Welcome to another Monday – and boy did I need some caffeine to get myself jump-started this morning.

First of all, my condolences go out to the family and friends of the military personnel who lost their lives in the Friday night crash in Afghanistan.  You are in my prayers.

Monday Morning Politics is the column where I take a look at some of the political stories that caught my attention over the weekend and I put them in one spot for all to see.  I also offer some commentary.

Today we take a look at the Tea Party Downgrade, Montana Veterans, the future of Lt. Gov. Bohlinger, using the word “soldiers,” a ballot initiative, the FAA, and more!

So read on to get your Monday morning political fix!  

“Tea Party Downgrade”

That’s the phrase being used by those on the left to define and place blame on the U.S. economic downgrade from Standard & Poor’s.

“Tea Party Downgrade” had about 14,500 hits on Google early this morning…so the left may be winning this little battle to tag the Tea Party with this downgrade.

It’s too bad they did not work this hard to keep it from happening…

Montana Veterans Have to Wait:

The story “Montana veterans face long waiting list for surgery” has political implications because there are so many veterans in Montana and we vote.  Plus, one of the Senators running for reelection (Jon Tester) is on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee.

It’s bad enough that Veterans are being made to wait months and years for their claims and their appeals to be heard, but hearing that they have to wait for orthopedic surgery is a little too much.

Veterans should be given the opportunity to get their surgeries taken care of through a civilian provider.  They should not have to travel across the state, or wait very long.  They should be able to get surgeries done close to home. The Veterans Administration (VA) spends a lot of money on bricks and mortar that could be used to get veterans civilian care close to their home.

Political Story of the Week:

The political story of the week from Lee Newspapers was about whether or not Lieutenant Governor John Bohlinger will run for Montana Governor.

I like John Bohlinger.  I think some of the GOP “Party faithful” acted like spoiled brats when it was announced that Democrat Brian Schweitzer would have Republican John Bohlinger as his running mate – and they continued to act like morons throughout what will soon be two terms.  Their actions turned off many moderate GOPers.

In the long run, it appears the Schweitzer/Bohlinger team looked pretty good in the voters’ eyes as they easily won both elections.

But at 75, and not really having a party and with Montana making it hard for anyone to run as an independent, it is probably time for him to step aside from the active political world and enjoy life.  Maybe he’ll write a book…

“Montana’s soldiers”

Although some dictionaries say the word “soldier” means “a person who serves in an army or a person engaged in military service” it would be wise for those in the press, those who are elected, those who wish to be elected, and those writing the press releases, to use the proper term when talking about those who serve in the military.

Maybe some readers don’t know the difference between a Soldier, Sailor, Airman, or Marine, but the over 100,000 veterans in Montana do and they notice when it’s not used properly.   A safer way is to write “military personnel.”

But the best way to keep from being embarrassed would be to hire a veteran to proofread your releases and statements…

Define Person:

Go ahead, define a person!  I dare you…

The pro-life folks are hard at work on this ballot initiative.  According to the Associated Press:

The proposed 2012 ballot initiative would change the Montana Constitution provides to define person to “all human beings at every stage of development, including the stage of fertilization or conception.”

It should be an interesting fight to see if it gets on the ballot…

FAA is Up and Running:

According to the Associated Press (AP), “The Senate approved legislation Friday ending a two-week partial shutdown of the Federal Aviation Administration and President Barack Obama signed it into law, clearing the way for thousands of employees to return to work and hundreds of airport construction projects to resume.”

The AP also reported that the passage of the bill took 30 seconds and only a couple of senators were there.  This raises an important question:  Are any senators really needed in Washington, D.C., to conduct the nation’s business?

By the way, Glendive, Montana, is slated to have their air service subsidies cut. 

Consent of the Governed:

A new poll from Rasmussen tells us “that just 17% of Likely U.S. Voters think the federal government today has the consent of the governed.  Sixty-nine percent (69%) believe the government does not have that consent. Fourteen percent (14%) are undecided.”

Here’s the wording of the question: “The Declaration of Independence says that governments derive their authority from the consent of the governed. Does the federal government today have the consent of the governed?”

Read about the poll HERE.

We’re not really that happy with any elected official in the federal government these days.

Twitter Feed:

To keep up with political news, sports, and current events, you really need to follow me on Twitter @TheWesternWord