A primary for Jon Tester?

[The Northerner]

While most of the active 2012 Senate primary fights appear to be hatching on the Republican side, a progressive Native American who has run for Congress before is exploring a challenge from the left to a moderate upper Midwest incumbent Democrat.

Melinda Gopher confirms to POLITICO she's leaning towards launching a long-shot bid against Montana Sen. Jon Tester in order to "advance the goals and ideology of the party in a different direction."

Gopher, who netted more than 13,000 votes for a third place finish in the U.S. House primary last year, said Montana liberals are "disillusioned and disengaged" as a result of what they see as lackluster leadership from Tester and senior Sen. Max Baucus.

"It's the culture of the Democratic party out here. We don't see the current leadership of the party, especially our two senators, as really fulfilling a vision," she said.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/blogs/davidcatanese/0311/A_primary_for_Jon_Tester.html?showall

[LAGC]

1. I wonder where Gopher stands regarding the PATRIOT Act?

Both Tester and Baucus voted against renewing it. That should count for something.

Montana is really more libertarian than it is liberal, so it might be hard for a progressive to get elected, especially as a senator where you have all the rural areas of the eastern part of the state to consider.

If Gopher would really stand a better chance of beating the Republican, then I'd be all for it. But I'm not sure that's the case.