Brad Molnar may be singing that Rolling Stones song today about the latest happenings from the Montana Public Service Commission (PSC).

For those of you who don’t know what a PSC does (and actually care about it) here is what their website tells us: “…ensure that public utilities in Montana provide adequate service to customers at reasonable rates. In its decisions, the commission tries to balance the interests of ratepayers who are concerned about utility costs with the utilities’ need to have the opportunity to earn a fair rate of return on their investment.”

There are five commissioners elected from five districts across the state. They serve four year terms. The Chairman and Vice Chairman are elected by the Commissioners.

That’s “pretty cool.”

Coming into 2011, the PSC was bubbling over with anticipation as the GOP took control of the commission. The GOP controls the commission 3-2 over the Democrats. Previously, the Democrats controlled the PSC 4-1.

In what could be defined as having visions of sugar- plums dancing through his head, PSC District 2 Commissioner Brad Molnar (the only Republican when the PSC was 4-1 in Democratic control) seemed to have felt since he was the “senior” Republican that he would be anointed to the throne of Chairman.

Quicker than ESPN College Football analyst Lee Corso could say “not so fast, my friend” Republican Travis Kavulla from PSC District 1 presented Molnar with some sort of “chairman’s code of conduct” to sign before he would support him as Chairman. Kavulla was reported saying he had doubts about Molnar’s “temperament and leadership” in being the Chairman. That is where the fun began.

The Montana media attempted to cover the scrum.

Kavulla was right to do this. I spoke to a few friends around the state on Tuesday and they were happy Kavulla made this move. It was easily proven when Molnar went off on Kavulla saying since Kavulla was only 26 years old he could not tell him how to live his life. Molnar also used very salty language in a public setting – in front of a couple of reporters – and since it was a Republican saying something nasty, they reported it.

All this happened within the first 48 hours of the Commission going into session.

It was also reported that Commissioner Bill Gallagher (District 5) said he was not qualified to be Chairman on Monday. He must have done a cram session on Monday night. He accepted the Chairmanship on Tuesday.

And Molnar gets to be Vice Chairman – not quite at the top of throne but he can see it from there.

I imagine this little elbow throwing and shoving match is far from over.