Welcome to Monday and Monday Morning Politics! I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving holiday and time with family and friends (and watched some football). By the way, there are only 29 days left until Christmas!

Today in Monday Morning Politics I write about the certification of the general election results, Satisfaction, Outdoors bills, Compromise, the Bullock Cabinet, Baucus & the fiscal cliff, Brian’s (Swan) Song, Cantor talks about Missoula, and much more!

Montana General Election Results:

In case you forgot, the State Board of canvassers will meet in the Office of the Secretary of State on Tuesday (November 27) to canvass and certify statewide general election results.

The only race that is up for a possible recount (according to the Secretary of State’s website) is the race for Superintendent of Public Instruction which currently has incumbent Denise Juneau (D) leading Sandy Welch (R) by 0.48% (2,231 votes).

Satisfaction:

A new poll from Gallup tells us, “Americans’ satisfaction has stabilized, with 31% saying they are satisfied with the way things are going in the U.S. Satisfaction levels have been at or above 30% since September, after being below that mark for three years beginning in late August/early September 2009.”

Montana Outdoors Bills:

According to Lee Newspapers, several “Montana outdoors bills” are coming up for votes in Congress during the lame-duck session.

U.S. Senator Jon Tester’s Sportsmen’s Act of 2012 (S.3525) is scheduled to get a vote on Monday (today) and his “Forest Jobs and Recreation Act has been attached to an Interior Department appropriations bill that is uncertain to get a vote before Congress reconvenes in January.”

U.S. Senator Max Baucus also has two bills – The North Fork Watershed Protection Act and the Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act might come up during the lame duck session.

I’ve seen an ad for the Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act which almost made me miss the political ads…

Lee Newspapers reached out to Congressman Denny Rehberg and reported that his “office did not respond to requests for comments on the lame duck session or other legislative goals before his term expires Jan. 2.”

I wonder if Team Rehberg understands they are still getting paid to do a job…

Compromise:

The Missoulian (a newspaper in Missoula Montana) told the Montana Congressional delegation in an editorial on Friday that the “political divisions must not preclude these duly elected representatives from working together to pass legislation that is good for the nation and meaningful to Montana.”

Some may say the Missoulian Editorial Board members are dreamers, but we all want to see the Democrats and Republicans working together in Montana and in Washington…

The Bullock Cabinet:

Lee Newspapers gets out their crystal ball and takes a look at who might be in Governor-Elect Steve Bullock’s cabinet.

I wonder who will be the Governor’s unofficial blogger…you know, someone who can provide readers with accurate inside info…

Baucus & the Fiscal Cliff:

No, it’s not a new country and western band…

On Sunday, the Great Falls Tribune published a story saying that Montana’s Senior Senator, Max Baucus, is pushing “for rural priorities in face of ‘fiscal cliff’”

He’s also running for re-election in 2014 so we’ll be hearing a lot more from Baucus in the next two years…

Brian’s (Swan) Song:

On Sunday, Lee Newspapers looked at Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer’s eight years in office.

I wonder if Republicans in the state legislature will host a going away party for him…

Brian Schweitzer makes me giggle. I’ll miss that…

Eric Cantor, Missoula, & Morning Joe:

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor appeared on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” this morning and talked about campaigning in Missoula, Montana, where he met a man who was working as a cook in the airport restaurant who wanted the economy to pick up so he could get back into the construction business.

Watch the clip HERE (the Missoula story starts at about 4:40).

Follow Jack on Twitter @TheWesternWord