State of state is modestly hopeful

Inter Lake editorial

It's commendable that Gov. Brian Schweitzer gave a state-of-the-state address buoyed by optimism yet tempered with a realistic view of fiscal challenges facing the state.

Schweitzer put some proper perspective into the speech, emphasizing that Montana has been 'sheltered from the irrational highs' and will be "protected from the deepest doldrums' that other states face with the economy in tatters.

While a projected surplus for Montana has steadily shriveled with each and every updated revenue forecast, the state is far better off than, say, California.

The Schweitzer administration has wisely urged fiscal restraint from the Legislature, and the governor has encouraged bipartisan cooperation in developing a budget for the next two years. It's serious business, and he knows it.

Sunday should provide an interesting encounter at the climactic game of the NFL season.

This year's Super Bowl features an old perennial, the Pittsburgh Steelers, against a brash (if somewhat ancient) upstart, the Arizona Cardinals.

The Steelers got to the big game with their usual suffocating defense; the Cardinals are the surprise NFC champions riding a string of three playoff upsets after a decades-long championship drought.

Their matchup, we would hope, will make for an entertaining evening of football on Sunday - although it will be hard to top last year's New York Giants' win for drama.

And if the Super Bowl game doesn't live up to expectations, there are always the commercials to look forward to.

Everybody is getting into the act. Now even the pope is going on to YouTube.

You really can't blame him. With millions of visitors, it's a simple and effective way to get out any message, and religious messages are no exception.

The Vatican announced last week that it has launched its own channel on YouTube to allow church members and others worldwide to keep up with Pope Benedict XVI's busy schedule.

In addition to YouTube, the pope's message will also be spread via social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace. In a statement, the Vatican said such Internet sites "are bringing about fundamental shifts in patterns of communication and human relationships."

That's true, and it's a good idea for messengers such as the pope to keep a message of hope alive there as well as in church.