Serving the Flathead Valley & Montana since 2006. A reality based independent journal of observation & analysis. © James Conner.
Montana’s Democrats would be anguished over Sen. John Walsh’s self-inflicted predicament even if Democratic control of the Senate were not at stake. It’s a personal tragedy and a political nightmare under the best of circumstances.
But these are not the best of circumstances. Republicans could gain control of the Senate — indeed, there are plenty of forecasts that control of the chamber will flip to the GOP — and initiate a reign of policy terror that President Obama might not be strong or wise enough to resist. With a Republican Congress, there could be ugly cuts in vital social insurance programs such as Social Security and Medicare, as well as programs such as food stamps. If you think that sounds overwrought, read Seth Michaels’ essay, The Consequences Of An All-Too-Likely Republican Senate.
Until Walsh’s academic sin was revealed, he was closing the gap with Rep. “Shutdown” Steve Daines, a tea party policy zealot whose extreme votes are less appreciated the more Montana voters learn about them. There was a legitimate chance that Walsh, that Montana, could help save the Senate from the red tide. Now that chance is much, much smaller, which is why Democratic activists are so dismayed and discouraged by Walsh’s plight.