Senate race exceeds decency limits

Editor,

Wow! This contest in Montana for the senate seat has now gone way beyond the old benchmark "of decency limits" we once knew as being too much, or over the brink. Mud slinging is what I'm referring to.

I'm sure that your endurance already has you reaching for the TV mute button. I know I'm very tired of seeing Conrad Burns guffawing it up with some ranchers et al … and Jon Tester likewise tossing that bale of hay and telling about that Big Sandy Ranch he inherited, or how much of a patriot he is because his brother was in the National Guard.

Wouldn't you think that those in both parties who are calling the shots, and the producers of some of these nonsensical political commercials would take a breath, step back and say, "Hey, wait a minute, this is just nuts — our constituents aren't going to buy this kind of bogus hyperbole!"

Fact of the matter is that the majority of us aren't going to change our vote because we've heard for the umpteenth time that Conrad along with some others got some questionable monies. Whoa, wait a minute, do you suppose there are still people who don't know the very first thing any and all Congress people do when they step off the plane in Washington is to make every effort and accept any opportunity to collect and amass a war chest for the next election?

On the other hand, do you suppose that somewhere in a remote corner of Montana there's a family of voters that isn't now aware that Jon Tester in his years of working for us in Helena has many times demonstrated his penchant for liberalism especially when it comes to our pocketbooks?

Come on folks, let's all realize when we write our letters to this newspaper that the only ones we are possibly fooling with our diatribes for or against Conrad Burns is ourselves. One thing is sure, we aren't swaying anyone's vote.

But I'll continue to enjoy some of your letters each time I open the paper because I take great satisfaction in the fact that some of you are even more off the wall than I am in my letters at times, but this privilege is but one of the many that makes our America great and unique.

As for those who are still sitting on the fence, or not just too sure about their vote for the senate seat, please don't let those commercials be your criteria for casting one way or the other — or this letter, or others for that matter.

The best thing you could do for your state and country is to ask yourself as to whether you feel more comfortable with Liberalism and its many facets, or possibly all those ideals worked for by the Conservatives over the years. You know very well who and what the issues are.

Now the ball is in your court, so go cast your vote. You can take home an absentee ballot from the courthouse starting this week. You can study it, ask others' help if necessary, and you won't be surprised with issues or candidates not familiar to you … and you won't have to stand in line on election day at your polling place.

Just be sure to get your ballot back to the courthouse promptly — or you can also mail it, but get it weighed at the post office or they are apt to return it (a week later) for insufficient postage if it's too heavy.

Thanks for participating with your vote, and for taking the time to read my letter. God bless America!

Will Elliott

Polson