This year is full of important political anniversaries — 50
years since the March on Washington and Martin Luther King’s “I
Had a Dream” speech; 45 years since both Martin Luther King and
Bobby Kennedy were assassinated; 45 years since the riots in
Chicago during the ’68 Democratic National Convention. These
dramatic events helped shape the political conscience of many
Americans, including me. But a special anniversary date for
Montanans was on Jan 12, which was the 35th anniversary of the
passing of Montana Senator Lee Metcalf. That moment in 1978 is
seared into my memory. My friend Michael and I were driving near
Bozeman, working on Pat Williams’ Door-to-Door for Congress
campaign. Suddenly a radio voice declared that Sen. Lee Metcalf
had passed away. I pulled the car to the side of the road. We
sat in stunned silence. How could it be? This giant was only 66
years old. Who could possibly replace him as the people’s
champion? Perhaps Pat Williams would fill the bill. But there
was an unbelievably huge pair o