Probably, Amanda Curtis is not going to be the next senator from Montana. The late replacement for John Walsh trails Republican Steve Daines by 20 points and several million dollars. Basically, Curtis won a contest. She gets to speak and debate like a viable candidate for the next two months, with the understanding that she will not go to Washington at the end. Curtis and the Democratic Party of Montana should take this peculiar opportunity and run with it. They should say what they think, for once, instead of triangulating their messages to what they think Montanans want to hear. That’s the gist of my column in this week’s Missoula Independent, which is what you get instead of a blog for the next several days. I’m going to Idaho to watch The Polish Hammer get hitched and/or run from the altar in fright. We’ll be back Tuesday(!) with more conjecture, or maybe a commercial for a big pile of meat.

Missoula’s Bare As You Dare nude bike ride is this weekend, and debate has finally reached its most mature form, with each side accusing the other of not being from here. We’ve also seen the familiar trope of someone claiming that another person’s ostensibly immoral behavior infringes on his rights. Here’s Missoula financial advisor and naked cycling opponent John McFarland:

There is also my right to free speech and my right to be on public property. And for those that say, ‘Well, if you’re just not interested, don’t go,’ that’s infringing on my rights to be at a public area at a certain time. That’s illegal. So she’s discriminating against me because of my beliefs.

There it is. Another person who does something you don’t want her to do is discriminating against you based on your beliefs. If she weren’t such a discriminator, she would do as you say. You can probably guess my opinion of this sort of busybody behavior, or you can read about it in my latest column for the Missoula Independent. We’ll be back tomorrow with Friday links, fully clothed.