Welcome to March and “Sequestration Day 2013.” Do you feel different? I’ve heard that the Feds may cut down on the number of drones they have spying on us, and we will probably see fewer chemtrails in our skies…

If this is your first time visiting The Western Word, the “Caught My Eye” column is where I take a quick look at some of the stories I did not have time to write about during the week – and I often throw in some sarcasm just to make you smile. So get ready to head into your weekend armed with knowledge and a smile.

Today I write about the racist joke, no free concerts, ninth DUI, Champ Edmunds, the fertilizer spill, wolf kills, Secretary of Defense votes, DUIs in Helena, Woodward, plus I dust off Jack’s Political Inbox and peek inside!  There’s a lot more so read on…

The Racist Joke Investigation:

The Billings Outpost’s Adrian Jawort did an investigation into the “alleged online indiscretions of Jennifer Olsen, chairwoman of the YCRCC [Yellowstone County Republican Central Committee] and a leader of the Yellowstone County Montana Shrugged Tea Party.”

Olsen was accused of posting “a photo of a watermelon under a box that was to be used as bait in a plot to kidnap President Barack Obama.” Olsen denied posting the joke, but the Outpost reporter has found two people who saw it on her Facebook page.

Last week I wrote, “If that photo was actually shared by the Chair of the Yellowstone County Republican Central Committee, she should have already resigned.” As the evidence mounts that she did actually do this, it is now time for her to resign. An apology would be nice, too.

Something has gone terribly wrong with the Republican Party…

No Free Night Concerts:

According to a local television station (KRTV), the Montana State Fair will not have free night concerts in the future. This is a disappointment. Cascade County Commissioner Joe Briggs was quoted in the story saying, “It was a trend in the industry for people to do free concerts to get people into the facilities. We had expected quite frankly a bigger offset then [sic] what it looks like we got.” Supposedly $600,000 was lost from the free night entertainment.

What also disappointed me was Commissioner Briggs wearing a short sleeve shirt with a tie during the interview…

Ninth DUI:

The Associated Press reported, “A 45-year-old Polson man who drove his car into Flathead Lake in an attempt to elude police has pleaded guilty to his ninth DUI.”

Flathead Lake and drinking…it seems we’ve heard this before…

Champ Edmunds:

The headline “GOP’s Edmunds enters U.S. Senate race for Baucus seat” that appeared on the Billings Gazette’s website shows that even Lee Newspapers believe the Senate seat currently occupied by Max Baucus is his alone and not Montana’s senate seat. That stuff happens when you’ve been in Washington, D.C., as long as Baucus has – which started when “Rhinestone Cowboy” was topping the charts across the USA. Since you have that song in your head now, click HERE.

Dear Candidates for 2014 & Beyond: In 2012 seven Republicans ran in the primary for Governor and seven Democrats ran in the primary for U.S. House. The winner of those primaries (Rick Hill and Kim Gillan) lost in the general election whereas the people who beat them faced only one or two opponents in their primaries. There’s a lesson there…

Fertilizer Spill:

Did anyone else find it ironic that around the same time Montana Legislators were leaving Helena for the “transmittal break” about 10 tons of fertilizer was spilled just north of Helena?

I bet it was spread pretty thick…

Wolves & Montana:

Montana is shaping up to be a place where gray wolves might not want to vacation. Hunters and trappers killed 223 of them this season.

I wonder if they taste like chicken…

Secretary of Defense – The Votes:

Both senators of several states voted against former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel for Secretary of Defense. He was confirmed with 58 votes. All the senators in Wyoming, Texas, South Carolina, Georgia, Kansas, and Idaho voted against Hagel.

Montana’s U.S. Senators (Max Baucus and Jon Tester) voted for Hagel.

So I think it would be appropriate for Secretary Hagel to take some of their military missions and move them to states where he had total support (like Montana). Take that Ted Cruz…

Jack’s Political Inbox:

We’re back (at least this week) with “Jack’s Political Inbox.” As you may remember, I subscribe to receive updates from candidates, elected officials, and/or groups (from all political parties). Several others just send me their info without my asking just hoping they get mentioned (in a kind and gentle way) here at The Western Word! During Campaign 2012, I selected a few that “Caught My Eye” and shared them with my readers and, of course, I sometimes poked fun at them. Here are four that caught my eye this week:

-The Friends of Max Baucus campaign sent me an e-mail yesterday saying, “It’s deadline day. We’ve got until midnight to hit our February goal. Plenty of outside groups are waiting and watching — ready to pounce if they sense weakness. If we’re going to be ready to turn them back, we need to hit this $5,000 goal in the next 12 hours.”

One thing Max Baucus is successful at is raising money…

-The Corey Stapleton for Senate campaign sent me an e-mail last Friday in which they said, “A breaking new PPP poll shows that almost half of Montanans disapprove of Max Baucus. And even though I filed for the United States Senate just two weeks ago, Baucus leads me by a mere 7 points!”

Stapleton’s glass is half full…

-The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) sent me an e-mail with the subject, “you ranked among our top supporters” and, of course, they were asking for donations.

Since I gave zero, zip, zilch dollars to the DSCC (or other candidates and political groups) their rankings must be a little skewed…

-The Democrats in the Montana Legislature sent me a press release in which they said, “As members of the Montana House and Senate depart Helena for transmittal break, Democrats released a mid-session report card. The report gives the legislature a “D” for their work, with the note that, working together, these grades can be brought up during the final half of the legislative session.”

I give the whole Montana Legislature a “B” for “Circus Atmosphere.” They can bring that up to an “A” in the second half of the session very easily…

DUI’s on the Rise in Helena:

Beartooth NBC reports there’s been “a sudden spike in drinking and driving” in Helena (MT). The local sheriff says he believes it’s because we’re “coming out of winter time” and people are getting out and celebrating.

Maybe it’s because the Montana Legislature is in town and they are driving people to drink…

Bob Woodward:

Woodward seems to be having a little tussle with the White House (WH) over his stories about sequestration. Woodward claims one WH official told him “You’re focusing on a few specific trees that give a very wrong impression of the forest. But perhaps we will just not see eye to eye here…I think you will regret staking out that claim.”

Some people are calling that a threat.

Maybe the WH can threaten me and I can get some media attention for it….

Come on. This is petty…

The Bathroom Bill:

A woman used a restaurant’s bathroom and did not buy anything. A few days later she received a bill for $5.00.

When you gotta go…

Happy Birthday:

Roger Daltrey of “The Who” turns 69 years old today. “Out here in the fields, I fight for my meals I get my back into my living…” Take a moment to enjoy “Baba O’Riley.”

One More Thing:

Don’t forget to stretch…