Patriotism is easy to understand in America. It means looking out for yourself by looking out for your country. – Calvin Coolidge

Welcome to July and to the big show to end the week – “Caught My Eye” (CME)!

If you are a first-time visitor, CME is posted right here every Friday morning. This is when I take a 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 to make you smile – or to irritate you just a little – maybe both.

Topics this week include exodus from the GOP, The Western Word poll, Veterans Suicide Hotline, Clinton & Lynch Meeting, WalletHub’s 4th of July by the Numbers, and much more!

Done with GOP?

Montana’s premiere blog, the Montana Cowgirl, broke the story about the latest exodus from the Montana Republican Party. This time Susan Good Geise, the Republican commissioner from Lewis and Clark County, announced on Facebook she was leaving the party and long-time national Republican representative from Montana, Betti Hill, posted a message to Geise that said, “I’m with you, Susan.”

You can read the Montana Cowgirl’s column HERE.

I have a lot of respect for Geise and Hill, but I wonder why it took them so long to figure out the Montana Republicans and national Republican Party was so effed up.

The GOP has been circling the drain since 2005-2006.

Now Montana needs to make it easier for independent candidates to get on the ballot. This would allow candidates to escape the taint and slime of being connected to the GOP.

TWW Poll Discussion:

After the gubernatorial debate between Governor Steve Bullock and his challenger, Greg Gianforte, I posted a poll question on The Western Word (TWW) asking who won the debate. Gianforte won with 73% of the vote to Bullock’s 24%. Thanks to the hundreds who participated.

A poll like I posted at TWW was used “to take a sampling of the attitudes or opinions of” the debate. It’s not scientific by any means; it does use cookies to keep people from voting more than once, although that can beat. If a campaign gets the word out then they can make their candidate look good. Gianforte beat Bullock in getting their people to go to my website and vote.

Of course, the Gianforte campaign was quick to use the results to say their guy won. It was fun to watch the back and forth. I’ve had poll results used by both sides. I just wish they would have posted that the results came from TheWesternWord.com – that would be a professional courtesy.

Even one of Montana’s political scientists chimed in on Twitter with his two cents, which I always find worth way less than two cents.

In other words the poll was for shits and giggles…nothing more (except to generate traffic to this website).

Veterans Suicide Hotline:

USA Today broke the story yesterday reporting that more than a third of troubled veterans are not getting through to the best trained suicide-hotline staffers because of poor work habits at the Department of Veterans Affairs’ call center.

This news is beyond belief. Reports say that 22 veterans commit suicide each day. Now we find that staffers paid to assist veterans are leaving work early and letting calls roll-over to less experienced staff. How in the hell could anyone let this happen?

U.S. Senator Jon Tester, who is a “senior’ member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee issued his obligatory press release slamming the VA for their poor work. Yawn.

Like I have said before, the VA is broken. There needs to be a housecleaning at the VA like we have never seen.

Clinton & Lynch Meeting:

The Associated Press reported that former President Bill Clinton spoke with Attorney General Loretta Lynch during an impromptu meeting in Phoenix. Lynch was quick to point out that the discussion did not involve the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s email use as secretary of state.

It does not matter. The damage is done.

I thought Lynch was a pretty intelligent Attorney General – not so much now.

*The New York Times reported this morning:

Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch plans to announce on Friday that she will accept whatever recommendation career prosecutors and the F.B.I. director make about whether to bring charges related to Hillary Clinton’s personal email server, a Justice Department official said. Her decision removes the possibility that a political appointee will overrule investigators in the case.

The Justice Department had been moving toward such an arrangement for months — officials said in April that it was being considered — but a private meeting between Ms. Lynch and former President Bill Clinton this week set off a political furor and made the decision all but inevitable.

One More Thing:

WalletHub takes a look at the 4th of July By the Numbers:

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