For months, the rumor mill had Paul Edwards, a screenwriter from Helena and chairman of the new Progressive Democrats of Montana, challenging U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., from the party's left next year.

Edwards made it clear he's not planning to take on Baucus in the Democratic primary and is unaware of anyone else who is.

"I'm not about creating dissension," Edwards said. "I'm interested in the values that made the Democratic Party great."

He mentioned the policies advocated by Presidents Franklin Delano Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson before he got tangled up in the Vietnam War.

"We are the progressives that want policies to benefit the average working person in our country," he said.

The new group has 130-140 members so far. Edwards, who helped found it, said he is chairman, but added that the organization hasn't elected its officers yet.

In 2003, Edwards was chairman of the Lewis and Clark County Central Committee when it condemned Baucus, the state's senior Democratic elected official, for his key role in passing the bill to allow private health-insurance companies to sell insurance to seniors covered by Medicare.

Veteran activist Jim Fleischmann of Missoula is managing Baucus' 2008 campaign after running the senator's field organization in 2002.

For years, Fleischmann ran Montana People's Action, a low-income advocacy group based in Missoula.

In 2004, he ran programs aimed at registering and turning out voters unlike to vote such as members of minority groups in Washington, Oregon, California and Nevada for Project Vote. Two years later, ran an unsuccessful ballot issue campaign in Massachusetts.

Montana's top Democrats all have campaign theme songs that blare over the public address systems when they're introduced.

For U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, it's "Hard Workin' Man" by Brooks & Dunn, the same anthem he has used since 2002.

Gov. Brian Schweitzer uses "Small Town" by John Mellencamp, although at his victory party in 2004, "Glory Days" by Bruce Springsteen was turned up loud over the public address system.

U.S. Jon Tester has a country song that someone wrote for him called "Tester Time." Its lyrics go like this: "It's Tester time/The future's on the line/It's election time/It's Tester time in the great big sky."

Political campaign songs are nothing new in presidential races. Franklin Delano Roosevelt used "Happy Days Are Here Again," while John F. Kennedy's tune was "High Hopes" and Lyndon B. Johnson's song was "Hello Lyndon," sung to "Hello Dolly." Ronald Reagan liked "California Here We Come" in 1980 and used "Born in the U.S.A." in 1984 until Bruce Springsteen asked him to stop it, according to Wikipedia.

Bill Clinton relied on "Don't Stop" by Fleetwood Mac, while George W. Bush has used several, calling on Brooks & Dunn for "Only in America" for his 2004 race.

Former Rep. Gail Gutsche, D-Missoula, told the Democratic convention that she is running for the District 4 state Public Service Commission seat now held by Republican Doug Mood.

Gutsche, who served four terms in the House before being term-limited, will be a candidate in District 4, comprising these counties: Granite, Lincoln, Mineral, Missoula, Powell, Ravalli and Sanders.

In a brief speech, Gutsche criticized Mood, a former House speaker, for voting to deregulate the Montana Power Co. in 1997.

Sen. Sam Kitzenberg, D-Glasgow, sported a giant red button with a white stripe that said , "SAM." Kitzenberg said it's his good luck pin, the same one he wore in 1964 when he was elected governor of Montana Boys State over future state Sen. J.D. Lynch of Butte.

The one-man marketer and self-promoter suggested he may have similar buttons made for his Democratic primary race for superintendent of public instruction. He and three women are vying for the job being vacated by Linda McCulloch, who is term-limited and running for secretary of state.

Over the years, Kitzenberg has used many slogans and gimmicks in his races for public office, winning and losing many bids for office. He started with his successful election as student body president of Plentywood High School in 1964: "Make PHS the Ritz, vote for Kitz!"

Among the others Kitzenberg has used are: "There's a Better Way with Sammy K," "There's a New and Better Way with Sammy K," "The Flathead's Choice for a Younger Voice," "He'll Answer Every Letter," "A Young Man for Montana in the Lincoln Tradition," "Sam, Sam the Senate Man," and his new slogan: "Sam, Sam the Superintendent Man."

Hannah Harper, a college student from Helena, offered the invocation but added a special request to the opening prayer.

"And I would also like to pray for a solid majority in the (Montana) House and the Senate," said Harper, who has worked as an intern in the communications office of Gov. Brian Schweitzer but is returning to college.

She is the daughter of Steve and Pam Harper of Helena, the granddaughter of the Rev. George and Dorothy Harper of Helena and the niece of Hal Harper, Schweitzer's chief policy adviser.

Besides selecting their two top officers, Montana Democrats also elected a host of people to the party's executive board.

The winners were: Ray Tracy of Billings, Nancy Anderson of Great Falls, Jorge Quintana of Helena, Laura Obert of Townsend, Tracie Small of Crow Agency, Katie Kassmiaer of Fort Benton, Jim Larson of Billings, Brian Boland of Great Falls,

Robin Shropshire of Helena, Leslie Thomas of Boulder, Marshall Friedman of Whitefish Jason Miller of Helena, Shannon Hanson of Whitefish and Joan Vetter Ehrenberg of Whitefish.

Charles S. Johnson is chief of the Lee Newspapers State Bureau in Helena. He can be reached at (800) 525-4920 or (406) 443-4920. His e-mail address is chuck.johnson@lee.net.