It's been a long time since Montana has had a democratic governor, but things are looking up with this year to break the 16-year reign of what one political reporter has called the "Republican Raj".
Brian Schweitzer, the leading democratic gubernatorial candidate along with other state legislative candidates will be featured at the annual Mansfield-Metcalf dinner here in the Montana state capital. This annual democratic event is named after Montana Senator Mike Mansfield, the US Senate majority leader in the 1970s, and Montana Senator Lee Metcalf, a leading civil rights and environmental issues advocate in the US Senate in the 60s and 70s.
The Mansfield-Metcalf dinner has even gained the notice of today's The Note from ABC:
"This Saturday one Gov. Vilsack is set to keynote the Treasure State's Democratic Party annual dinner.
We here at the Note offer you a Big Sky sneak peek:
"Democratic governors are some of the most innovative, in touch leaders in the country. And I am convinced that is why we know how to win in areas that Democrats usually write off. I'm talking about rural towns, small towns, Midwestern towns, Southwestern towns. I'm talking about states like Iowa, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Kansas, Arizona -- all states where we have Democratic governors. And I'm talking about Montana -- where we are about to have a Democratic governor.
"The bottom line is, with the help of candidates for governor and Governors, Democrats can win in every area of the country. I saw that President Bush went and whooped it up at a Rodeo and Livestock show this week. They think that they've got the votes of farmers and small town families and agricultural families all wrapped up. They think that Bush can give a healthy horse a hearty pat on the side, flash a steady grin toward the camera, and convey trust and likeability. Well President Bush is in for a surprise if he thinks that's all it takes . . . Rural families are looking to the President to produce a serious, sustained lift to our economy -- not for a shot of him posing with prize pigs."
Vilsack is head of the Democratic Governor's Association and it will be interesting to see what he has to say about democrats chances in the West and the results of the Iowa caucus.
I will be blogging after the dinner to keep Kossacks informed on the latest political gossip from the Northern Rockies.