The Associated Press (AP) reported Wednesday afternoon that U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont.) is recommending that the Whitetail Border crossing upgrade cease and the border station close.

I wonder what took him so long.

It what has turned out to be a nightmare for Tester and Senator Max Baucus (D-Mont.), readers may remember it was Tester and Baucus who touted the amount of the funding they were able to obtain for Montana’s border crossings. It has been reported that Tester and Baucus contacted Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano to get the Montana projects funded although they were a lower priority than other ports on our borders.

It’s sad that politics takes priority over our security. It should make Montanans and every citizen angry.

This ordeal has been particularly difficult for Tester who, in a press release, did not realize in which county the Whitetail Border crossing was located. Several news organizations did stories about the Whitetail Port, which has been named the “Port to Nowhere.”

To compound the problem, the Secretary of Homeland Security visited Montana, but stayed about 200 miles away from the Port.

Initially, the Whitetail Border crossing was due to get a $15 million upgrade. The AP said the $15 million would build a “Hollywood mansion” at Whitetail that sees about three travelers a day.

Then the funding was cut to $8.5 million after the public got wind of the deal. Recently, the construction was put on hold for 30 days.

Get ready. Now I expect Tester and Baucus to tell us they saved the government $23.5 million ($15 million plus $8.5 million). That’s the way they do the math in Washington, D.C., these days.

Look for an e-mail or press release from the “dynamic duo” saying they are fighting to restore fiscal responsibility to Washington. Look for them to throw in a line or two about “jobs saved” too.