Ralph Nader Plans Missoula Rally

Ralph Nader, independent presidential candidate and activist, will hold a rally in Missoula October 22.

According to the Great Falls Tribune, he will speak about the Wall Street bailout, single-payer health care, the Iraq War, the environment and the state of the presidential debates, from which he was excluded.

It'll take place at the University of Montana's North Ballroom in the University Center at 1:30.

Former Montana Governor Offers Insights into Palin, Politics

Montana's former Gov. Judy Martz, a Republican who served from 2001 to 2005, said her tenure in politics offers unique insight into Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin.

The women's movement is hypocritical, Martz said, because it doesn't celebrate all women, only those who align themselves with it politically. Too often the press ignores policy, favoring gaffes instead. Politics is tough on families. And although the electorate continually asks for authenticity, Martz said, it seems to reward the phonies.

guest opinion

Tester: A Common Sense Agenda for Middle Class Prosperity

Everywhere I’ve been over the last few weeks, hundreds of folks have gone out of their way on Main Streets in Montana to talk with me about the economy.

I believe it is a problem that needs a fundamental fix from the ground up instead of the top down.

That’s why I believe we need a new agenda that focuses on rebuilding our infrastructure, improving education and health care, and making our country energy secure.

watching the polls

McCain’s Lead in Montana Dwindling, Poll Shows

John McCain's lead over Barack Obama in Montana is shrinking, according to a poll released Thursday by American Research Group.

McCain is now up by five points -- 50 percent to 45 percent -- compared to last week's eight point advantage (in a Rasmussen Reports poll) and double-digit advantages two weeks ago (in polls conducted by Research 2000 and CNN/Time Opinion Research).

From The New West Blog

Montana GOP Abandons Voter Challenge

The Montana Republican Party on Tuesday night announced it was abandoning its challenge of the legitimacy of thousands of Montana voter registrations, reports Jennifer McKee of Lee Newspapers.

In a letter to Vicki Zeier of the Missoula County elections office, Jacob Eaton, executive director of the Montana Republican Party, wrote that the group no longer wished to challenge thousands of Missoula county voters or any other voters statewide.

Montana Democratic Party Sues to Stop Republican Voter Challenges

A pair of Missoula County voters and the Montana Democratic Party filed suit in federal court Monday morning to halt broad Republican challenges of newly registered voters, and to keep harshly worded letters about the challenges from being mailed to those challenged voters.

State Republicans challenged more than 6,000 voters last week in a handful of Democratic counties and Democratic-leaning areas. The challenges were made using a private forwarding-address service and notarized by Republican Party employees, the lawsuit alleges.

"I'm a challengee in Silver Bow County!" said Democratic Party official Art Noonan. He's also a state representative from Butte. (The progressive nonprofit Forward Montana, has a new Web site where you can check to see if your registration has been challenged.)

watching the polls

McCain Up 8 in Montana, Poll Shows

A new poll released Thursday by Rasmussen Reports has John McCain up 8 points over Barack Obama in Montana, 52 percent to 44 percent, a narrower advantage than the few polls conducted in recent weeks have suggested.

From The New West Blog

Montana GOP Challenges Eligibility of 6,000 Voters

The Montana Republican Party this week challenged the eligibility of 6,000 registered Montana voters in seven counties that have historically been Democratic strongholds, the AP reports.

It means those who are registered to vote in Missoula, Butte-Silver Bow, Lewis and Clark, Deerlodge, Glacier or Hill counties and who filled out a change-of-address card with the U.S. Postal Service in the past 18 months will likely have to verify their correct address before the Nov. 4 election. Most of the voters being challenged are registered in Missoula County.

Baucus: White House ‘Conspiracy’ Blocked Libby Declaration

U.S. Sen. Max Baucus has accused White House and Environmental Protection Agency officials of orchestrating a “conspiracy” by squashing a decision to declare a public health emergency in Libby three years after it was revealed more than 200 people died and another 2,000 fell ill because of asbestos exposure.

On Sept. 25 the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW) held a hearing to discuss a report released the previous day by Baucus, D-Mont., that describes a scenario in which top-level officials from the national Office of Management and Budget prevented the EPA from declaring Libby a public health emergency. Such a declaration would have authorized the EPA to do extensive clean-up work along with providing Libby residents increased health screening, basic services like oxygen – which many people need because of asbestos-related complications – and long-term medical health care.