Friday has arrived – Congratulations!  Now you can read “Caught My Eye” and slide into your weekend armed with knowledge and maybe a smile!

If this is your first time visiting The Western Word, the “Caught My Eye” column is posted every Friday morning right here!  Here is where I take a quick look at some of the stories I did not have time to write or comment about during the week – and I often sprinkle them with a touch of sarcasm just to liven it up!

NOTICE:  Before proceeding please understand that everyone and everything is fair game…

Today I write about rich candidates, complete streets, DataUniverse, convention funding, forty, the Social Security Administration, I crack open my political mailbox, and I show you a very special “Roll with the Changes” video, so read on…His Richness:

According to a story from Lee Newspapers, Republican U.S. House Candidate Steve Daines is “likely the wealthiest of the candidates” and has “personal assets worth at least $4.4 million.”  Democratic candidates Diane Smith and Sam Rankin are also pretty well off according to the story, “Smith listed property and other holdings worth between $2.3 million and $8 million, while Rankin listed assets worth $2.15 million to $7.4 million, mostly in property.”

I think it is hard for wealthy candidates to understand the real world where the rest of us live…and it’s also very hard for me to vote for them…

Complete Streets:

I received an e-mail from a friend regarding the Great Falls (Montana) Tea Party Patriots being concerned about a plan called “Complete Streets.”  According to the Tea Party Patriots website they claim it “is about personal property rights – plain and simple.”  They urge their followers to “attend a Community Meeting that will be held on May 23rd from 5:30 to 7:30pm at the Benefis Health System South Tower, Cameron Auditorium…to learn more about this government funded program and intrusion into our lives in the guise of Complete Streets.”

When I read it I thought, “I’d have ‘complete streets’ if the snow was plowed off them at least once a year.”

One has to wonder if they will place markings on the “complete streets” so they can see from the air which way to fly their planes as they spray us with chemtrails…

DataUniverse:

Do you ever wonder how much your neighbor makes working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the fellow who delivers your mail?  You can find out from this website called DataUniverse, HERE.

For those of you wanting to know how much (or how little) congressional staffers make, you can check that at a website called LegiStorm, HERE.

Now go exploring…

Public Funding for Conventions:

Although I do not agree with him on much, U.S. Senator Tom Coburn’s call for “the chairs of the Democratic and Republican National Committees to reject public funding for their upcoming party conventions” is a good thing.

I am pretty sure that corporations and other groups would be more than happy to help with the expenses…like the corporation that sponsored “Ladies Billiards.”

Forty:

According to a new poll from Gallup, “Barack Obama maintains a substantial edge over Mitt Romney among voters younger than age 40, while Romney wins among those 40 and older.  Obama does best among those 18 to 29, beating Romney by 21 percentage points, while Romney’s best group is those aged 70 and older, among whom he wins over Obama by a 14-point margin.”

Barack Obama comes across to voters as cool…and Mitt Romney comes across as rich and pompous…

Jack’s Political Inbox:

Every day I receive several e-mails from candidates, elected officials, and/or groups promoting a cause, many just hoping they get mentioned (in a kind, gentle way) on The Western Word website!  I select a few each week that “Caught My Eye” and share them with my readers.  This week I picked five that I think you will enjoy…

–Chuck Denowh, from the Coalition to Protect Montana Jobs, sent me an e-mail with the (very long) subject, “Release: Tester, Other Montana Candidates Refuse To State Their Position On Critical Workplace Issues” in which the group “criticized Montana Senator Jon Tester and other Montana candidates for federal office for refusing to answer a questionnaire on important workplace issues.”

I checked the website listed on the release to see what the group was asking.  Steve Daines was listed as running for the Senate (that was later changed to House, but I have a screenshot of the error).  From what I’ve been reading, I don’t know if Steve Daines realizes…

Ironically, everyone who is listed as a Republican or Libertarian returned the questionnaire and all the Democrats did not.  Chuckie…

-The Montana Republican Party sent me an e-mail with the subject, “Dem Donor Lets Dem Candidate Off The Hook.  Again.”  In which they complained about the Commissioner of Political Practices letting Democrat Gubernatorial candidate Steve Bullock off the hook in regards to “illegal” campaign financing.

The Montana GOP was very concerned because they say the fellow who signed the Commissioner of Political Practices opinion donated money to Democrats.

The Commissioner of Political Practices office is broken and has been for a long time.  The Montana political parties need to drop their weapons and work together to change that office and make it as non-partisan as possible.

– Preston Elliott, the Campaign Manager for U.S. Senator Jon Tester, sent me an e-mail with the subject, “Where you come in.”  Elliott writes, “Dennis Rehberg is at it again with another ridiculous attack ad — and this time, he isn’t just smearing Jon, he’s inviting Montanans to trust him to ‘always do what’s right.’”

He then writes, “We can’t let Dennis get away with his distortions.  We have $25,562 left to reach $100,000 by the end of May.  Click here to pitch in $5 or $10 right now.”

I wonder if it is hard to have a name (like Preston Elliott) where your last name can be used as your first name and your first name can be used as the last?  I think you would probably have to concentrate a little harder to put your correct name in the block that says “Last Name” and “First Name.”  I know, I know, this is a very deep thought for a Friday…

–Erik Iverson, the Campaign Manager for Congressman Denny Rehberg’s senate campaign, sent me an e-mail with the subject, “Jon Tester’s Washington Bologna…” where he writes, “Bologna… baloney…  However you want to spell it, it’s what liberal Senator Jon Tester is bringing back from Washington each and every day…”

By the way, I like fried baloney…

Iverson then writes about the new Bologna ad and about Rehberg being “a fifth-generation Montana rancher.”

I think the “fifth-generation” talking point is getting old and it probably hurts the feelings of non-natives and may keep them from voting for Rehberg.  It could also hurt the feelings of other candidates, like Steve Daines and Rick Hill (both born outside of Montana).  If Daines and Hill win their primaries will Rehberg support these non-natives? 

-The Aspenlieder for Montana Secretary of State Campaign sent me an e-mail with the subject, “In case you missed it…” which was about Aspenlieder calling “on Secretary of State Linda McCulloch to order an audit of all ballots.”  That was after some errors were found in absentee ballots that were recently mailed to Montana voters.

I don’t know if this ballot “thingy” is a big deal or not, but Aspenlieder did get some publicity out of the issue – but I doubt if he gets enough publicity so everyone knows how to pronounce his last name.  That’s OK; Marc Racicot had the same problem many years ago…

Mark Your Calendars:

Via e-mail from Montana Watchdog-The Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity, along with Montana Watchdog, invites all bloggers and the general public to a “citizen watchdog” event July 14 that focuses on online news and open government.

The Franklin Center will provide a full day of in-depth training to equip bloggers and citizens with the tools and skills to become a more effective activist and citizen watchdog.

More information can be found HERE (No, I am not teaching the course).

Social Security Administration:

It was good to read that the Congressional Delegation convinced the Social Security Administration to re-open their Great Falls hearing office.

Hundreds of people will benefit from this hearing office being open.  Good job!

Roll With the Changes:

Everyone who reads this blog knows that I am the ultimate REO Speedwagon fan.  So when I received a link to this video from REO, I had to share with my readers!

To set it up, more than 1,000 students, teachers, administrators, staff members and business partners representing the amazing community and 25 schools of Hanover County, Virginia, show their team spirit by doing a “lip dub” of Roll With the Changes” by REO!  Keep on rolling!!!

It would be great if the people in Great Falls (Montana) who are upset with the changes of administrators in the school district would just “roll with the changes!”

Note:  Today REO Speedwagon is visiting Hanover High School to meet with students and tour the school. Is that cool or what!

For something fun to do, follow Jack on Twitter @TheWesternWord