The piece I wrote earlier today about Sen. Manchin has sparked some interesting conversations.

I wondered at the end of the piece why Senator Tester had been brought into the conversation in the usually singular discussions of Joe Manchin’s disloyalty to Democrats.

The answers I have received through the grapevine have been disconcerting, to say the least.

Senator Manchin decided to give Democrats a big Halloween scare today by stating he would not support the Democratic nominee for President if the nominee were Bernie Sanders.

It was mentioned in The Hill article that Jon Tester’s name had been brought up in the same conversation as Joe Manchin in a CNBC interview with Bernie Sanders. This got some people thinking and I received some emails with information that is both exciting and a conundrum.

Here’s the scoop; Jon Tester is a potential candidate for Senate Majority Leader if Democrats take back the Senate in 2020.

This post from Great Falls – Cascade County Democratic Central Committee was sent me as proof and it isn’t the first time I have heard the rumor. I have heard discussions are occurring all over Montana.

This is incredible news for Montanans as we are all proud of the consummate statesman, Mike Mansfield, the only Montanan to serve as Senate Majority Leader. He also holds the distinction of serving in the role the longest from 1961-1978. He also ushered through the Senate some of the most important legislation in our nation’s history. Medicare, Medicaid, the Civil Rights Act, The Clean Air and Water Acts and much more.

While Joe Manchin might be angling for leadership, it is distressing that Senator Tester is often mentioned in the same breath with him. Tester does not stick it to Democrats like Manchin does on a regular basis. Manchin pulling this stunt on Senator Sanders is almost to be expected.

The statement that you will support the D nominee needs to be made today. Far in advance of the primary. Tester has endorsed Bullock, that’s great! Manchin should have chosen a Democrat to endorse instead of attacking Senator Sanders.

Supporting the Democatic nominee for President should be a given and a baseline for wanting to be a leader in the future of the Democratic Party regardless of who that is. The presidential primaries are a unique and powerful statement by all Democrats in America letting everyone know who they want leading the party for the next four to eight years.

Hopefully this scuttlebutt connecting Senator Tester to the disloyal Senator Manchin is just that, a silly connection made by D.C. reporters. I sure hope it is not based in fact.

If you appreciate an independent voice holding Montana politicians accountable and informing voters, and you can throw a few dollars a month our way, we would certainly appreciate it.