The real headline should have come from information tucked deep in the Gazette story, and read "Tester late for first speech."
When Tester's turn came up:
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who was managing the bill on the Senate floor, announced that Tester would be next to speak but then noted that he was not in the chamber.
She talked about procedural issues for a few moments before reminding senators that if they are not on the floor when their turns come, they will have to speak later.
Is there any question whatsoever how the Gazette would have handled a similar gaffe by Conrad Burns? That, of course, is a rhetorical question, not a serious one.
As Montana Headlines pointed out before, no-one should wish Tester anything but the best, but anyone who thought they were going to raise Montana's image, supposedly tarnished by backwoods Burns, probably has yet more surprises in store.
