MATT GOURAS Associated Press Writer
HELENA Former House Majority Leader Michael Lange was a man alone at his announcement Friday that he is filing to run against Democratic U.S. Sen. Max Baucus. Lange, acknowledging that he faces an uphill battle and will have to closely watch a temper made famous by an outburst against the governor, was watched by a few reporters and two Democrats. And exactly no Republican colleagues. Lange said he decided to travel solo because he feels strongly that candidates should face the media alone, without hoopla, for such occasions. But it’s no secret that Republicans, who fired the state representative from Billings last month as majority leader, are dubious about his campaign. Lange remains undaunted, and is confident he will get the votes of the same people who ousted him. “Montanans will forgive you for an incident, but they won’t forget it,” he said at a stop in Helena on a multi-city campaign announcement tour. Lange said he will have to prove that the “incident,” a profanity- laced tirade against Gov. Brian Schweitzer that made the rounds on YouTube,was a simple mistake and won’t happen again. And he will have to raise money, and lots of it. He started Friday morning with “zero” in his campaign account, and had one pledge for $200 by the afternoon. Baucus, meanwhile, has a war chest of about $3 million on hand. “We’re in for the full run,” Lange said. “We have no illusions that it will be an easy race. It won’t be. It will be a real difficult race.” Lange has touted his roots as a union worker. He says Democrats fear him because he can steal votes that traditionally go their direction. “There’s a lot of wealthy senators back there (in Washington, D.C.) and no bluecollar pipe fitters,” Lange said. “I bring the perspective of a working man.” Lange’s firing to end the session publicly split the Republican caucus in a very divided, and public, vote. The move came after Lange’s profanity- laced tirade against Gov. Brian Schweitzer shocked the Helena political community. A video of it circulated on the Internet site YouTube. “Mike Lange will be an interesting opponent especially given how extreme he is and how out of touch he is with mainstream Montana,” said Baucus spokesman Barrett Kaiser. “Why would Montanans even think about replacing Max Baucus, one of the most powerful men in the country, with someone who is so out of sync with our Montana values?” Kaiser noted that Baucus has not announced yet, but is expected to. He said Baucus will take any challenge seriously. It’s unclear how much Republican support Lange will receive. Many Republican lawmakers seemed equally perturbed with Lange’s move toward the end of the session to cut a compromise over taxes and spending with Schweitzer, against the wishes of House Speaker Scott Sales, R-Bozeman, and other conservatives. “Republicans are going to support whoever emerges as the winner of the primary,” said Montana Republican Party Chairman Erik Iverson. Iverson said he has heard that others are considering a run against Baucus, but said it was too early to specify names. Lange, assuming he wins the GOP nomination next June, faces a well-known incumbent who has already built a big campaign war chest. Lange promised an agenda calling for clean campaigns, an “America first” platform, close inspection of free trade agreements, and other issues. Baucus, who has held office since 1978, reported in the most recent campaign finance disclosures that he has raised $4.4 million and had $2.9 million for the 2008 election cycle. Republican U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg has dismissed speculation that he may challenge Baucus. So far, no other Republicans have stepped forward. Lange said he will be tenacious throughout the campaign, no matter what opponents throw at him. “I will not quit,” he said. “Montanans don’t like a quitter.”
