We're recommending Jon Tester for U.S. Senate over incumbent Sen. Conrad Burns for numerous reasons, not least that Tester represents a much needed change in Congress.

This is not to say that Burns hasn't served Montana well for the past three terms. Indeed, our Editorial Board was divided on this endorsement for that very reason.

Nor did the board spend much if any time discussing Burns' missteps, from his Abramoff-generated donations to his verbal gaffes. No one on the board doubts his honesty.

But it seems clear that Montana and Congress need a strong dose of fresh air, and Tester is just the ticket.

A farmer who was active on his local school board and agricultural organizations, Tester ran for the state Legislature eight years ago and quickly became part of his party's leadership, rising to president of the Montana Senate for the last session. Since announcing his run for U.S. Senate, he has shown he has a firm grasp and a common-sense take on the nation's issues -- and, refreshingly, that take isn't dictated by the White House.

Much has been made of Burns' seniority in the Senate, but that advantage would lessen considerably in the event that Democrats end up in control of one or both houses of Congress, a real possibility. Besides, seniority is an issue that can only be postponed, never put to rest. Presumably a fourth term would be Burns' last, leaving his replacement to start at the bottom, perhaps without veteran Senator Max Baucus to help smooth the way.

And if the Democrats do re-take the Senate, Tester would be on the side with the power to get things done.

People who strongly identify with one party or the other might not want to admit it, but history has shown that total one-party control of the government -- by either party -- leads to trouble. With no one in a position to provide effective checks and balances, government is inherently lopsided, to the nation's detriment. The past six years in which President Bush as been granted his every whim, no questions asked by a Congress that is supposed to provide real oversight, has resulted in this country's situation today: mired in debt and mired in war.

Tester is no panacea for what ails Congress. No individual is. But by working toward change, he can be part of a solution rather than a continuation of the status quo.