It's no secret how I feel about Senator Max Baucus. While I can't necessarily agree with The Onion, I have on occasion ranted about his Lieberman-like tendencies and his failure to stand up for what is really important to Montanans. I nearly lost my mind when he rolled over on the bankruptcy bill, and his performance regarding Our Dear Leader's judicial nominees was far from satisfactory as well.
But sometimes he does do right, and he deserves credit for that. Say what you will about Max, he is--as my cousin Kelly says--a true friend of choice. He voted against the Forced Teen Pregnancy and Grandmother Imprisonment Act yesterday, and that means something. Plenty of his democratic colleagues crossed the aisle on this one--shame on them--but Max stood firm.
I won't speculate about his motives. Doubtless his spotless record on this issue preserves the votes of some liberals who would otherwise write him off as unsupportable. Certainly I've had my worries about an earlier pledge to never vote for him ever again ever ever. "Senator Rehberg" is a very scary concept, as my brother is quick to remind me.
But the freshly scrubbed campaign volunteer in me would love to believe that maybe this vote signals a change of heart in our Max. Maybe the next time another odious bill or judge comes through, he'll vote with his heart--instead of his wallet or next election hopes.
Unlikely, I suppose.
Still, I appreciate that he took at least a small stand for teenagers, who don't even have the right to vote to protect themselves. As a former teenager and, indeed, as a current parent, I applaud him.