Welcome to Thursday! Hold on – the weekend is in sight.
If this is your first time visiting The Western Word (TWW), “Thursday Numbers” is my weekly column where I take a look at the numbers mentioned in the news (in descending order) and provide commentary (sometimes with a little sarcasm).
DISCLAIMER: By reading this column you will probably gain a great deal of knowledge not found on other websites! You can use this information to impress your family, friends and co-workers, and it might even be life changing – so consider yourself warned…
This week I write about the world’s highest-paid athlete, unemployment, Journey, raising money, Jim Bunning, room rates in Maui, Foley, polls, a circus in the U.S. House, executive privilege, no debate, football, and much more!
85,000,000
Boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr., fought twice last year and made $85 million for about an hour (total) in the ring. That makes him the world’s highest-paid athlete.
Mayweather is currently serving a three-month jail sentence “stemming from a hair-pulling, arm-twisting attack in September 2010 on the mother of three of his children.”
7,000,000
According to CNN’s Jack Cafferty, “Nearly 7 million homes gave up cable or satellite TV last year – mostly due to the lingering recession.”
387,000
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, “In the week ending June 16, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 387,000…” In other words, that’s how many people filed new claims for unemployment.
Last week it was 386,000 but that figure was revised up to 389,000…
243,000
Classic rock band Journey will earn $243,000 for playing at the Montana State Fair in Great Falls on August 1. Journey will be joined that night by Pat Benatar and Loverboy. Benatar will receive $50,000 and Loverboy will earn $16,500.
100,000
The campaign for U.S. Senator Jon Tester sent me an e-mail and said they want to raise $100,000 in June to help fight (take a guess who)…special interests.
1964
On this date in 1964, Jim Bunning of the Philadelphia Phillies pitched a perfect game in a 6-0 victory over the New York Mets. Bunning later became a U.S. Senator representing Kentucky.
In 2009, Senator Bunning was screwed over by Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell – who (IMHO) has been one of the worst Republican leaders in U.S. Senate history…
332
That’s how many marijuana plants were seized by police in Three Forks, Montana…
Dude…I heard they were caught because they locked their keys in the car and it took them several hours to get out…
230
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is planning a conference for federal judges on Maui! The court’s chief judge, Alex Kozinski, says, “At $230 per night, the Hyatt on Maui compares favorably with similarly sized hotels in Anchorage, Alaska, and Sun Valley, as well as several California destinations.”
I imagine the best part is that the taxpayers are paying for the trip…
81
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 81% believe Congress listens more to party leaders than to voters.
Duh…
62
The Great Falls Tribune asked their readers yesterday in a non-scientific poll, “Do you think Jim Foley should be allowed to fulfill his contract at the University of Montana?” There were 188 votes and 62% answered No and 38% answered Yes.
I wonder if Jim Foley is a relative of Matt Foley – the motivational speaker…the fellow who does not amount to “Jack squat” and eats government cheese in a van down by the river…
51
According to Rasmussen Mitt Romney leads President Obama 51% -42% in Montana.
I expected Romney to have a bigger lead. In 2008, John McCain finished with 49.7% of the vote and Barack Obama received 47.2% in Montana.
People are not excited about Romney…
23
On Wednesday, the U.S. House Oversight Committee voted 23-17 to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt.
The U.S. House is a few clowns short of a circus…
20
That’s the number of workers from a Quaker Oats plant in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, who will share the $241 million Powerball jackpot. The drawing was on June 13.
I lived in Iowa many years ago and I don’t think $241 million would have made it better…
18
A new poll from Gallup reveals, “Eighteen percent of Americans say they would not vote for a well-qualified presidential candidate who happens to be a Mormon, virtually the same as the 17% who held this attitude in 1967.”
Although I don’t believe in Mormonism, the biggest problem for Romney is that people see him as out of touch with the middle class. He is just too filthy rich to understand how tough it is for people these days…
14
The Bill Clinton administration invoked executive privilege 14 times during his eight-year term.
6
The George W. Bush administration invoked executive privilege on six occasions during his eight-year term.
5
The five sons of Mitt and Ann Romney appeared on Conan last night (Wednesday).
In watching a clip from the show, I found the Romney boys a little hard to understand – it must be the silver spoons they have in their mouths…
4
It looks like major college football will have a four-team playoff starting in 2014.
This is great news and the start of something good…
3
Montana’s three U.S. Senate candidates, Dan Cox of the Libertarian Party; U.S. Representative Denny Rehberg (R-MT); and incumbent U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-MT), will not be debating this Sunday at the Montana Broadcasters convention as previously announced.
More and more Montanans want to know where Congressman Rehberg will be on Saturday night/Sunday morning…
Team Rehberg can e-mail me with the answer/schedule at Western_Word@yahoo.com
1
The Barack Obama administration has invoked executive privilege only one time.
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The Western Word 
Jack, I read your blog every day, ok not every day but very often. I have to agree with Ryan. I can’t name one president in modern times that is not rich and can truly relate to the middle class. I know that Obama is completely disconnected with the people.
Holder is required to disclose the documents to Congress but knows it will prove he lied. Obama claiming “Executive Privledge” proves he knew as well.
Obama has failed to lead and continues to blame Bush right up until today. He has put his ideology ahead of the people’s need’s and wants. it is time for the change that Obama promised and give someone else a shot at saving us.
I work with Fortune 500 companies and they are scared to death of the uncertainty of what our government will do to then. Once the ground rules are established, you will see the economy improve and jobs be created.
I will still read your blog regularly.
Barry in Plains, MT
Barry –
Great comments and thanks for visiting. Not that I am Obama’s biggest fan (nor Romney’s) Obama grew up pretty poor whereas Romney had it pretty easy. Romney just comes across (to me) as out of touch with the regular people. In 2008 when Romney said his sons were kind of “serving their country” by campaigning across Iowa for him in a RV, he lost me – I am a veteran.
As for the Fast and Furious issue, most of it is just political gotcha time in DC. The Dems did it to Bush with his AGs, and now since the GOP controls the House they are trying the nail Holder to harm Obama. The U.S. Justice Department is screwed up and was long before Holder became AG.
The tragedy of the whole thing is that someone was killed and political gotcha time is getting in the way of actually finding out the truth. Thousands of documents were already turned over, but the GOP knows that they have a wedge issue so they want to milk this for all its worth.
Thanks again for your comments,
-Jack
Jack,
My dad served for 24 years in the Air Force and I was a fortunate to have him up until 22 years ago, when he passed. He would not let me serve as he would say, “I gave so you wouldn’t have to”.
Thanks for your service to protect this country. And keep on writing, I’ll be visiting often.
All the best, Barry
Barry – Thanks!
First, the gun walking op was heinous and holder should have resigned. His justice dept is a joke and his maneuvers have been amateurish, just like those of his boss.
Also, the whole Romney is too rich argument is tiresome. The Obamas are multi millionaires as well and party every weekend they are in the whitehouse on the tax payers dime. Michelle has forced a doubling of traveling expenses because she wants to leave a bit early to her vacation spots. Obama grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth as well, attending private schools on his grandparents dime.
Obama is just as out of touch. He just acts like he isn’t. And he is a great actor. That is for sure.
I get it, you dot like Romney, I don’t love him either, but he understand how good policy can bring prosperity and that govt doesn’t create jobs, the private sector does. Obama doesn’t have a clue when it comes to value creation.
Rant over. Have a wonderful Big Sky Day.
Ryan – Have a great day yourself and thanks for visiting. -Jack