A gun-toting, horseback-riding liberal Democrat, Brian Schweitzer won the governorship in Montana through a combination of shrewd political maneuvering and old-fashioned grass-roots populism. In a state that elected and re-elected a Republican President, Schweitzer continues to enjoy stratospheric approval ratings. How he's managed to appeal to his conservative electorate even while pursuing a populist agenda has intrigued journalists and political strategists across the country. Floating on a rising tide of western populism, this grandson of Montana homesteaders holds a graduate degree in soil science, speaks Arabic, and could not be more passionate about his program to convert Montana's massive coal resources to gasoline. In a national election year, this first look at the governor and his agenda is an absolute must-read.