We say so long to July today and with August we begin to look at the end of summer and the start of school.  Be advised that soon our elected officials in Washington will be on recess…and campaigning across the state.  The 2012 campaign season is about the shift into a higher gear!

Today I write about a split ticket, Christie in Missoula, the plane mystery, meds, love for Clinton, the issues, Romney’s overseas trip, and much more…

Split Ticket:

The Great Falls Tribune published a story about the Senate race between U.S. Senator Jon Tester and Congressman Denny Rehberg.  The headline was “Tester may need split ticket to hold seat.”  The Tribune reporter asked several out-of-state experts to comment about the race and found, “National political analysts seem to agree that Tester began his re-election campaign with a tough hill to climb, but so far the incumbent is holding his ground against a savvy and experienced political rival.”

Yawn.  It was nice to bring in the big dogs to comment.  Last September I had Tester ranked as the third most vulnerable senator up for re-election in 2012.  Claire McCaskill (D-Missouri) was number two and Ben Nelson (D-Nebraska) was number one.  Nelson decided not to run for re-election.  The initial list which was compiled and posted by me on November 4, 2010, has been picked up by several newspapers and has been read by thousands.

I actually feel better about Tester and McCaskill’s chances now than I did back then…

Christie in Missoula:

The Missoulian is reporting, “The fiery Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey is headed to Missoula to help fellow Republican Rick Hill grab hold of the governor’s office in this state.”

The event is Friday, August 10 at 1:30 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn.  According to the story, a reception ticket is $150.  A photo opportunity is $630 a person, or $1,000 a couple.

Christie is a (surprisingly) good catch to help the quiet and reserved Rick Hill in his quest to become Montana Governor, but he seems a better fit for Butte America…

I wonder if Steve Daines is thinking, “This is the largest event ever in the history of Montana politics.”

The Plane:

Yesterday I asked readers if they had a photo of a plane flying over Great Falls with a Rehberg banner.  A reader responded and said the banner reads, “Rehberg is bad news for hunters” and here is a photo:

 

 

 

 

 

 

That’s a good way to get attention.  Another way would be to have a city bus painted with the candidate’s logo and name…

AP Correction:

I talked about the Associated Press (AP) story yesterday where I wrote, “The Montana GOP does not think it is fair that the Montana Democratic Party is paying the salaries of the spokesmen for Governor Candidate Steve Bullock and Attorney General Candidate Pam Bucy.  They believe the respective campaigns should pay the salaries.”

There was an error in the AP story.  You can read the correct story HERE.

Meds:

Dr. Dan Gold writes a column that appears in the Great Falls Tribune called, “Healer’s Corner.”  Today he talks about the price of colchicine (medication for gout) going “from nine cents per pill to nearly $5, thanks to the efforts of the federal Food and Drug Administration.”

I recently had a very severe cough that over-the-counter medication could not stop.  I went to a local doctor and was prescribed Avelox (400mg) which is an antibiotic.  The cost?  10 pills cost $186.32 and that was with insurance.  I did not even get a kiss from the pharmacist…

In 2013 maybe our elected officials in Washington can work on the high cost of prescription drugs…

Clinton Love:

A new poll from Gallup says, “Two-thirds of Americans — 66% — have a favorable opinion of former U.S. President Bill Clinton, tying his record-high favorability rating recorded at the time of his inauguration in January 1993.  Clinton nearly returned to this level of popularity at two points in his second term, but has generally seen lower ratings, averaging 56% since 1993.”

That’s an impressive favorable rating considering all he’s been through…

Campaign Plan:

A new poll from Gallup gives candidates a blueprint on what to talk about during this campaign season.  Gallup reports, “Creating good jobs, reducing corruption in the federal government, and reducing the federal budget deficit score highest when Americans rate 12 issues as priorities for the next president to address.”

Just talk about the top three or four issues and what you will do about them and you’re well on your way to being elected…

More Romney Problems:

If Mitt Romney spends much more time overseas, Barack Obama may beat him by a landslide in November.  Romney has had several problems in the foreign relations department on this trip.  You can read the latest one HERE.

Romney does not seem ready to lead this country…

Follow Jack on Twitter @TheWesternWord…