Things are getting confused at LITW

It's one thing to let the folks at Left in the West take a victory lap or two -- hey, the lefties had a pretty impressive year, and they have earned the right to gloat and strut like peacocks for awhile as far as we're concerned.

But let's try to keep the facts straight when we're throwing around accusations, shall we?

First, we learn that it is all the GOP's fault that the auto bailout failed. Fair enough, since GOP Senators led the charge on this one.

Only two problems:

1. Jay Stevens groups Denny Rehberg in with those who voted for bailing out Wall Street but against bailing out the Big Three. Was John Driscoll the only Democrat who noticed that Rehberg voted against the Wall Street bailout package -- or does Jay think we just won't notice that he's not telling the truth about Rehberg?

2. Jay also forgot to check how Montana's Democratic Senators voted until later -- something you'd think he'd do before titling his heavily-breathing post "GOP kicks auto industry to the curb." Do you think he might go back and retitle the post "GOP, joined by Democratic Sens. Tester and Baucus, kicks auto industry to the curb"? Maybe? Naw.

The truth is, the only Montanan who deserved to get attacked for having a double-standard was Sen. Baucus, but apparently when you're in a hurry to try to slime Denny Rehberg, and are grateful for all of Max's cash (much of which he shook down from the financial industry -- duh) in the last election, a little sloppiness doesn't hurt.

Meanwhile, Tester gets an "at least he's consistent" from his netroots buddies -- why doesn't Rehberg get one?

Final comment -- why would Baucus and Tester vote against this one? One thought is that they saw the P-Base polls about what Montanans think of the idea of taking the secret ballot away from workers in order to make things easier for union bosses.

Both Senators know they are going to vote to take away the right to a secret ballot and will vote to make public the preferences of employees (both their employers and union organizers will know) about unionizing their shop. In other words, both Senators will roll over for the unions, in spite of what Montana voters think. Casting this vote with the Republicans will give them something to point at, showing that they won't vote down the line with unions on every vote (and what better time to do it than in an industry where there aren't any auto manufacturing plants in Montana?)

Just a theory.