Almost everyone who has commented on the blogs and in newspaper columns about Brian Schweitzer’s tampering with the 2006 Senate election is not at all happy with him messing around with elections. The news has spread across the World Wide Web like a wildfire on a prairie. His remarks will dog him for a long time and harm his future in the political world.

Today we find that Montana Secretary of State Brad Johnson (R) has contacted Montana’s Attorney General, Mike McGrath (D), and asked him to investigate a citizen’s complaint about the Governor’s tampering with the election. He also asked that if McGrath was not going to investigate it, that he refer it to the appropriate county attorney.

Brad Johnson has done a tremendous job as Montana’s Secretary of State and always places those duties of that office about party politics.

But, I would not hold my breath that Montana AG McGrath will do anything. Maybe he will surprise us and place having open and honest elections above his party. In 2005, he failed to act on a similar issue within his party that dealt with Democratic Senate candidate John Morrison and Jon Tester breaking the law when they placed pre-recorded phone calls to raise money for their campaigns.

One can only imagine that McGrath’s personal phone line is burning up with calls coming in from Gov. Schweitzer, Sen. Jon Tester, Montana Democratic Party Chairman Dennis McDonald, and Sen. Max Baucus.

They all have a lot to lose.

McGrath is between a rock and hard spot. He is running for Chief Justice of the Montana Supreme Court. On his campaign website he states, “I believe I have the integrity, breadth of experience and commitment to fairness that position demands.”

The ball is in your court, AG McGrath. We’re waiting.