GOP incumbent Senator Conrad Burns, still struggling with the fallout from his rebuke of firefighters, declines to talk to the The New York Times.

Meanwhile, the paper's rundown on why local issues are far more dominant in the race thant Burns's ties to Jack Abramoff, and its look at Tester's successful political formula, are well worth a read:

The backdrop for both candidates is a state in the middle of an identity crisis. The energy economy is booming from gas and oil exploration, but agriculture is struggling and the percentage of people without health insurance is among the highest in the nation — a point that Mr. Tester constantly cites in his speeches...

Democrats, who gained control of the Legislature and the governor’s office in 2004 with the election of Gov. Brian Schweitzer, say they have found the new political recipe for Montana — mixing support for the right to bear arms, environmental protection and American Indians, who make up about 6 percent of the population.