I happened to catch an article in Saturday’s Billings Gazette with the headline, “GOP candidate cries foul against critics.” You can read it HERE.

The story is about a GOP candidate named Debra Bonogofsky who was beaten in the GOP primary by Dan Kennedy after four groups targeted her with mailers. She lost by 259 votes.

First of all I don’t know Debra Bonogofsky from Debra Winger or Dan Kennedy from Dan Quayle, but the article lets us in on a major problem with politics today – the last minute fliers hitting the voters’ mailboxes spreading misinformation or spun so that it creates doubt in the voters’ minds.

According the Gazette, the four groups are: Western Tradition Partnership, Assembly Action Fund, Montana Right to Work and the National Gun Owners Alliance.

Funny thing is that I probably agree with some of the views of these groups, but they are way out of line here.

It’s more of the same within the GOP and their supporters. Some candidates are not Republican enough so the attack dogs come out – spewing lies and misinformation.

It’s total scum politics and it is a major problem.

Bonogofsky has filed a complaint with the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices which is another joke. The office has no teeth, no money (which means few staff to handle the workload) and the commissioner is appointed by a politician. The Gazette reported that it might be two years or more before the complaint is deemed to have merit by the Commissioner. That’s just peachy if you are one of these four groups or other political groups who see Montana as fertile ground for their escapades.

Hopefully when the investigations are complete, these four groups will get more than a slap on the hand. If the state finds one comma, period or word missing in any of their paperwork let’s hope they punish them and forbid the people in charge of these groups from doing any campaign work in Montana for a period of five years – along with their organizations.

If this type of punishment is not on the books, maybe the state legislature should address it in 2011.

Also, maybe the state should look into requiring all political parties registered with the state to pay $250,000 per year to be a registered political party and any groups or organizations that are involved in politics be it “informational” or for or against a candidate pay the same amount to play the game of politics in the state. That money could go the office of the Commissioner of Political Practices to hire staff and do timelier investigations. That might stop some of the shadiness.

Bonogofsky said she would run as a write-in candidate. Good for her. Unfortunately, no Democrats filed for the seat, so I doubt that it will make much difference. The Western Tradition Partnership, Assembly Action Fund, Montana Right to Work and the National Gun Owners Alliance won – for now.

Hopefully other people who lost in the primary because they were targeted by any or all of these four groups (or other groups) will run as write-in candidates. Just maybe they can prevent these groups’ candidates from winning a few races.