Burns, of course, is the three-term Republican incumbent. As a candidate for re-election, however, he may prove more valuable to the Democrats than to his own political party. Of greater concern is the likelihood that a race involving Burns next year is most unlikely to involve much serious discussion of government policy and almost certainly will be dominated by matters of ethics.

With the election less than a year away, Burns finds himself embroiled in a serious lobbying scandal. He's been named one of four members of Congress who are included in a U.S. Justice Department influence-peddling investigation centered on indicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Burns took more money from Abramoff, his clients and other donors connected to Abramoff than any other member of Congress - nearly $150,000 between 2001 and 2004. Some large donations nearly coincided with votes or actions taken by Burns favorable to Abramoff's clients. In one instance, Burns helped an Abramoff client, one of the wealthier Indian tribes in the country, in Michigan, to land a federal grant through a program intended to help poor tribes build new schools. In another instance, according to the Associated Press, Burns changed his position on a matter involving the Northern Mariana Islands' garment industry after taking meetings and donations from Abramoff and clients.

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Legal or not, Burns' dealings with Abramoff don't look good. Burns himself recently told a Kalispell TV station, "This Abramoff guy is a bad guy. And he's indicted, and I hope he goes to jail and we never see him again. I wish he'd never been born .Š" Strong language, but not exactly soothing words about Burns' association with Abramoff and the revolving door that existed between the lobbyist's firm and the senator's own staff.

Here's the scenario we foresee if Burns presses ahead with plans to seek re-election next year: The election campaign will focus largely, if not exclusively, on whether Burns is a crook. Other issues of importance to Montanans won't be heard amid the din. Burns will be on the defensive constantly, even if at times he employs the best-defense-is-a-strong-offense stratagem. With the national media spotlight now on him, the scrutiny is only going to increase. At some point, the news could well get worse for him. Money to finance his campaign is going to be harder to raise. Within the realm of possibility is that Burns will be forced to abandon re-election mid-campaign or may become unelectable. That's not a prediction, merely a statement of what seems reasonably possible.