The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) sent a press release on Wednesday saying, “On the first anniversary of the Democrats’ costly, unpopular health care overhaul, Montanans are once again reminded that their junior U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) gave President Obama the deciding 60th vote to pass the partisan bill into law.”

For those who do not follow politics that closely, the 60th vote is key in the U.S. Senate, as it normally takes 60 votes in the senate to move legislation forward.

According to a story in Politico, “Tester’s office was ready, though. His aides e-mailed the video of the Senate roll call vote in December 2009 — which clearly shows Tester casting the 52nd vote.”

I don’t really think being number 60 or number 52 matters that much. It was the “Yea” vote from Tester and 59 others that gave us this monstrosity – this law – that most legislators did not even read (including one of the major authors of the bill and Senator Tester’s mentor, Max Baucus).

We do know that a majority of Montanans think the federal health care reform law should be repealed and that has to be a concern to Senator Tester whether he was number 60 or number 52 – because he is guilty by association.