Mike Lange is out of control again

As if the other stuff wasn't bad enough, now we have the following:

Mike Lange needed a crossover vote from the Democrats -- one would have done it -- to pass a piece of legislation near and dear to his heart. Of course, it was really one of his conservative compadres who was to blame, since the Republicans plus Jore make 51 -- but that didn't stop Lange from going ballistic on some Democrats.

Next thing you know, he was calling a radio station in the home town of a Democrat that he thought should have voted for his bill, criticizing said Democratic legislator. Reports of Lange's comments include words like "hopping mad," and "wrath."

Lange, known for using colorful analogies when criticizing his opponents, had this to say: "I didn't hear people in his district say, 'We're against that bill.' I heard, 'Giddyup.'" "But," Lange continued, "he instead pulled back on the reins and took the saddle off."

Lange went on to say that while he wasn't going to distribute attack fliers in the middle of a session to try to influence votes, he just couldn't remain silent about this: "You can't say one thing back home and then vote another way in Helena."

In other news, Governor Schweitzer, who has been known to reach into his pocket for a pen and come out with a rifle cartridge "by mistake," engaged in more explicitly threatening behavior when he went into Republican legislative offices, threatening legislators by making hand pistols and saying that "blood-letting" was going to begin if he didn't get the votes he wanted. He pretended to fire shots, but witnesses differed in their stories at this point.

Some said that he said "bang, bang!" Most, however, agreed that he used the more realistic and frightening sound of "pshew, pshew, pshew!" One witness said that the governor used a one-gun technique, using the palm of his other hand to rapidly brush the "thumb hammer" to quickly recock a hand-revolver.

Most observers, however, agreed that he was a "two-gun kid," rapidly firing off shots in multiple directions with each hand. "From the way he held his hands, I don't think this was an Old West kind of thing -- he seemed to be imagining that he had a semi-automatic Glock in each hand," a visibly shaken Scott Sales murmured.

Full stories here and here.

Things are getting rough up in Helena, and its about time we see some moderate leadership from the Senate -- both sides of the aisle.