I guess everybody needs a break now and then, but I have to admit that it’s been a bit too long to justify this one. Not that I haven’t had lots of thoughts and opinions that I been more than willing to share – it’s just that writing them down seemed to be giving them too much reality. And there was more than enough reality to go around these past months – virtually none of it the political kind. All in all though, the important things – family and friends – are pretty much intact, albeit somewhat the worse for wear in some cases, and – in one special case – the arrival of our grandson, Nicholas James – much improved.

So it is time to move onward and upward.

2008 looms large. Already.

The upcoming Montana Republican convention is suddenly (finally?) generating some excitement in the trenches. Speculation about possible candidates and upcoming races is generating a buzz that is starting to replace the bummed out attitudes left over from the session. I heard the gloating from the left. (Just because I wasn’t writing didn’t mean I wasn’t reading!) I don’t think I’m buying what they’re selling.

Once the dust settles, when all the vetoes are either upheld or overridden, and we have had time to really examine what happened and what it will mean in the long run, many Montanans will probably be less than delighted with some of the Governor’s results. For instance, last week the Montana Chamber of Commerce released it’s report on the Governor’s and Legislature’s “business” grades. It’s an incredibly informative, in-depth analysis. Remember how Brian Schweitzer campaigned on how he wanted to attract businesses to Montana? How he wanted to make sure Montana had a strong economy, with higher wages and more and better jobs for all Montanans?

i think he’s got a credibility problem for the next campaign. I mean – if your kid came home with a grade of 12% – a REALLY LOW “F-” by any standard – would you be very inclined to believe that he was honestly trying to pass that class?

Me neither.