Up first today is the tiff about the GOP mailers. There’s been a couple of stories about the Montana GOP sending out some mailers to five democrats about a gun rights bill in Montana legislature.

The Helena Independent Record ran this STORY on March 10. The Great Falls Tribune ran this STORY on March 10.

The Helena Independent Record story was much better written and more equal, but that is normal when you compare the two reporters who wrote the stories.

I remember a week or two before the November 2006 elections I ran inside the local post office late one evening to drop off a letter. The trash cans were overflowing with political mailers for and against Jon Tester and Conrad Burns. People had received them in their Post Office boxes and then threw them in the trash.

So, I’m thinking big deal and yawning. It’s politics, but maybe it is one of the first times it has been done during a legislative session. It’s a new day in Montana.

House Republican Leader Michael Lange said he won’t support for party chair anyone who would sanction such attacks, and promised to bring up the issue at the party’s June convention that chooses the next party chair.

Sure you won’t. Both sides do it. Besides, it keeps the Post Office busy.

Next up is the second STORY about the Annual Montana Democrats dinner which is called the Mansfield-Metcalf dinner.

The Montana Democrats have a big dinner each year. The Montana Republicans have about a gazillion Lincoln-Reagan Day Dinners. Last night over 1000 democrats attended their annual dinner in Helena. Impressive showing.

I guess the big thing from the story is that Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper believes that Brian Schweitzer is Vice Presidential material. We’ll see. There was no mention if RED BEER was served.

The third story in the blog report today is U.S. Senator Jon Tester, D-Mont., toured the Fort Harrison Regional VA Hospital on Saturday. He called it a “jewel” in this STORY.

Tester wants “proper” funding pumped into the system. He also “hired a former Marine officer to bring Montana VA issues to the attention of his office.”

Next up, Congressman Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., will tour the facility.

And finally we blog about the NCAA Basketball tournament. I think Kansas may win it all. Florida, UCLA, North Carolina, Texas and Ohio State will make it far. Get your brackets ready!