Montana Campaigning

Why is it that every national story about a congressman from my homestate either has to do with being in Abramoff's pocket or cold cocking somebody.

First there was this.

Now this.

A seemingly drunk constituent found himself on the wrong end of a knuckle sandwich Wednesday after harassing Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.) and his staff and then following one of the aides into the men’s room.
According to local TV station KECI, Rehberg and “several staff members” were having dinner at the Iron Horse in Missoula when they were interrupted by one Tim Hanson, who began giving Rehberg a hard time.
“A lot of constituents say hi to him or give him a piece of their mind politely,” Rehberg spokesman Todd Schreiber said. But Hanson, who seemed “intoxicated,” began voicing his “displeasure with Hamas being in control of the Palestinian state and blamed it on President Bush and the Republicans.”
After Hanson became increasingly belligerent toward Rehberg — and his own girlfriend — bouncers offered to remove him, Schreiber said, but Rehberg declined.
But when Randy Vogel, Reh- berg’s state director, went to the men’s room, Hanson followed him. What happened in there isn’t yet clear, but Vogel, a former police officer, “punched Hanson in the face,” authorities told KECI.
The station said Hanson “does not remember exactly what happened in the bathroom, but he does remember being punched and said he did not hit Vogel.”
Montana Democrats tried to make hay out of the incident. “It looks like Denny Rehberg and his band of jack-booted thugs have finally crossed the line, at least according to the Missoula police,” said state Democratic Party spokesman Matt McKenna. “I wonder if he’s planning on bringing his goons to the debates in case he gets asked too many tough questions.”
But Schreiber painted a different picture — one that had Vogel using violence as a last resort. He noted that Vogel was the one who first called police.