Happy Friday faithful readers!  I hear it is so hot in some parts of the country that the National Weather Service has issued a fat guy in tank top warning…

If this is your first time visiting The Western Word (TWW), 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 throw in a touch of sarcasm just to make you smile – so get ready to slide into your weekend armed with knowledge and a smile!

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

Today I write about unemployment, bailouts, flip-flops, flyovers, Call Me Maybe, birthdays, I open my political inbox and share, and there’s much more!

8.2% – Again:

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, “Nonfarm payroll employment continued to edge up in June (+80,000), and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 8.2 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.”

This is not great news for the Obama Campaign or incumbents – but they can “spin it” by saying at least the unemployment rate did not go up and there were jobs created.  Remember – most voters are dumber than a box of rocks and not many people are paying attention to campaigns this summer…

Rehberg/Tester & Bailouts:

The back and forth continues between Congressman Denny Rehberg and U.S. Senator Jon Tester – and in THIS ARTICLE it’s about housing…bailouts…and the Patriot Act.

Psst…it’s the economy stupid…

Romney Flip-Flop:

After a campaign is over many people look back at an event or issue and say that was where the election was lost.  The Romney campaign may be thinking about the week of July 2 as that date come this November.

Many people believed that Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney was handed a great issue when the U.S. Supreme Court upheld most of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).  Romney and his supporters could say Obama was “raising taxes.”

The Romney campaign screwed it up.

Eric Fehrnstrom, senior adviser and top spokesman for the Romney Campaign, told NBC News Chuck Todd on Monday that Romney believes the health care mandate put in place in Massachusetts was a penalty and not a tax.

CBS News reported, “Mitt Romney tried to clear up the confusion about where he stands on President Obama’s health care reform.  Two days ago, his campaign spokesman said the requirement that every American buy health insurance is a penalty, not a tax.  But on Wednesday, the candidate shifted his position.”

If you watch the video of the CBS interview, Mitt Romney comes across as a smart-aleck.

Mitt Romney is being tagged as a flip-flopper, being filthy rich, out of touch, a terrible boss, and secretive about his investments and his accounts.

The part that is the most intriguing is his offshore bank accounts…

Flyovers:

The Associated Press reports, “Midwest ranchers have never been enamored with environmental regulators, but they really began to complain after learning that federal inspectors were flying over their land to look for problems.”

I did not read about any drones being used.  BTW, the other day I thought I saw a drone flying over my house, but it was just a big mosquito.  The easiest answer to solve this problem would be for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to use satellite imagery – but that would prevent them from spraying us with chemicals…

Jack’s Political Inbox:

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

-The Friends of Max Baucus campaign sent me an e-mail with the subject, “Big win for Montana” writing “…thanks to a lot of hard work, the F-15 fighters of the Montana Air National Guard (MANG) are staying in Great Falls.”  He goes on to say, “But this was just the first step.  With the F-15’s here to stay, our focus now turns to making sure the C-130 mission arrives on Gore Hill in 2014 as planned.”

Apparently Baucus’ campaign team is sorely lacking someone with knowledge of the F-15 issue in Great Falls.  The F-15s are scheduled to stay in Great Falls until the fall of 2013.  Sometimes you need someone on the payroll who has more experience with the military than attending air shows…

-The Mitt Romney Presidential Campaign sent me an e-mail with the subject, “20% off campaign gear” in which his team wrote, “To celebrate Independence Day we’re offering supporters like you a coupon for a 20% discount through Sunday, July 8, 2012, so that you can gear up for Mitt.”

I checked out the “store” and found yard signs for $15 (in comparison, Obama’s is $20).  Back in the day, candidates gave them to you for free.  I checked, but for the life of me, I could not find a guide for throwing staffers under the bus or how to hide your riches in offshore bank accounts on the Romney website.  Darn it!

-The Kim Gillan for Congress campaign, the Steve Bullock/John Walsh for Governor Lt. Governor Campaign team, and the Denise Juneau for State Superintendent of Public Instruction campaign team gets special mention for sending Fourth of July e-mails honoring the day.

Also, I saw John Walsh in action during the parade in Great Falls – impressive.  He’s a good campaigner – shaking hands and introducing himself to the crowd along the route…

-The Office of Congressman Denny Rehberg sent me an e-mail with the subject, “Rehberg, House Colleagues Fight Misguided Ban on White Potatoes from WIC Program.”

Full Disclosure:  As a commen-tator, I want people to know that I owned a Mr. Potato Head when I was a little younger, so this really ticks me off that potatoes, no matter what their color, are being banned…Go Rehberg – and I’m not just saying that to butter him up…

-The Coalition to Protect Montana Jobs, sent me an e-mail with the subject, “Montana Workers Deserve Independence From Micro-Unions” in which he wrote, “A recently proposed bill in the United States Senate gives both candidates vying for Montana’s open Senate seat an opportunity to weigh in on one of the many issues facing small business owners and employees in the Treasure State.”

Writing “Montana’s open Senate seat” lost me from the start.  An “open seat” is when no incumbent is running, like in Montana’s At-Large Congressional race.  Jon Tester is the incumbent in the U.S. Senate race.  With all the money these groups pour into electing their candidates one would think there would be some quality control measures in place…

Video of the Week:

Romney and Obama duet, “Call Me Maybe”

Please Buckle Up:

Every day we hear about people being killed in automobile accidents because they were not wearing their seatbelts.  That is a stupid move people – wear them – if not for yourself then for your family and friends.  They are the ones who will have to bury you for being stupid.

Happy Birthday:

Former President George W. Bush is 66.  Rapper 50 Cent turns 37.  Nancy Reagan is 91.  Sylvester Stallone is 66 (and still looks better than me).

Remember When:

On this date in 2004, Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry chose Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina to be his running mate…

Whatever happened to Edwards?

One More Thing:

Don’t forget to stretch…