Self-professed "reformed earmarker" and Montana's lone congressman Denny Rehberg is expected to announce his candidacy Saturday, challenging Sen. Tester.  Tester wasted no time getting the frame-jump on his expected opponent, tying Rehberg to Michele Bachmann:

[...] I look forward to comparing records and talking about how we move this country forward, move rural America forward and being all we can be. But it's kind of interesting the way his campaign has started out. He's going to bring Michele Bachmann to Montana -- that's who he'll be standing beside when he announces.

Tester also took shots at Rehberg's vote record on veteran issues, and staked out a clear position on improving -- not repealing -- the Affordable Care Act.

Rehberg's confidence comes from his 60% victory in the congressional race, and the low bar for jumping on the tea party wave like every other "reformed" conservative with a hat in the ring.  But as Tester himself has said: that was the house, this is the senate. Rehberg's 6th term congressional landslide could be attributed to his ability to raise money against a lesser known, a luxury he won't have in this race.

His congressional issues page reads contrary to the current tea party purity tests, touting his support for SCHIP, access to health care, government programs helping people, etc.  Expect it to be scrubbed by Saturday, especially this:

While I am concerned about continued funding for rail service along Montana's hi-line, Amtrak passenger rail service needs to be restructured in order to improve passenger service throughout the United States. I will work hard to ensure that Montana’s passenger rail service is maintained through any re-structuring process.

Tea party foul, Denny.  Trains = Tyranny, dontcha know!

And if watching Rehberg morph into a darling of the Palin/Bachmann club isn't enough to make this the earliest race to watch, Swing State Project is placing this one in the "titanic clash" tossup category, right out of the gate.

The topic below was originally posted yesterday evening at the Intrepid Liberal Journal.

A personal friend and avid reader of my blog recently complained that,

"You're too tough on Democrats and Barack Obama. Since the election you've fired more rhetorical bullets at Democrats than Republicans."

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Originally posted at The Wayward Episcopalian.

Let me be clear: Jon Tester, Democrat from Montana, is one of my favorite politicians. This guy, an organic farmer by trade, is amazing. While interning for Montana's other senator last spring, I had the chance to meet Tester twice and watch him interact with lobbyists and other politicians. His personality, memory, and values are all exactly what you want in a United States Senator. The members of his staff whom I had occasion to work with were also professional and impressive.

But, something troubles me.

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The U.S. Senate race here in Oklahoma continues to quietly build-up to be a fascinating one.

The DSCC is showing more and more willingness to get involved, and Inhofe may be more vulnerable than most people thought.

More below.

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There has been much discussion in the netroots  recently about the potential power of the Youth Vote in Iowa, or its lack of power. While I clearly have a side in all this. My most important side is the truth.  There is much discussion about the potential of  Youth of Vote. This diary is about an actual example of undisputed Youth Power. Congressman Joe Courtney would not be a Congressman today were it not for the power of Youth Vote  at the University of Connecticut.  I was not a part of the effort to turnout Young Voters on the Uconn Stores Campus but the numbers speak for themselves.

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