While many prominent groups on the left are urging former governor Brian Schweitzer (D) to run for the Montana Senate seat Max Baucus (D) is retiring from Schweitzer still hasn’t officially announced his plans. If he does decide to run he will start off as the clear favorite. A new Harper poll shows him leading ahead of all of the most likely Republican nominees.

Instead of facing a tough re-election next year it looks like Montana Senator Max Baucus (D) will instead retire. Two senior Democratic strategists told the Washington Post of Baucus plans and the story has been confirmed by the AP.

Former Democratic Senator Russ Feingold is apparently not pulling any punches as the founder of Progressives United. In an email to supporters about the Amgen subsidyin the fiscal cliff deal, Feingold called out Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) by name for being part of the corruption that permeates government

Major tax cuts were extended for giant corporations — while the average Montana was stuck with a $900/year in increased taxes — and the person responsible is claiming he doesn’t even know how his staff put it in there for his former staff? This is why last night Bill Moyers referred to Max Baucus as, “a connoisseur of revolving door corruption.”

Sen. Jon Tester (D) has won re-election in Montana. The election was called by the AP this morning. With 84 percent of precincts report Tester is at 48.8 percent, Rep. Denny Rehberg (R) is at 44.7 percent and Libertarian Dan Cox is at 6.5 percent.

One of the important federal races that looks like a true toss-up tomorrow is the Montana senate race. Incumbent Democrat Jon Tester is effectively tied with Republican challenger Rep. Dennis Rehberg. Tester is technically the incumbent but since Rehberg is the state’s only at-large member of the House, this is more like an incumbent vs. incumbent fight.

This year features an usually high number of competitive Senate races that could result in a candidate winning with less than a majority of the vote.

In a way, the idea that the Supreme Court would overturn their landmark ruling in the Citizens United case, in just two years’ time, with the same personnel on the Court based on a state Supreme Court holding in Montana, of all places, was pretty fanciful. And the Court did not suprise anyone.

There will be no ruling on the Affordable Care Act today, per the fine folks at SCOTUSBlog. However, three other consequential rulings did get announced, including important rulings on Arizona’s immigration law and the Montana challenge to Citizens United.

The Supreme Court overturned a number of campaign finance laws in the Citizens United ruling over two years ago. And since that time, we have seen the corrosive power of runaway campaign spending, and who it benefits. In fact, the orgy of spending has become so embarrassing, that it has led some to believe that the Supreme Court may reassess their ruling. A Montana case gives them a chance to do that, or duck for now.