YOU DID IT! You made it to Friday! Congrats!
To help make your day go by just a little more quickly, here’s another (almost award-winning) “Caught My Eye” column to help you make it to your weekend.
If you are a new visitor, Caught My Eye is the weekly column that takes a look at some of the stories I did not have time to write about during the week – and sometimes I offer commentary – and sometimes it is sprinkled with just a pinch of sarcasm!
Today we take look at the Governor, Senate, and House races, drones, what landed in my political inbox, more meat, God, a eulogy, hiring in the state, and much more!
Oh Wow:
Mona Simpson is Steve Jobs’ sister. On October 30, the New York Times published, “A Sister’s Eulogy for Steve Jobs” which is very much worth the read.
At the end of the eulogy, Ms. Simpson closed with this:
Steve’s final words, hours earlier, were monosyllables, repeated three times.
Before embarking, he’d looked at his sister Patty, then for a long time at his children, then at his life’s partner, Laurene, and then over their shoulders past them.
Steve’s final words were: OH WOW. OH WOW. OH WOW.
Montana Governor Race:
POLITICO released their October rankings for the Top 10 most competitive contests for the 2011-12 cycle and the Governor’s race in Montana was ranked first.
Maybe it’s ranked first because this will be the first race ever where all eligible Montana right-leaning citizens will be running for office on the GOP ticket.
Sandstorm:
A local organization is launching what it believes will be a multi-billion dollar commercial drone industry that could begin right here in Great Falls.
The aircraft – dubbed “Sandstorm” – is completely made in Montana, can carry 20 to 30 pounds, and just received its air worthiness certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration.
It’s too bad that our federal officeholders don’t work as hard in bringing jobs to Montana as State Senator Ed Buttrey. If they did, everyone would have a job.
Jack’s Political Inbox:
Almost every week I share some of the political e-mails I receive from candidates and groups and often offer some commentary about each one. Here are four that Caught My Eye…
–Erik Iverson, the Campaign Manager of Montanans for Rehberg sent an e-mail on Monday with the subject, “Stop Playing Politics With Our Nation’s Security” in which he asks me to, “Click Here To Tell Jon Tester To Stop Playing Politics With Our National Security.” So I did. A website pops up with a petition with the words “Stop Playing Politics.” I can also click on the contribute button.
Sadly, the Montana Congressional delegation does not have a clue about national security…
–Blaine Country Commissioner Vic Miller then took up the cause for Jon Tester. In a Tuesday e-mail with the subject “Dennis’s Plan” he writes, “I’m writing today with an urgent update that I think all Montanans need to know about. Jon’s opponent, Congressman Dennis Rehberg, is co-sponsoring a bill that should be rejected in Montana. Like the unpopular Patriot Act and REAL ID, Rep. Rehberg’s bill gives the Department of Homeland Security the authority to make top-down decisions that affect all of us.
I wonder if Vic goes by Victor?
–James Carville sent an e-mail for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) with the subject “Buckets” and he writes, “I swear, if Republicans loved Big Oil any more, they’d name their kids ConocoPhillips and ExxonMobil. Big Oil just posted multibillion-dollar profits – AGAIN – and what are Republicans doing? Filibustering a jobs bill.”
Always love a few words from Carville…
–Denise Juneau (State Superintendent of Public Instruction) sent an e-mail with the subject, “The Race is On!” in which she writes, “It’s been a while since I sent out a Team Juneau email message. However, it’s time to activate Team Juneau because the race is on! Yesterday, a Republican challenger formally announced her intention to run for my office.”
I like Juneau…she should win re-election easily…
More Meat:
The first thing I thought about when I read this story regarding Taco Bell was Sen. Jon Tester.
ABC News reports, “A disgruntled customer apparently threw a Molotov cocktail outside the drive-through window of an Albany, Ga., Taco Bell after complaining that his two XXL Taco Bell chalupas weren’t living up to their promise of having extra meat.”
From a Tester press release about meat for Taco Bell: “Tester: If Taco Bell needs more beef…” and “Senator urges fast food restaurants to ‘beef up’ with meat from Big Sky State.”
I also think of Tester when I see the Utz Cheese Ball barrels at Sams…
In God we Trust:
I believe in God. I trust in God. Everyone should have a relationship with God. But I don’t need the morons in the U.S. House wasting time passing a resolution (that was already passed in 1956) that reaffirms In God We Trust “as the official motto of the United States and supporting and encouraging the public display of the national motto in all public buildings, public schools, and other government institutions.”
The folks in the House and Senate hardly work. Passing this bill again is a classic example, although it was nice to see “In God We Trust” get 396 votes! Last week I told you Jesus was making a comeback…
Abramoff on 60 Minutes:
You’ve heard the story; you’ve the seen the movie with Kevin Spacey. Now he’s out of the slammer and talking to 60 Minutes! Jack Abramoff appears on 60 Minutes this Sunday…
Just in time for the Democrats to use his name in the 2012 elections…
It’s Who You Know:
Supposedly the Montana Department of Transportation “hired some unqualified employees.” The Billings Gazette has the story HERE. There was a big audit completed. By big, I mean they reviewed a whole “five employee recruitment files” out of an agency that “is authorized for 2,242 full-time equivalent employees.”
Three people of the five “didn’t meet the minimum qualifications for the jobs and shouldn’t have been hired. Two were for management posts.”
So we’ve learned (or re-learned) another lesson: Nepotism and favoritism are alive and well in State Government. Anyone who has applied for a job in state government knows this…because it is really who you know…
Five…Five…Five…
With the entrance of Diane Smith into Montana’s U.S House At-Large race, that makes five Democrats (according to the Billings Gazette): Sen. Kim Gillan of Billings, state Rep. Franke Wilmer of Bozeman, Missoula City Councilman Dave Strohmaier and Helena attorney Rob Stutz.
The Montana Republican Party took notice of Smith’s entrance. They issued a press release stating “Diane Smith was paid $890,000 as Washington DC corporate lobbyist in the telecommunications industry.”
I guess it’s not good to be a lobbyist and a Democrat…
So far only one Republican has announced their intention to run for the House seat: former senate candidate Steve Daines…a native of California…
The Campaign, a Tractor, and a Duck:
Nope, it’s not a joke! The Esquire blog has a story up about the 2012 U.S. Senate race here in Montana – and a photo of Jon Tester’s tractor – and Denny Rehberg is shown holding a wooden duck…
You can’t make this stuff up…
Disinvite?
It seems since the Detroit Lions have become a competitive football team, some folks feel that the halftime entertainment for the Thanksgiving Day game in Detroit (the band Nickleback) should reflect some of the home-grown talent – since people may actually be watching the Lions game against the Packers.
Fans have started a petition that says, “This game is nationally televised, do we really want the rest of the US to associate Detroit with Nickelback? The Lions ought to think about their fans before choosing such an awful band to play at halftime.”
I’m thinking Bob Seger or Kid Rock…
One More Thing:
It’s getting colder out there so don’t forget to stretch!
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