HELENA -- It was a gutsy, surprise move that left some Democrats and some Republicans grousing, but it sent up a signal of bipartisanship in a state poisoned by partisanship from both sides.

Brian Schweitzer, Democratic candidate for governor, shocked Montana's political establishment last week by naming Republican Sen. John Bohlinger of Billings as his running mate.

At first blush, they're an odd couple. Schweitzer, smart, aggressive, at times bombastic and rarely in doubt, tapped Bohlinger, an intelligent, humble gentleman. But scratch away their differences in style, and the two men apparently agree on enough issues to match up well, or at least that's what they say.

''John and I don't agree on everything," Schweitzer says. ''I'm not going to surround myself with people who agree with me on everything. I've got broad enough shoulders to handle it."

Critics and supporters alike would have to agree that Bohlinger was an interesting choice. Not everyone thought it was a wise choice.

Some Butte Democrats griped about Schweitzer's pick because Bohlinger opposes Destination Montana, the plan to bring Las Vegas-style gambling to Uptown Butte.

Some Democrats from Great Falls, Helena and other cities criticized the choice because it didn't go to a Democrat. They believe Democrats aren't fighting to capture the governor's post for the first time since 1984 to hand the state's No. 2 job to a Republican.

Schweitzer stretched out his selection process for a long time, before settling on Bohlinger. That left some prominent Democrats who wanted the job out in the cold. They and their supporters aren't all that happy.

It was probably a risk worth taking in Schweitzer's eyes. He knows most Montana elections are decided by those 15-20 percent of voters who call themselves political independents. Reaching across party lines to pick a running mate from the opposite party might well appeal to this group that's tired of politics as usual. The fact that Bohlinger is from Yellowstone County, the state's most populous county, doesn't hurt either.

Prominent Republicans weren't too thrilled with the move either. The state GOP denounced the choice as another Schweitzer ''gimmick." One of Bohlinger's friends, ex-Sen. Bruce Crippen, R-Billings, called it a ''lose-lose" deal. If Bohlinger wins, Republican lawmakers won't work with him, Crippen told the Billings Gazette, and if he loses and returns to the Senate, Bohlinger will be shunned by Republicans.

Perhaps. But Bohlinger, a retired clothing store owner, understands the risks involved, and so does Schweitzer.

It's not as if many of Bohlinger's fellow Republicans supported his tax hikes and clean-air bills. Many of these proposals went down in flames, with Bohlinger drawing more support from Democrats than Republicans.

A devout Catholic, Bohlinger is one of the most caring people in the Legislature. He genuinely cares about the poor -- not just on an intellectual level. If he passed a freezing man without a jacket on the street, Bohlinger likely would give him the coat off his back or take the man to buy one.

He is not among those lawmakers who come to town to work hard at the Capitol during the day and then party hard every night in the bars at lobbyists' expense. Bohlinger is a worker, packing a briefcase full of bills to the session.

He is not without critics who question his practicality and effectiveness.

Critics might label Bohlinger a tax-and-spend Republican. He believes Montana needs to spend much more on programs to help the poor and elderly, public schools and the university system. Unlike a number of legislators who vote for big spending hikes but won't support the tax bills to raise the cash, Bohlinger does both.

In 2003, he had bills to boost the state taxes on cigarettes and gambling machines and to enact a state sales tax to provide property tax relief, income tax cuts, tax credits to poor people, more money for K-12 schools and funds to fix state budget problems. None of his tax bills passed.

''It's nice to be Santa Claus, but the time has come when we must raise revenue," Bohlinger said at the sales tax hearing. ''We cannot fund essential functions of government through bake sales and acts of charity. Taxes must be raised."

For possibly the first time ever in Montana, the sales tax doesn't figure to be a dividing issue in the Democratic primary, unless someone else runs. Bohlinger is a strong sales tax supporter, and Schweitzer won't rule one out.

When asked about a sales tax, Schweitzer told the IR State Bureau last month: ''I'm leaving everything on the table. The next governor is going to have to work with a lot of people. As soon as you start eliminating possibilities, it's much harder to work with consensus. You need leadership that brings people together. Good leadership doesn't rule out anybody's ideas. I want to bring people together."

The other Democratic candidate for governor, Gallatin County Commissioner John Vincent, who declared his candidacy last week, favors a state sales tax. He would direct half of the money to eliminate state property taxes on homes and the rest to K-12, higher education and job training.

Charles 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 csjohnson@qwest.net.