When Missoula author William Kittredge selected a title for his big, fat anthology of Montana writing, he succeeded in that rarest of feats - a coinage that immediately stuck as the perfect description of not only a state but a state of mind.

"The Last Best Place" was a big seller in Montana, but it is the title that will endure. The diction may be a little odd and the sentiment might strike people elsewhere as a bit vain, but "The Last Best Place" struck a chord in a place that really does believe itself to be special. Exactly what makes Montana so special, beyond its cool scenery and lack of metropolitan hordes, is difficult to pin down. But "The Last Best Place" hits the nail on the head.

That's why Sen. Conrad Burns' efforts to protect the phrase from being hijacked by a Las Vegas businessman who wants to own it as a trademark are so universally applauded. Burns is pushing an amendment preventing the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office from approving businessman David Lipson's request. The measure, like a similar amendment last year, would be included in a one-year spending bill.

He'd like to make the ban permanent in a separate bill, but isn't sure that would succeed. How would the rest of country feel about such a self-congratulatory phrase?

Back in Montana, the state has filed objections with the trademark office, arguing that the phrase refers to a specific geographical region and so cannot be reserved for the sole use of an individual.

We just hope one or another of those efforts succeeds. "The Last Best Place" is so much more than a marketing tool to sell somebody's doodads.