Gov. Brian Schweitzer has Republicans sputtering over his tactic of trying to browbeat legislators to back bills the governor favors, but we aren't surprised. He told us what was coming.

Prior to his election last fall, candidate Schweitzer chatted with the IR's Editorial Board, as did many other statewide and local political candidates. During the discussion with the future governor, perhaps in connection with Schweitzer's goal of using ethanol production to help improve rural economies, he remarked that he's observed legislators sometimes fail to vote in line with their constituency's best interests.

When that happens, Schweitzer said, many voters don't realize what's going on. He said he'd remedy that by traveling to those districts and telling them himself.

GOP legislative leaders objected to that kind of "intimidation" -- and they were all the more upset Wednesday morning when the governor met with them only to deliver his message and then walk out before listening to their complaints.

Schweitzer's spokeswoman Sarah Elliott called the complaints "silly." She said it's the governor's job to work for the people, and "do the best he can to make sure their interests are represented."

We feel no need to take sides in this spat. But we can say that after four years watching the ladylike Judy Martz, and eight years observing the nonconfrontational Marc Racicot, this is sort of fun.