If it’s Friday then it’s time for another edition of “Caught My Eye!”

If this is your first time visiting The Western Word the “Caught My Eye” column is posted every Friday morning! This is when I take a quick look at some of the stories I did not have time to write about during the week. I often throw in a touch of sarcasm just to make you smile – or maybe to irritate you just a little.

Today I write about Dark money, Tim Fox and Columbus Day, Jon Tester and hostages, Steve Daines and Obamacare, President Obama and Bloggers, the Stenographer, My Advice to the Extremists, birthdays, plus we have a winner who is Making Montana Proud! There’s much more so read on…

Dark Money:

The Associated Press reported, “Montana’s commissioner of political practice said Wednesday that he found evidence of so-called dark money groups illegally coordinating spending with at least one candidate.”

And the press went wild!

While I think the people involved with these groups are scoundrels, the Commissioner did not actually uncover anything that was not already known.

My advice is to cancel the parade for the Commissioner…

Tim Fox Works on Columbus Day:

This just in: Montana Attorney General Tim Fox worked on Columbus Day!

I got a chuckle on Monday when I read a tweet from Montana Attorney General Tim Fox saying, “I’m working on this holiday as we prep #Montana witnesses before 6 wk trial over Tongue River water against WY in #SCOTUS.”

#sacrifice #dedication…

Tester & Hostages:

Montana’s junior senator, Jon Tester, released a statement after the shutdown ended saying:

I’m relieved that common sense has finally prevailed and we are able to reopen the federal government and pay our nation’s bills. I hope that in the future we can continue to have serious conversations about our nation’s debt and deficit without a minority of members of Congress holding our nation and the economy hostage.

This is going out on a limb, but I think when Tester said “minority of members of Congress holding our nation and the economy hostage” he meant Tea Party members.

Speaking of Tester, he named Dayna Swanson as his new State Director. Congratulations to Dayna!

Daines & Obamacare:

Montana’s lone House member, Steve Daines, issued a rather long statement about the government reopening saying at the end, “Going forward, my objectives will remain the same: repeal Obamacare, oppose tax increases and curb federal spending.”

That closing line reminds me of the 1977 Meat Loaf song, “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad.”

Daines may suffer some blowback from his Tea Party base for not staying the course and fighting longer. Some may even call him a RINO (Republican In Name Only).

Obama & Bloggers:

On Thursday President Obama made some remarks from the White House about the reopening of the government, saying, “And now that the government is reopened, and this threat to our economy is removed, all of us need to stop focusing on the lobbyists and the bloggers and the talking heads on radio and the professional activists who profit from conflict, and focus on what the majority of Americans sent us here to do…”

Bloggers? Seriously? C’Mon man!

The Stenographer:

USA Today reported, “A stenographer for the House apparently lost it Wednesday night as lawmakers passed a government funding and debt limit deal, Roll Call reports. The stenographer began shouting about God and the Freemasons as the vote took place.”

She was quickly escorted off the House floor.

Some viewers of Fox & Friends saw it as religious persecution.

Maybe she was just tired of the crap being dished out in the House like the rest of us…

My Advice to the Extremists:

I know that sadness has filled your world since Boehner and McConnell caved in and lost the fight to Obama and the Democrats. People were turning against you. Even GOP Sen. John McCain said that about the only people who liked you were “blood relatives and paid staffers.”

Here’s what you need to do to get out of this funk and live to fight another day:

First, take your favorite weapon (yes, the automatic one) to the range and fire off a few thousand rounds while screaming how much you hate Obama and love the Second Amendment. Second, turn your AM radio to the station that carries Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity and listen for six straight hours. Rush and Sean will be your guide out of funk land. Third, visit a National monument or National Park. You bitched about the monuments and National Parks being closed during the shutdown, so get off your butt and visit one. Fourth, go to your Facebook page and post something about Obama being a foreign student attending school in the USA or that he is a Muslim – you know something that’s been found false many times, but that you know a few friends will share because they are as dumb as a box of hair.

Do this every day until you get your mojo back. Then you and two of your friends can have a Tea Party rally and shout “Ted Cruz for President” over and over.

Making Montana Proud:

This section is where I mention people or groups whose actions embarrass Montana in some way.

-From the Billings Gazette: “A Billings man [Larry Dean Cochrane] accused of threatening a woman with a gun while claiming to make a citizen’s arrest has been charged with a felony offense.” The woman stopped to pick up a broken cell phone in a parking lot. Cochrane jumped out of the vehicle and grabbed her and said she was under arrest.

A citizen’s arrest works better if you use your flashing red lights, real handcuffs, and a fake badge.  Just sayin… 

Happy Birthdays:

Dawn Wells, who played Mary Ann on Gilligan’s Island, is 75. Former Da Bears coach Mike Ditka is 74. Pam Dawber of Mork and Mindy fame is 63, and Erin Moran of Happy Days is 53.

One More Thing:

Don’t forget to stretch…

 

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