Over the years I’ve been accused of being overly optimistic in what I’ve written in this space – in fact, descriptions have included “delusional” and “naïve.” The accusations have some merit. But I embrace the criticism with some pride if the alternative is telling readers they should lock themselves in their homes and give up […]

Following District Judge Jeffrey Sherlock’s ruling last week that American Tradition Partnership must disclose its financial records, Attorney General Steve Bullock, who is also the governor elect, said this is “the beginning of the end of ATP’s lawless activities in the state of Montana.” That may be premature, but the judge’s decision is certainly a […]

Last week, a popular bill that would expand access for hunters and anglers and had previously enjoyed bipartisan support was blocked in the U.S. Senate for reasons no one quite understands. For now, duck stamps are being blamed. Yes, duck stamps. The Sportsmen’s Act, whose lead sponsor is Montana Sen. Jon Tester, appeared to have […]

This year, we were told a lot of things are awful. Politicians were horrible, their policies were worse and we were doomed no matter the outcome. But then the election passed and the majority of us are moving on whether our preferred candidates won. To be sure, not everyone is. People in every state have […]

President Barack Obama lost Montana by 14 percentage points. He lost North Dakota by 19 percentage points. But U.S. Senate races in both states, which Republicans saw as easy pickups six months ago, went to Democrats. The question is why. While Montanans are well known for splitting tickets, and Democratic Sen. Jon Tester enjoyed the […]

JetBlue is offering a curious promotion to its customers. If your presidential candidate of choice loses the election, you could win a free plane ticket to leave the country. It’s called “election protection” and it plays on Americans’ mostly bogus, and short-lived, threats to uproot when a bitterly contested vote doesn’t go their way. The […]

Before last week’s governor debate in Kalispell between Rick Hill and Steve Bullock I was asked, “Are you going to be more Jim Lehrer or Candy Crowley?” Those journalists oversaw the first two presidential debates and what observers thought of their moderating performances was largely influenced by their politics. Obama supporters largely panned Lehrer, who […]

At the 2009 state Legislature lawmakers overwhelmingly endorsed the so-called “castle doctrine.” The law made it clear that Montanans have no obligation to retreat when they feel threatened before using deadly force to protect themselves or their homes. Just months after the session ended, a dispute between Walmart employees in Billings over the length of […]

It’s not unusual to meet someone outside the office, tell them what I do for a living and for them to immediately want to talk about politics. They want to engage about the state of the races for higher office, policy discussed in the last city council meeting and why they agree, or disagree, with […]

Considering the tone of advertisements in Montana’s U.S. Senate race in which candidates Jon Tester and Denny Rehberg are berated as hypocrites, traitors, or worse, it will be interesting to see how future campaigns for the state’s coveted judgeships will be conducted. By interesting, I mean awful. If you own a television, you have seen […]

Congress returned from recess last week but no one expected it to get much done. That’s probably best, anyway. Then, if lawmakers pass any meaningful legislation – say, the five-year Farm Bill extension to provide certainty to an agriculture industry dealing with one of the worst droughts in the country’s history – those lowly expectations […]

The idea for a University Center at Flathead Valley Community College should be vigorously pursued. Some four-year degrees are already offered at the school, but working with the state’s universities to set up satellite campuses on Kalispell’s existing one could have a huge impact on this area. The school announced recently that its board of […]

That’s what’s being discussed among city leaders as the Core Revitalization Plan is passed around. And, for good reason, it has provoked some excitement from residents who have seen it. To be sure, there are some who believe downtown Kalispell is just fine the way it is. I’m not one of them. I love the […]

If you turn on your television set, you’re bound to see a politician saying that he or she should be elected because he or she will remove obstacles in the way of “responsible” energy development. He or she will “cut the red tape.” And that will fix everything. If only it was that sample. True, […]

In recent weeks, both Democratic Sen. Jon Tester and his challenger, Republican Congressman Denny Rehberg, have worked to distance themselves from policies supported by their respective parties and may be unpopular in Montana. It is a competition between the two over who can establish himself as more independent, or (what’s that hollow, overused word?) a […]