefur as a toss-up. Sandefur’s friends are doing a full-court press and he is on TV with some ads, although the one with Brant Light is freaking terrible.

If you see any of the races differently or just want to yell at me, let me know in the comment section or send me an email (western_word@yahoo.com)

One More Thing:

Hey Montanans – your absentee ballots are being mailed today (Friday, October 14).

With new information coming out almost every day, I think I will wait until closer to Election Day before completing my ballot.

Besides, sending my ballot back early won’t stop the campaign commercials…

## END ##

Here are a few Monday afternoon random thoughts about the following issues:

• Juras/Sandefur Debate
• Laslovich
• The Montana Polls
• Jury Duty

Enjoy…

Juras/Sandefur Debate:

Applause goes to Montana Television Network’s (MTN) Mike Dennison for doing a great job moderating the Montana Supreme Court Justice #3 debate between Kristen Juras and Dirk Sandefur. The debate was televised on MTN’s “Face the State” Sunday. You can see the show HERE. It was just 30 minutes and Dennison kept it moving – and what is most amazing is that Juras and Sandefur are attorneys! Congrats to Dennison for a fine job.

I don’t know who you think won, but I don’t think Sandefur did himself any favors during the debate. I thought that Sandefur was condescending, obnoxious, and sometimes mean. I’ve heard that from several others who watched it, too. Maybe Sandefur has problems turning off his “state district judge” act when dealing with regular people.

I think this race will be close – and being nice to people might win a candidate a few votes.

Laslovich:

I received my ballot on Saturday and congrats to State Auditor candidate Jesse Laslovich for getting his postcard to arrive on the same day as the ballots.

Maybe it was luck or maybe it was planned, but Laslovich was the only one, so his postcard is being displayed here:

The Montana Polls:

I pretty much expected the results I saw from the Lee Newspapers polls about Montanan’s choices for President, Governor, and U.S. House.

According to the Mason-Dixon Montana poll in the race for President, Republican Donald Trump leads Democrat Hillary Clinton in Montana 46% to 36%. Libertarian Gary Johnson has 11%.

One of my friends told me that many Montanans would vote for Charles Manson if he was running as a Republican. Ouch!

As for Governor’s race, Democrat Steve Bullock leads Republican Greg Gianforte 47% to 45%. Six percent are undecided.

This race is close because Bullock has so many “issues” or “scandals” that cause people to wonder about his leadership, but Gianforte cannot close the deal.

To put him over the top, I think Greg Gianforte should spend another $3 million or so of his own money and buy every Montanan a truck, or a gun, or a pony…

The U.S. House race was a little more one-sided than I expected, but I did expect Republican Ryan Zinke to have a lead. The polls showed that Zinke leads Democrat Denise Juneau 53% to 40%. Juneau seems to be having problems getting independents and moderates on her side.

These polls give all sides something to work for in the last three weeks.

Although we have not decided the 2016 races yet, Zinke should think long and hard before he starts to think about running against U.S. Senator Jon Tester in 2018. Montanans deserve some seniority in the U.S. House. Montana was just about to get some solid seniority when Denny Rehberg left the House to try to beat Tester. Steve Daines threw Montana under the bus to move from the House to the Senate leaving Montana with no seniority in the House.

Tester already has two notches on his belt (Burns/Rehberg) and I believe he would have a third if Zinke takes him on in 2018.

Jury Duty:

I received a questionnaire about jury service in the Great Falls Municipal Court this weekend.

I used to believe that jury duty was patriotic and the right thing to do. I served proudly. After the last few times I have been called for jury service in Great Falls, I don’t feel patriotic or that it is the right thing to do anymore.

The questionnaire about jury service for the Great Falls Municipal Court is a joke. If you have a problem with serving like a medical condition, then you have to have an affidavit for excusal completed and notarized. If you want a permanent exclusion because of a medical condition, you’ll need to have a “Physician’s certification.”

If you have a hardship, you’ll need to have an affidavit for excusal completed and notarized.

You have seven days to complete and return the form.

The “bright minds” provide you with an envelope that is addressed to the municipal court, but you have to place your own postage on it.

I’ve been called to jury service for municipal court, state district court, and federal district court. I have been picked for jury duty on municipal and state district court. I was treated professionally in only one venue, the federal court.

One time a judge asked how I was treated during the jury process, and I told her not well. I told her there were not enough seats, that staff in the courthouse talked down to people, and could not answer simple questions without acting ticked off, and that the judges did not adequately explain what was going on.

I also wanted to say the people working in the courthouse acted like morons, but I decided to leave that part out. Maybe next time…

## END ##

The press is the enemy. – Richard M. Nixon

Welcome to the big show to end the week “Caught My Eye” (CME)! This is CME edition #320 – is that cool or what?

If you are a first-time visitor, CME 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 – maybe both.

Topics this week include Presidential debate poll results, Judge John McKeon, endorsements & Dirk Sandefur, The Western Word picks the winning candidates (so far), City of Great Falls & cellphones, and much more!

Presidential Debate & Poll:

The results are in for The Western Word (TWW) poll which asked readers who won the final presidential debate:

DONALD TRUMP: 50%
HILLARY CLINTON: 46%
TIE: 4%

I thought Trump did very well for the first 20-30 minutes in which he won that part easily, but then Clinton baited him and he took it. He went off the rail. I think that Clinton acted more presidential in the foreign policy area – where she schooled him.

Trump’s comments about the election system being “rigged” are harming our democratic process. When asked if he would accept the election results if Clinton won, Trump’s comments cost him dearly:

“I will look at it at the time. I’m not looking at anything now,” he said. “I will tell you at the time. I’ll keep you in suspense.” (AP)

Trump said the next day he would accept the election results if he won.

His negative comments about the media covering the election have placed some members of the media in harm’s way. I don’t always agree with the reports from the press, and they are often their own opinions, but Trump must not say things that his supporters will use to harm members of the media.

There are still over two weeks left and many people have already voted, but right now I don’t see Trump getting much more than 40% of the nationwide vote. An October surprise might change that, but it would have to be a big surprise.

Montana State District Judge John McKeon:

I used to write about people in Montana who were “Making Montana Proud.” This section in my Caught My Eye column highlighted people who had embarrassed Montana in some way – like getting multiple drunk driving convictions, being a city official and getting caught driving drunk. A District Judge, G. Todd Baugh, who during a sentencing said a 14-year-old rape victim appeared older than her chronological age made the list.

Judge John McKeon would make the list. He recently imposed a 60-day jail sentence plus probation on a Montana man who repeatedly raped his 12-year-old daughter. McKeon embarrassed Montana. His story has made CNN, Fox News, Washington Post, CBS News, and New York Magazine, not to mention every news source in Montana.

Judge John McKeon – you are an embarrassment to Montana and all humanity.

Those Pesky Endorsements:

Speaking of Judge John McKeon, sometimes it is nice to tout your endorsements on your campaign website, but other times a candidate might tick people off when someone endorses him/her that voters don’t like. It’s like if you own a business and host a fundraiser there, the folks who don’t like that candidate may take their business elsewhere.

I do that all the time. I sometimes base my votes on who supports the candidate.

Montana Supreme Court candidate Dirk Sandefur is one of those candidates who have a substantial list of endorsements on his website. I don’t know if he asked for them or if they were given voluntarily. If I was an attorney who appeared in front of a judge often, I would probably feel compelled to donate to the judge’s campaign or endorse the judge. I have said that judges should not be elected and they shouldn’t prostitute themselves like politicians. It’s demeaning. I am undecided in the Supreme Court Justice #3 race. I respect both candidates in this race.

I happened to catch a blog post over at “Republican Uprising” about Sandefur being endorsed by Judge John McKeon. There’s even a saved screenshot in case the endorsement was scrubbed. As of this morning, it’s still there.

The blog post also said there’s a petition which now has more than 67,000 signatures (as of this morning) on Change.org that calls for the impeachment of Judge John McKeon. Here is the wording:

A father raped his daughter multiple times and will only serve 60 days of jail time. Judge John C. McKeon sentenced 40 year-old Martin Blake to only 60 days of incarceration and probation for the admitted, multiple rapes of his 12 year-old. Judge McKeon even gave Blake credit for the 17 days served while awaiting trial, meaning he will only serve 43 days for the brutal sexual assault.

Yes, those pesky endorsements can backfire…

If The Election Was Held Today:

Almost every week until Election Day (mostly on Friday), I will pick who I think is winning eight key races from President on down to state-wide races in Montana. This does not mean they will be the winners in November or that I am personally supporting them, I just think they are winning their contests at this particular time. These picks are made from what I am hearing, seeing, and from my vast experience in the political world!

If the election was held today, I think the winners would be:

President: Hillary Clinton
–I liked the way Donald Trump started during the final debate, but the last hour or so he self-destructed. If he could have shown himself to be presidential in the final debate, he had a chance, but he did not. I don’t see Trump getting too far above 40% of the nationwide vote unless something big happens to Clinton.

MT House At-Large: Ryan Zinke
-A recent poll showed Zinke with a large lead over Denise Juneau.

MT Governor: Steve Bullock
-A recent poll showed this race virtually tied. I still think in the end Bullock will beat Greg Gianforte unless there’s an October surprise.

MT Secretary of State: Toss-up
-I think Corey Stapleton is making some headway in this race and he can thank current Secretary of State, Linda McCulloch, who is supporting Monica Lindeen for her help. McCulloch released information about the voting records of two candidates running to fill her office and it backfired.

MT Attorney General: Tim Fox
-Fox should win this race over Larry Jent.

MT State Auditor: Toss-up
-A new poll showed Jesse Laslovich losing to Matt Rosendale by 10 points, but there were several undecideds. Whichever candidate has the best ground game in the final two weeks will win this.

MT OPI: Toss-up
-Elsie Arntzen has a slight lead in a recent poll over Melissa Romano. Romano is getting some help but just like the Auditor race, whichever candidate has the best ground game in the final two weeks will win this.

MT Supreme Court Justice #3: Toss-up
-A recent poll shows Kristen Juras with a slight lead over Dirk Sandefur, with more voters undecided than supporting the candidates. The Great Falls Tribune has a story posted today about a candidate forum in Great Falls where Sandefur went “on attack” saying Juras’ “ignorance is astounding.” The story did not paint a favorable picture of Sandefur. Nonetheless, this is another race that the ground game will decide. What ads or info will come out in the final two weeks?

If you see any of the races differently or just want to yell at me, let me know in the comment section or send me an email (western_word@yahoo.com)

Great Falls Cellphone Fines:

Apparently, the folks who are running the city of Great Falls (mayor, city attorney, commissioners) have found a gold mine in issuing tickets to people for cellphone violations, so they are considering “tougher penalties” (which means more money in the city’s coffer).

The Great Falls Tribune has the story HERE.

Give me a break. I’ve been against this circus from the clowns in charge of Great Falls since it was first proposed. I’ve never received a ticket for using my cellphone, either. I often find myself wondering if any members of the commission can even operate a cellphone.

Now someone with way too much time on their hands has proposed not only an increase in fines but community service and forfeiture of license plates of the vehicle or the driver’s license.

One of these days someone with deep pockets is going to get one of those silly tickets and fight it and this money maker for Great Falls may come a tumbling down. I would probably request a jury trial if I received a $100 cellphone ticket – just to make them earn their money. (I am not an attorney and I don’t even play one on TV.)

Eating fries and cheeseburgers can also cause distracted driving. How can you not eat the hot fries on the way home? It’s distracting! Around 7:30 every weekday morning someone drives by my house with a dog in their car that barks every few seconds. That has to be distracting the driver. By the way, I think the dog is barking “Look at me, look at me, I’m riding in a car” as he/she is being driven past my house.

Like I have written before, if these officials would spend as much time combating drunk driving as they are on the moronic cellphone ordinance, Great Falls might actually be a safer place.

If more revenue is the goal because of poor spending in the past, city officials should hold a bake sale…

One More Thing:

I would like to promise and pledge to all of my voters and supporters and to all of the people of the United States, that I will totally accept the results of this great and historic presidential election – if I win. – U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump 102016 (Reuters)

## END ##

If an outsider looked at the Montana gubernatorial race, they would probably think that there’s no way that incumbent Governor Steve Bullock, a Democrat, can win re-election. But after examining his opponent, Republican Greg Gianforte, they could probably see why this race is competitive.

The Montana Governor’s race somewhat mirrors the presidential race: One side is tarnished in possible scandals and the other side basically turns people off.

It’s hard to get away from Gianforte – he’s on our TVs, radios, and on our computers.

Here are my very independent thoughts about Steve Bullock and Greg Gianforte with two weeks left before Election Day 2016. Enjoy.

Steve Bullock:

Some might say that Bullock is made out of Teflon – nothing much seems to stick to him. He compares in this area to Montana’s former U.S. Senator, Max Baucus.

Bullock might also be called the “aw shucks” candidate – like Andy Griffith comes to Helena.

As for Bullock, I think it all starts with him being on his third Lt. Governor in less than four years. That raises a leadership issue. We’ll probably never know what exactly happened between him and his second Lt. Governor, Angela McLean, who might be the better choice for governor instead of Bullock or Gianforte if she ran. I often wonder who she is supporting in this election…

Then there’s the issue of Bullock using the state plane for campaigning and heading to a concert. It’s probably something that has been done by both Republican and Democratic governors, but Bullock is getting hit hard for it. Maybe the legislature will fix this.

The large state contract awarded to a Wisconsin company to promote Montana raised eyebrows because it went to an out of state company and also because someone working for Bullock has a relative working for the Wisconsin company. Maybe the legislature will fix this, too.

Another juicy “scandal” is there are few or no emails from when Bullock was Attorney General. This is probably another job for the legislature to fix.

The Montana Legislature could have a long “to do” list just by keeping track of these perceived scandals by Bullock. There’s more…

A story about the state paying over $900,000 in settlements to state employees that were mostly confidential in nature has not gotten as much attention as it probably should. It’s still a ding on Bullock.

Bullock has many good things going for him. He’s the incumbent. He has name recognition. The state is on relatively sound footing. He’s good looking, which does count in elections. My dear mother, who has since passed, once told me she voted for Bill Clinton because he had nice hair and was a good speaker.

Bullock has an all-American family. He was born in Montana and his opponent was not which matters to some people – “hometown boy does well.”

Bullock has worked with both Democrats and Republicans to pass legislation and that matters to the independents and moderates. Some moderates in my circle say they are afraid if Bullock is defeated the Republican-controlled legislature will run wild and embarrass and harm Montana under a Gianforte administration.

Without Bullock being on watch, some think the Montana legislature just might be stupid enough to ban yoga pants and the United Nations – and probably in that order.

Greg Gianforte:

Greg Gianforte comes across to me and other people I have spoken to about this race as kind of pompous. His campaign people should have portrayed him in his ads as a kind and gentle person, but he is snobbish and pushy. It’s too late to change that now.

Gianforte has tried to portray himself as an outsider fighting the career politicians in Helena. We’ll see how that works out for him. With his money, he can buy most state legislators.

With all the Bullock “scandals” one would think Gianforte would be running away with this race. That’s not happening because Gianforte has his own “problems.”

The public lands access issue near Gianforte’s Bozeman property is still dogging him and we may never know the whole story behind the issue. Public land access is important to Montanans, so this hurt Gianforte.

Although the access issue was big, I don’t think it compares to the audio of Gianforte advocating for a sales tax in Montana. Although he claims he is not for a sales tax, voters already have that in the back of their minds. The only thing that would be worse for a Montana politician to say is he/she is for more gun control. Gianforte did garner the endorsement from the National Rifle Association.

Then there’s the “M” word. Money. With Gianforte spending a little over $5 million of his own money on the campaign, that has to be turning some people off. His opponents have successfully tagged him as the “New Jersey” millionaire – and outsider. Someone told me yesterday after hearing about Gianforte going over the $5 million mark in donations to his own campaign, “Just think about the good he could do with that money by spending it on something useful.”

Greg Gianforte has seen success in the business world and this is his ace in the hole. He has the money to spend to get his message out in the final two weeks, but that can be positive and negative.

Closing Time:

This race will probably come down to which candidate has the better get out to vote effort and how well they use their time and money in the final two weeks. No matter what happens, I would bet this is not the last time we will see these two candidates.

Thanks for reading….

## END ##