MONTANA GOP: WELL AT LEAST HE DIDN'T SHOOT ELSIE IN THE FACE AND CLAIM HE THOUGHT SHE WAS AN ELK

I hope you didn't think that when John Tester defeated Conrad Burns all of Montana's political problems would get flushed down the toilet with Burns. No such luck. The state legislature is crawling with Republicans-- and the worst kind. Last week two state Reps, Scott Boggio and Elsie Arntzen went out for "dinner" and got thoroughly plastered. A highway patrolman noticed Boggio's vehicle careening down the road. Then he noticed the vehicle had no license plate. Then he noticed the vehicle slammed into the curb. Then he pulled it over and was confronted with the drunken Republican representative.

Boggio pleaded guilty to drunk driving but-- and when we're talking about Republicans, there are always "buts," even when they get caught red-handed-- he had some lame excuse for endangering his constituents with his unsafe driving. "Well, I guess that, you know, anyone who goes out to dinner and has a few drinks along with their meal can get a DUI."

Elsie was awake while all this happened but she wasn't charged since the officer didn't find an open container of booze in the front seat and she wasn't driving. She's a member of the Yellowstone County DUI task Force but she claims she didn't notice Boggio was drunk. "I would have never done that," she claimed. Boggio is making quite a name for himself with law enforcement officials. A few months ago he was hauled in for the unauthorized shooting of an elk, something, apparently common among Montana Republican legislators. (The nice photo is of State Senator Joe Balyeat, like Boggio a convicted elk poacher.)