Almost every Monday I compile some of the political stories from the past weekend and put them in one place for all to see – and also offer some personal commentary!

Today I take a look at a super rich politician, I share the results of a poll, I check out who is on the ballot in Montana, I look at what Palin wrote, I write about Essmann getting out, I mention the “sweet 16″ who applied for a job in Helena, I talk about signs signs everywhere a sign, I let everyone know that the flim-flam man is heading east, and I wish a very happy birthday to one of my old bosses!

Super Rich Mitt:

We all knew that GOP Presidential candidate Mitt Romney was wealthy, but I never imagined he was super rich.  The Associated Press reported,

Add up the wealth of the last eight presidents, from Richard Nixon to Barack Obama.  Then double that number.  Now you’re in Romney territory.

Romney is “1,800 times richer” than us regular folks… and, if elected, would probably be the first President to have a Swiss bank account.

There’s no way Romney (and other millionaires) understand the hardships that face regular people…

Speaking of Romney:

GOP Presidential candidate Mitt Romney is the first Presidential candidate to make the ballot in Montana.  Romney filed the paperwork to be on the Montana ballot January 20.

Romney does have some organization on the ground here in Montana.

You can check out other legislative and non-legislative filings in Montana HERE.

Gingrich Preferred:

A new poll from Gallup tells us, “Republican registered voters nationally continue to prefer Newt Gingrich over Mitt Romney for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination, with no sign in Gallup Daily tracking from Jan. 22-26 that Gingrich is giving back any of his recent gains.”

I’m mostly hearing from Republican faithful that Romney is too liberal for many, that he has a tendency to flip-flop…

In 2007, Romney defended his sons’ lack of military service by saying they were serving their country by helping get him elected and serving their country by taking a recreational-vehicle tour to all 99 Iowa counties.  He lost me with those comments.

Palin:  Cannibals in GOP Establishment Employ Tactics of the Left

Former Alaska Governor and Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin posted her thoughts about the GOP Presidential primary on her Facebook page.

I am not all that excited about the GOP candidates and if voters are not that excited, they may stay at home.  That would be good for President Obama.

Essmann out:

Friday afternoon the Associated Press reported that Montana State Senator Jeff Essmann dropped out of the Republican primary for Governor.

He was a long shot at best – mostly because he entered the race late.

One interesting piece of information from the AP was that Essmann said he would return donations.

Heading East:

Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer will give the keynote address at the 2012 Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner in…Virginia.  The event is scheduled for February 11.

Back in April 2008, I wrote,

Schweitzer kind of reminds me of George C. Scott, who played Mordecai Jones in the 1967 movie, “The Flim-Flam Man.”  The synopsis tells us that Mordecai was the master of back-stabbing, cork-screwing and dirty-dealing-dealing.

So, the speech should be entertaining…

Jesus gets a hearing:

Congressman Denny Rehberg announced a hearing has been scheduled in the U.S. House about the Jesus statue on Whitefish Mountain. Read the Rehberg press release HERE.

People should not mess with Jesus…

Political Practices: Sweet 16

Lee Newspapers is reporting that 16 people have applied for the position of political practices commissioner.  As noted here on The Western Word, the deadline was Friday.

Best of luck to all the applicants…

O’Hara’s Billboards (Part II)

Back in November, I first mentioned Montana GOP Governor Candidate Jim O’Hara painting billboards of each county’s courthouse to get attention for his campaign.  Today the Great Falls Tribune is reporting, “O’Hara’s campaign may get a big boost this week.  He expects to appear on “The CBS Evening News” in a feature segment hosted by Steve Hartman either this Friday or Feb 10.”

Hartman does the “On the Road” part which usually airs on Fridays and it’s one of my favorite segments on the CBS Evening News. 

Happy Birthday:

First he was my Secretary of Defense, then my Vice President.  Happy 71st birthday to Dick Cheney.

Caught My Eye is my weekly column where I take a brief look at some of the stories I did not have time to write about during the week – and often offer some commentary.

Today I take a look at defense/military news, how we are getting debated to death, the political practices job opening, a couple birthdays, Jeopardy, I share some e-mails from my political inbox, I celebrate a milestone on Twitter, and much more!

C-27J/BRAC:

As first Tweeted @TheWesternWord the C-27J transport plane program is slated to be eliminated by the Department of Defense (DOD).  The DOD also wants to have a couple more rounds of BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure).

The Great Falls Tribune has the Montana Congressional Delegation’s response to the news HERE.  (Psst…they expressed concerns).

One thing to consider is this is just a plan put forth by the Obama Administration, but the state of Montana (or at least the Great Falls area) needs to get some people hired who do nothing but promote the state to defense companies, follow the issues surrounding the Montana military, put a plan in place to save the assets Montana has, and work with state and federal leaders in promoting the state as a place that is welcoming to the military and defense industry.  Yes, it will cost some money – and if the state and local governments can’t afford it, do some fundraising.  It’s an investment.

Debate #19:

These GOP Presidential debates are torture.  There are way too many.  The Republican Party really messed up having this many debates.  It may cost them in November.

Last night CNN hosted another one in Florida.  Overall, Rick Santorum performed well especially on the religion issues.  Newt Gingrich nailed the ultra-rich Mitt Romney over Romney’s Swiss bank account (that he initially failed to disclose) saying something like “How many Presidents do you know who have Swiss bank accounts?”

Uhhh…none.

Romney may have some serious problems over his failure to disclose.  The Los Angeles Times has the story HERE.

The next debate is February 22.

Political Practices Job:

Earn $57,689 a year and live in Helena, Montana!  Applications are due today to be Montana’s commissioner of political practices.  Four have applied already (not me).  You can get the information on where to send your application HERE.

The Governor can pick whomever he wants.

The Associated Press reports that “partisan maneuvering” is alive and well in the process.  You can read that story HERE.

As I have written many times, the political practices office is broken…

Happy Birthday:

Keith Olbermann turns 53 today!

Chief Justice John Roberts turns 57 years old today!

Who is…

Yes, I watch Jeopardy (to keep my brain functioning while I wait for the call up to the big leagues) so it was surprising the other night when MSNBC host Rachel Maddow’s photo was shown and none of the contestants knew her.

You can see that moment HERE.

Jack’s Political Inbox:

Almost every week I take a few of the e-mails I received that “Caught My Eye” and share them with my faithful readers – and I add some comments.  Here are five that made the cut this week…

-Preston Elliott, the campaign manager for Jon Tester, sent me an e-mail on Thursday with the subject “Decision” in which he writes, “Jon’s right – the Montana Supreme Court decision to take a stand against Citizens United was a big deal.  But you know what other decision is a big deal?  Yours – your decision whether or not to be part of our campaign’s drive to raise the last $8,485 of our January fundraising goal.”

With all that money being raised by Tester, I would think the unemployment rate will drop to about 3% in Montana this summer after he hires about 10,000 people to work on his campaign (hopefully the campaigns will hire Montanans – you know because they push that “native Montanan” thing all the time)

-The Montana Republican Party sent me an e-mail early Tuesday afternoon with the subject, “1000 Days of No Budget” in which they sent a link to a video put out by the National Republican Senatorial Committee (WATCH HERE) and they also tell me that it only took 410 days to build the Empire State building.

That “410 days” info about the Empire State building is golden trivia information.  Thanks!

-Erik Iverson, the campaign manager for Denny Rehberg, sent me an e-mail late Tuesday afternoon with the same theme as the Montana GOP.  The subject was “1,000 days of Tester’s hypocrisy…” and Iverson asks, “Did you know it’s been 1,000 days since Senator Tester and his party bosses in the Democrat-run U.S. Senate have passed a budget?”

I heard that somewhere…

-Jim Messina, the campaign manager for Barack Obama, sent me an e-mail on Wednesday with the subject, “State of the Union” and he writes, “Last night, the President went to Congress and defined in clear terms what we’re going to be fighting for in the months ahead.  That means that right now, it’s on us to get his back and work like hell to build this campaign.  If we want to see this President re-elected, it’s time: Add your name and say you’re standing with the President — and our shared vision for this country.”

The good news for Mr. Messina and the President is that people are just not too excited about the four remaining GOP Presidential candidates (Romney, Gingrich, Santorum, and Paul) and if the voters are not too excited, they may just want to stay with the status quo (or stay home and not vote). 

-Siri Smillie, Volunteer Coordinator/Field Director for the Friends of Steve Bullock, sent me an e-mail with the subject, “The Great Bullock Bumper Sticker Challenge” where she asks, “Can you find five friends who are willing to put a Bullock bumper sticker on their car?  Just fill in their information here and we’ll send them stickers.”

Sorry, I don’t have five friends…

500+

I now have over 500 followers on Twitter!  Pop the cork!  The 500th follower is @walterpolhemuw of Chesapeake, VA.

I made it to 500 without the help of a television station.  Or a radio station!  Or a newspaper!  It was without the help of paid staff or on the government’s dime!

Add Me:

Hey campaign workers – just think if you added the western_word@yahoo.com to your media e-mail lists you might get some free publicity for your candidate.  If you followed me @TheWesternWord you would be in the know!  What are you waiting for?

One More Thing:

Don’t forget to stretch…

My highly-read and cherished “Thursday Numbers” column is where I take a look at the numbers in the news and provide some commentary with them.  The information can be used to amaze and astonish your friends, family, and co-workers.

Today I take a look at the numbers behind the State of the Union address, a big award, campaign money raised, a fine for stealing, winds, a couple birthdays, the Super Bowl, an accountability canvass, military planes in Great Falls, BRAC, and much more!

37,700,000

About 37.7 million viewers watched the State of the Union speech Tuesday night.

22,000,000

According to this story, “A man who spent two years in solitary confinement after getting arrested for DWI was awarded $22 million for suffering inhumane treatment in New Mexico’s Dona Ana County Jail.”

1,200,000

According to his friends at Politico, U.S. Senator Jon Tester will report that he raised $1.2 million for his campaign during the final quarter of 2011.  This will bring his grand total to $3.8 million (cash on hand).

Some will say Senator Tester has adapted quite well to his job in Washington…

377,000

That’s how many new claims for unemployment were filed last week – an increase of 21,000 from the previous week.

Does anyone really care these days?

7059

That’s how many words President Obama’s State of the Union speech contained Tuesday night.

210.79

For stealing a donut, a Wyoming college student “has agreed to pay a $200 fine, $10 in court costs – and 79 cents to cover the cost of the doughnut.”

He’s studying criminal justice…

74

That’s the peak wind gust (in MPH) recorded in Great Falls (Montana) on Wednesday.

65

President Obama’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night lasted about 65 minutes.

The American Presidency Project says it lasted 1:04:44 (to be exact).  President Clinton’s State of the Union Address in January 2000 was 1:28:49 (almost 89 minutes)…

57

Happy 57th birthday to rocker Eddie Van Halen today!

I’ve seen Van Halen in concert – good show!

49

Remember Wham!?  Andrew Ridgeley turns 49 today!

Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go…I have one of their albums…

46

This is the number for the next Super Bowl (Feb 5, 2012).

Take that, Romans…

37

That’s how many standing ovations the President received during his speech Tuesday night.

25

The Cascade County (MT) Democrats forwarded a message from the Montana State Democrats to let people know they are holding a “Accountability Canvass” in Great Falls on Saturday in House District 25.  They write, “It is time we remind folks how out of touch Cleve Loney was during the 2011 legislature and send a clear message to Cleve that he is too extreme for Montana!”

Instead of sending “a clear message to Cleve” maybe they should contact the voters?  Grassroots democracy – gotta love it…

8

According to this story, “Montana has the eighth best business tax climate in the U.S., a national study has concluded.”

Maybe Montana’s elected officials fight like dog and cats, but this shows the state is doing pretty well…

5

Former Denver Broncos QB John Elway has been to the Super Bowl 5 times.  He won two.  Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana are both 4-0 in the Super Bowl.

4

That’s how many C-27J aircraft are supposed to be deployed to Montana Air National Guard in Great Falls (Montana).  According to recent news reports:  “The Air Force plans to cancel a number of aircraft programs as it shifts focus back to core missions, including long-range strike missions.  The service is expected to cancel the C-27J Joint Cargo Aircraft program…”

This is not good for Montana…

3

New England Patriots QB Tom Brady has three Super Bowl rings.  He has been there four times.  His only loss in the Super Bowl was to the New York Giants in 2008.

2

That’s how many new BRAC (Base Closure and Realignment Commission) rounds are expected to be requested by the Pentagon today.

More base closures are needed.  Montanans should really be worried about Malmstrom AFB and get their tails in gear (and make plans) to fight for it…

///////////////////////////////

Follow Jack on Twitter @TheWesternWord.

Today on The Western Word we take a look at several parts of the President’s State of the Union address.  I give you an overview of the speech, I let you know my favorite part, I share my tweets about it, I share a link for key quotes from the speech, I find the Montana Congressional Delegation’s response to the speech, and I write about Gabby Giffords attending the event.

But that’s not all – I also write about a new calculator that lets you see Romney’s wealth compared to your wealth, I write about a man named Bond entering Montana politics, plus I write about a constitutional amendment that is supported by Montana’s senators.

Please read on…

State of the Union (The Overview):

If you missed the big speech, you can read it HERE or watch it HERE.  I normally watch the State of the Union on C-SPAN so I won’t be distracted by information placed on the screen by the television stations covering it and giving it their own spin.

After most State of the Union (SOTU) speeches, I turn off the TV or switch to something else – I don’t need some commentator telling me what I heard or hearing from a surrogate.  I also don’t listen to the other party’s response to the SOTU (which I feel is silly to have a response to begin with).

Overall, the President and his folks did a good job with this speech.  The delivery was fine.  Of course there were things mentioned that people will agree with and disagree with.

Although the elected officials seemed happy and friendly last night, politics is the name of the game and now we are in full-blown election season now until November.

State of the Union (My Favorite Part):

My favorite line from the speech was:

Those of us who’ve been sent here to serve can learn a thing or two from the service of our troops.

That’s very true.  Many of the folks elected to office (and most of the folks working for them) do not understand what it is like to sign their name on that line and give their lives to their country.

The President went on to say:

When you put on that uniform, it doesn’t matter if you’re black or white; Asian, Latino, Native American; conservative, liberal; rich, poor; gay, straight.  When you’re marching into battle, you look out for the person next to you, or the mission fails.  When you’re in the thick of the fight, you rise or fall as one unit, serving one nation, leaving no one behind.

We could sure use some teamwork in Washington these days.

State of the Union (My Tweets):

In case you were not following me on Twitter (@TheWesternWord), my fingers were busy!  You should check them out!  Here are a few of my Tweets:

-Bright clothes. Aisle seat. Getting on TV shaking the President’s hand…#SOTU

-Coming in 10 minutes: Lifestyle of the rich and famous – #SOTU

-FLOTUS looks lovely tonight. #SOTU

-All most of us need is a chance – a fair shot. #SOTU

-It’s past many senators and reps bedtime…the sandman is making the rounds. #SOTU

-Many unemployed have fallen off the radar and don’t count any more. That’s a fact from Jack! #SOTU

-#Teachers are underpaid and underappreciated. #SOTU 

-Has anyone seen if Sen Tester brought his suitcase full of MT beef to the #SOTU for a snack?

-If we could harness the hot air in this room tonight…#SOTU

-Please remember viewers – the senate is like a nursing home; dinner was five hours ago…#SOTU

-Sen Baucus has volunteered for three bipartisan committees since the #SOTU started.

-Thank you Mr. President. Fine speech. #SOTU. Check TheWesternWord.com for analysis Wed morning.

State of the Union (Key Quotes):

Reuters has a story posted with key quotes from the speech with no editorial comments!  You can read them HERE.

State of the Union (Giffords):

It was especially nice to see Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords attend the event.  She resigns from Congress today to concentrate on her recovery from the gunshot wound she received about a year ago while meeting constituents in her Arizona district.

The Associated Press has the story HERE.

I wish Congresswoman Giffords all the best.

State of the Union (Montana Delegation Response):

-You can catch Congressman Denny Rehberg’s *response to the State of the Union address HERE.

*Rehberg includes The Western Word on his media e-mail list and if you are a politician, candidate, or group, you should send your press releases to Western_Word@Yahoo.com, too.

-You can catch Senator Jon Tester’s response to the State of the Union address HERE.

-I could not find Senator Max Baucus’ response on his website, but can read a sentence or two that he sent to the main stream media in THIS ARTICLE.

Mitt’s Income vs. Your Income:

Mitt Romney is filthy rich and Slate.com has a handy dandy calculator “to find out how long it would have taken Mitt Romney to earn the same amount of money” that you made.  You just enter the amount you made and it tells you how long it would take Romney to earn that amount.

For some people, it will take less than one day.  Others (especially those who have jobs) it will take longer.  You can see for yourself HERE.

Bond. Chris Bond:

I happened to catch a story from Roll Call (a Capitol Hill newspaper) the other day and found out that current Congressman and U.S. Senate candidate Denny Rehberg had hired a communications director for his campaign.

Roll Call reported “Chris Bond left his position as NRSC press secretary last month to join Rep. Denny Rehberg’s (R-Mont.) Senate campaign as communications director.”

For you non-political folks, NRSC is the National Republican Senatorial Committee.  Readers may remember that the NRSC is one of my “favorite” political organizations from way back.  Back in November 2009 I wrote, “I just hope that if Rehberg decides to run, he will keep some of the idiots from the NRSC at a distance…”

Whoops…

Constitutional Amendment:

Lee Newspapers is reporting that Senators Max Baucus and Jon Tester are “are backing proposed constitutional amendments to reverse a controversial U.S. Supreme Court decision on campaign finance laws.”

You can read the story HERE.

That won’t help with the November 2012 election season.  It also won’t help the economy, jobs, high cost of energy, etc., right now, either…

The New York Times editorial board wrote “Montana Takes on Citizens United” on Monday.  You can read it HERE.

Follow Jack on Twitter @TheWesternWord.

The AFC and NFC Championship games on Sunday were pretty darn good.  We can only hope the Super Bowl comes close to this.  With the history of recent games between the Giants and the Patriots, I think it will be a close game. My pick is at the end of the column.

Today I take a look at some of the facts about the upcoming game, the Pro Bowl, Montanans doing well in the NFL, people being stupid, an interview with Peyton, JoePa, and much more – so read on!

Picks from Last Week:

I was so close – I just missed winning the pigskin pick contest.  I picked the correct winners, but missed the final score of the Giants/49ers game which ended 20-17.  I thought the final score would be 28-16 Giants.

Pro Bowl:

Don’t forget – the NFL put the Pro Bowl game between the AFC/NFC Championship games and the Super Bowl.  The Pro Bowl is this Sunday (January 29) and NBC is carrying the game, which starts at 5:00 p.m. (Mountain Time).  The game is in Honolulu.

At least we will have some football to watch this weekend!

Super Bowl XLVI (46) – some facts:

-Teams:  New York Giants versus New England Patriots

-Date:  Sunday, February 5

-Time:  4:20 p.m. Montana time

-TV:  NBC has the coverage (Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth)

-Location:  Indianapolis (Lucas Oil Stadium).

-Capacity:  About 70,000

-Halftime Entertainment:  Madonna

-Previous Meeting:  The Giants beat the Patriots in week nine, 24-20.  That game was in New England.

-Previous Super Bowl Meeting:  In 2008, the Giants beat the Patriots 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII.

Death Threats:

OK, San Francisco 49ers punt returner Kyle Williams made a couple of mistakes (two fumbles) on Sunday, but it is totally wrong for fans to threaten him (and his family).  Read the story HERE.

Sodapop Curtis and Peyton Manning:

Have you wondered what Peyton Manning is up to?  Here’s the story.

Previous Super Bowl Columns:

To read some of my Super Bowl columns from last year, go to the right side of the screen and scroll down to “Categories” and then pick “Super Bowl.”  You can read about Super Bowl trivia, records, and a bunch of stuff to impress your friends!

Fletcher to the Super Bowl:

Former Montana State Bobcat Dane Fletcher will be playing in the Super Bowl for the New England Patriots.  Fletcher is a 6’2″ 244 lbs linebacker for the Patriots.  He wears #52.

Cleveland Browns:

Former NFL and University of Montana player Tim Hauck has been hired by the Browns as defensive backs coach.

Joe Paterno:

RIP JoePa.  He coached for 46 seasons and he had a winning record in 40 of them.  Remarkable.

Paterno broke my heart once.  It was in October 1980; the #17 Penn State Nittany Lions marched in to Columbia, Missouri, and beat my #9 Missouri Tigers 29-21.  The 75,298 in attendance is still a record at the University of Missouri.  I was there sitting on the rocks of the big “M.”  Penn State was lead by Freshman QB Todd Blackledge that day.

Mike Lopresti of USA Today says it better than most in his column “Scandal shouldn’t define Paterno.”  You can read it HERE.

THE PICK:

PATRIOTS 24, GIANTS 20.

For Independent Commentary about Politics, Sports, the Media, and Current Events follow Jack on Twitter @TheWesternWord.

But there’s good news – we are still above the grass!

Almost every Monday I compile some of the political stories from the past weekend and put them in one place for all to see – and also offer some personal commentary!

Today I take a look at the Gabby Giffords announcement, I comment about who is fighting for F-15s, I let veterans know about a problem, I reveal the contents of a special letter, I look at a really good-paying job, I let you know that Tuesday is Juneau day at the Capitol, I share my thoughts on South Carolina, and let you know that the State of the Union address is Tuesday!  There’s even more!!!

Gabby Giffords:

U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords announced on Sunday that she “will step down from Congress this week to continue her recovery…”  You can read the press release HERE.  You can watch the two minute video announcement HERE.

I wish Rep. Giffords well with her continued recovery – she is a fighter! 

Fight for F-15s:

State Senator Ed Buttrey and his group are not letting the Montana National Guard lose their planes without a fight.  KRTV has the story HERE.  In the interview, Buttrey said “it’s going to cost between 1/4 and a 1/2 billion dollars of new infrastructure and wasted infrastructure to move the mission from Montana to California.”

Maybe Buttrey should run for U.S. House or U.S. Senate…

F-15s – Another Letter:

The Great Falls Tribune reported on Friday that “Rep. Dennis Rehberg has written to Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and National Guard Chief General Craig McKinley reiterating his support for maintaining the Montana Air National Guard F-15 mission in Great Falls.”

That’s fine and Rehberg received some all-important press out of it – but the local supporters of the Montana Air National Guard want to see more than letter writing.  Until one of the members of the delegation has a seat on a military or defense committee, letter writing may be all we see (unless some senator wants to quietly put a hold on nominations or general officer promotions to make a point…).

Department of Veterans Affairs Error:

According to a press release from the Department of Veterans Affairs, they are “offering free credit monitoring to more than 2,200 Veterans whose personal information, including social security numbers, was posted on Ancestry.com following the mistaken release of data through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).”

It appears the VA discovered the error on December 13, 2011.  The press release announcing the problem was dated January 20, 2012.

One of these days the VA may be run by someone who can actually do the job…

A Letter from Boehner:

The Speaker of the House, John Boehner, sent me an official-looking letter the other day.  Just for a moment I thought maybe he was commenting about my website or maybe even offering me a job.  But no, it was one of those silly National Public Opinion Surveys put out by the National Republican Congressional Committee. The envelope contained a four page letter and four-page survey.

The campaign tip of the day:  For all the candidates (and staff) who read this – don’t waste money sending eight pages of propaganda – send just two pages (that’s counting the front and back) and a small envelope to mail the donation back.  You lose your audience with more than two pages – plus it’s harder on shredders.

Montana Board of Regents:

The salary for being the Commissioner of Higher Education in Montana is $283,300.   Holy cow!  The Bozeman Daily Chronicle has the story about the selection of the new commissioner HERE.

There are concerns and there should be…I could do that job (as could others) for at least $200k less…and save the state some money…

Juneau Kick-Off:

Friday afternoon Denise Juneau sent me an e-mail that said, “On Tuesday, January 24, at the State Capitol in Helena, I will officially announce my campaign for re-election as Montana’s Superintendent of Public Instruction.”  The event is from 12:00 – 1:00.

Montana Legislature:

Lee Newspaper reporter Mike Dennison takes a look at the state house and state senate races in his “Reporter’s Notebook: Dems winning a majority in the Legislature the longest of long shots” story.

The key line in the story is “It’s possible, I suppose, for Democrats to make significant gains against the GOP this election. But I don’t think I’m risking much to say that continued Republican control of the Legislature after the 2012 election is darn good bet.”

If that is true, then winning the governor’s race might be the only way for the Democrats to stop the total control of the state by the GOP.  That means the Governor’s race will be very important. 

South Carolina:

Several people asked me my thoughts about Newt Gingrich winning South Carolina on Saturday.  Gingrich beat Romney by about 13 points.  Now we have three different winners in the first three states.

I am not a big fan of Gingrich or Romney.  There are three things that hurt Romney in South Carolina and two were self-inflicted:  1. The Bain Capital issue. 2. Releasing tax returns.  3. Being a Mormon.

People are concerned about Bain Capital and some of the stories coming out.  He needed to assure people he cared about workers (the little people).  People believe Romney is filthy rich and they also think since he has not released his tax returns, he may be hiding something.  Finally, South Carolina is full of Evangelical Christians and many do not agree with Mormonism.

The final push for Gingrich is how he went on the offensive against the so-called “liberal media” – it seems the voters in South Carolina liked it…

SOTU:

This Tuesday the President will be delivering his State of the Union (SOTU) address.  It happens at 9:00 p.m. (Eastern Time).   The theme of the speech is “An America Built to Last” and you can check out the White House website for more information about it.

Everyone should watch the State of the Union. 

I will be following the speech and Tweeting about it, so follow me @TheWesternWord to get my timely insight (and jokes)!

Today’s Caught My Eye is very special as it is the 1500th post on The Western Word website.  Probably Vice President Joe Biden would say “This is a big “%^&$#%# deal!”  I agree.

Please – no gifts.

Caught My Eye is my weekly column where I take a look at some of the stories I did not have time to write about during the week – and often with some commentary.  Today we have a couple a videos (a dog and puppets) to make you laugh, a Chamber endorsement, I talk about Newt, A “Kiss” birthday, a political poll, and I also share some e-mails from politicians.  If you are going to read a blog or website today – this is the one!

Ultimate Dog Tease:

OK, it’s Friday and it’s been a long week and it’s been cold – so you need a laugh or two.   We can fix you right up here with this video.  Enjoy:

First on The Western Word:

Yesterday I happened to catch (while doing research) that a new candidate had filed as a Republican for the U.S. Senate.  Today the media caught up.  His name is Dennis Teske and you can visit his website HERE.

Montana Chamber:

The Great Falls Tribune published a story today about the new challenger entering the U.S. Senate race.  They also let us know that Congressman Denny Rehberg was speaking to the Montana Chamber and asking for their support.  Senator Jon Tester will be speaking to them today.

Tester getting support from the Montana Chamber probably has as much chance of happening as Rehberg getting support from the Montana Education Association – but stranger things have happened.

Newt:

From what I have heard, the debate on CNN was interesting.  The Hill reports:

Marianne Gingrich claimed her former husband asked her for an “open marriage” so he could continue a romantic involvement with a congressional aide who eventually became his third wife, Callista Gingrich.

CNN’s John King asked about it and Newt went off.

I wonder how Callista Gingrich feels about this – Newt’s record with wives is not that good.  Frankly, Newt Gingrich seems like a hypocrite to me…

Watch the highlights of the debate HERE.

Happy Birthday!

Paul Stanley of KISS is 60 today…wow!  Enjoy this video!

Not Satisfied:

A new poll from Gallup tells us “Six in 10 registered voters would be satisfied if Barack Obama and Mitt Romney become the nominees for president this year, while 34% say they would not be satisfied. Democrats are most likely to say they would be satisfied with these two candidates, while independents are least likely.”

If you look at the poll results, 47% of independents are unhappy with the choices.  A closer look also reveals that 37% of Republicans are not happy with Romney as the choice.  Democrats will be happy if Romney is their opponent.

Jack’s Political Inbox:

Almost every week I share a few e-mails from my political inbox.  This week the e-mails were few and far between for some reason, but I found a couple. Enjoy!

- The Republican National Committee (RNC) was all over the Obama decision about the Keystone pipeline sending an e-mail with the subject, “They Said It: Obama’s Decision To Kill Keystone Reflects Broken Promises.”  They then quote what several people said about the decision.

I’m yawning here, RNC.  Yawning.

-The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee sent an e-mail with the subject “Dynamite” in which they talk about the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling and say, “We need 100,000 Citizen Cosponsors for the Reverse Citizens United Amendment by January 21.”

Of course, they will take a donation to help the cause, too.

No Cameras:

As most people know, cameras are not allowed in Federal Court.  Soooo, 19 Action News in Cleveland, Ohio, is using the transcripts of the trial and…puppets to recreate the trial.  Enjoy!  WATCH HERE.

I think the squirrel reporter is pretty good…

Final Note:

Don’t forget to stretch…

From working in his dad’s body shop growing-up to helping expand his family’s Kalispell based manufacturing business, Sonju Industrial, Jon understands the challenges business owners face. Elected to the Montana Legislature in 2004, he has served in both the State House and the State Senate. During his time in the legislature he has been a consistent advocate for economic opportunity, smaller government, and the protection of our personal freedoms. Jon was born and raised in the Flathead Valley where he still resides today. He and his wife Tania have two young children, Jacob (6) and Brett (3).

Sounds like an all-American selection!

It was interesting yesterday what happened leading up to this big announcement (in a couple of ways) and it was interesting what the Montana Democrats had to say about the selection.

First, the announcement was interesting in the way it was announced – a short post on facebook (around 8:20 a.m.) that informed the whole 549 people who “Like” the facebook page there was “An exciting announcement coming from the campaign today. Stay tuned!”  Then at 9:09 a.m. some photos were posted showing the candidates and with the Hill/Sonju campaign banner flying proudly in the photos.

The Twitter account @RickHill2012 was eerily silent (and has been since Jan. 10).  I received a press release from the Hill campaign at 4:23 p.m. “For Immediate Release” with the announcement and then I received another e-mail with the subject “Meet our running mate…” at 9:57 p.m.

Today, besides the links to press coverage of the announcement posted on the campaign website, the site is lacking information like an “About Jon” tab.  I know that’s a small thing – an attention to detail thing – so it seems to me the campaign was not prepared for the announcement.

It seems the use of Social Media and the quick dissemination of information won’t be a strong point for this team.

The second thing that was interesting to me was the location of the running mate – because he’s from an area that a GOP candidate will probably win anyway – so there appears to be a lack of strategy with the selection.

The other GOP candidates for Governor may have some concerns since Sonju is from a strong GOP area (Kalispell), but the Democrats are probably rejoicing thinking that if Hill wins the primary then Billings/Yellowstone County will be in play.  Depending on whom Democrats Steve Bullock or Larry Jent pick as a running mate, they may have a chance of carrying Montana’s largest county.

Also, a GOP friend (and donor to Hill) told me that the selection of Sonju kind of said, “Screw eastern Montana.” Hill is from Helena; Sonju is from Kalispell.

The Montana Democrats were not quite as kind.  They posted on their website and facebook page, “Hill + Sonju = Higher Taxes for Montana Families” saying “Republicans need to decide if they think their strongest candidates are a lobbyist-turned-Congressman-turned-lobbyist and a state legislator who has voted six times to raise his pay.”

They also hit Rick Hill with the one thing that will help dig a candidate’s political grave in Montana politics faster than anything:  Support of a sales tax.

Ouch.  I’m sure the Republican Party is waiting patiently for the Democratic frontrunner, Steve Bullock, to make his running mate selection so they can show some of the same love.

I can’t wait…

Follow Jack on Twitter @TheWesternWord.

The “Thursday Numbers” column is where I take a look at the numbers in the news and provide some commentary with them.

Pssst…You can also use this information to amaze and dazzle your friends, family, and co-workers.

Today I take a look at counting in Iowa, Keystone and Keith Stone, unemployment, Dolly, Newt and Marianne, Tester and Bain, Biden and the Giants, a contested senate GOP primary, the final four of football, and much more – so read on! Be sure to share with your friends and family!

373,327.62

According to GOP Presidential candidate Mitt Romney, $373,327.62 is “not very much.” He earned that for speaking.

Romney is out of touch with the common person. I think Romney is filthy rich and he’s ashamed to show that his wealth was mostly inherited…

352,000

That’s how many new claims for unemployment were filed last week, a “decrease of 50,000 from the previous week’s revised figure of 402,000.”

110,532

That’s how many views on YouTube the first campaign ad from Barack Obama has received (as of this morning). It was uploaded yesterday. Watch it HERE.

20,000

That’s how many jobs supporters say are lost because the President did not approve the Keystone XL Pipeline. But CBS News has some other figures…

Please don’t confuse the “Keystone pipeline” with “Keith Stone” – the Keystone beer man…

2,500

According to The Hill, Montana’s junior Senator, Jon Tester, “received a $2,500 contribution from Joshua Beckenstein, a managing director at Bain Capital, in June of last year, according to a fundraising report.”

Didn’t I hear somewhere that Tester was ranked number one in receiving lobbyist cash…

110

That’s about how many people attended a fundraiser in San Francisco where Vice President Joe Biden said, “the Giants are on their way to the Super Bowl.”

For you non-sports fans, the Giants play football in New York, the 49ers in San Francisco. The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team.

I still like Joe Biden…

94

According to this story, that’s how many hamsters a man kept in his apartment.

94 hamsters in an apartment…

66

That’s how old Dolly Parton is today – Happy Birthday! My favorite Dolly Parton song HERE.

34

According to the Associated Press, “Rick Santorum edged front-runner Mitt Romney by 34 votes in a surprise flip to the final tally of the Iowa caucuses, but no winner will be declared because some votes remain missing…”

I lived in Iowa several years ago and I’ve had problems counting since then…

-20

According to The Weather Channel, yesterday’s low in Great Falls, Montana (Zip 59401), was minus 20. The high was minus 13.

It was so cold when the cows were milked it came out as ice cream…and politicians had their hands in their own pockets…

I’ll be here all week….

18

That’s how long Republican Presidential candidate, Newt Gingrich, was married to his second wife, Marianne. ABC News has done an interview with her that is set to air sometime soon.

I actually met Marianne Gingrich several years ago and she was a very nice person…I asked her how she survived being on the island with Gilligan all those years…

10

Hey guys…check out The NFL’s 10 Best Cheerleading Squads 2012 HERE.

You can thank me later…

4

That’s how many NFL teams are left! NY Giants versus San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens versus the New England Patriots.

2

As of this morning, there are two people running in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate; Denny Rehberg and Dennis Teske.

A contested primary means more money to spend…more staff to be hired…

1

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