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it will come from the West. That's what I told a friend of mine a few nights back in a late-nite discussion about my theory on the coming realignment of political parties here in the United States. (Thanks G for staying up late with me!) Montana in particular has given me plenty of reasons to think that of late.

Including this one, reported on today over at DailyKos:

2005 Montana Legislature SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 19 A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MONTANA SUPPORTING THE MONTANA CONSTITUTION, THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION, AND THE BILL OF RIGHTS; ENCOURAGING VARIOUS ACTIONS IN SUPPORT OF FIGHTING TERRORISM AND PROTECTING CIVIL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES; REQUESTING THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF MONTANA TO COMPILE AND DISSEMINATE RELEVANT INFORMATION REGARDING ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT UNDER THE USA PATRIOT ACT; AND ENCOURAGING MONTANA'S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION TO SUPPORT AND ENSURE THE CIVIL RIGHTS OF ALL MONTANANS AND CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES, WHICH INCLUDES ALLOWING THE USA PATRIOT ACT TO EXPIRE.

The representatives of the citizens of Montana, and therefore, the citizens themselves, are now on record opposing the Bush administration and its Patriot Act. Once again the citizens of the West rise up to tell the federal government in Washington, D.C. to leave them the hell alone.

For those of you who missed it, this comes just a few weeks after Montana's Governor, newly elected Democrat Brian Schweitzer, called for the return of many of Montana's National Guard troops from Iraq so that they can assist in what many are predicting will be a record-setting year of wildfires. Yes, I know, even Schweitzer knew his request would be denied, making the act purely symbolic.

But check the media coverage of Schweitzer's announcement. If it was covered at all outside of Montana, it was framed as if it was a typical GOP vs. Dem battle over the Iraq war. No one that I know of even mentioned the significance that it was Montana challenging Bush on this issue. Not even in passing.

And now, this one. Keep your eye on the West.

UPDATE: Local coverage of the vote adds some interesting information, including the fact that it passed the Montana House 88-12 on Friday, with broad bipartisan support.

One thing to remember about realignments. It's not just that control shifts from one party to the other for a generation. It's that the parties themselves are transformed by the realignment of broad segments of the public, leading to shifts in the language and vision of the parties themselves. Before the "Reagan revolution" the GOP was the party of North-Eastern "Rockefeller Republicans," politicians who were fiscal conservatives and social moderates. After it was controlled by Sun Belt conservatives, social conservatives who spoke but rarely acted like fiscal conservatives. The party before and after was simply not the same. That's what realignments are all about. And that's what makes Montana so interesting.

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