The Provo Republican even has been known to engage in name-calling, once raising hackles in a public meeting for joking that the acronym for the environmental group HEAL (Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah) stood for "Help Educate Anal Environmentalists."

But put him up against certain egos in the media and he comes across as the classy one.

After Bramble and Senate Minority Leader Mike Dmitrich wrote an op-ed piece published in the Deseret Morning News that criticized a story in that paper about legislators' conflicts of interest, one of the co-authors of the story took umbrage.

Morning News reporter Lee Davidson showed up at the Capitol on Monday and confronted Bramble in the hall next to the Senate chambers. A red-faced and animated Davidson, witnesses say, raised his voice and trembled. A TV cameraman even focused in on Davidson in case the confrontation escalated.

Bramble, meanwhile, stayed calm. He offered to shake Davidson's hand, but the gesture was refused as Davidson stomped off.

The other co-author of the piece, Bob Bernick, was equally miffed. Here are some of his grievances in a column he wrote Friday - with each complaint followed by a comment from me.

"On Sunday's op-ed page, the Deseret Morning News published a personal attack on me by state Sens. Curt Bramble, R.-Provo, and Mike Dmitrich, D.-Price."

Aw.

"The two public servants didn't like a story that was written by my colleague, Lee Davidson, and me on legislative conflicts of interest - but they chose to attack only me."

Awwww.

"The two fine public servants accused me, among other things, of having poor journalistic ethics."

Awwwwwwwww.

The migraine won't stop: Senate President John Valentine has stripped Sen. Chris Buttars of his chairmanship of the Senate Judicial Confirmation Committee after Buttars' ill-advised letter on Senate stationery chastising a judge's ruling.

That's taking the high road.

Some of Buttars' bills have been buried for a while so the controversial senator doesn't keep attracting negative attention.

Moving on, and all that.

Then Buttars' friend, Wendell Gibby, has to ruin it all by embracing all legislators - claiming they're all great guys and gals, just like Buttars.

As I mentioned in my blog on Tuesday, Gibby sent me an e-mail after I wrote about Buttars' letter chastising the judge for ruling against Gibby in a land dispute with the city of Mapleton.

Gibby said many legislators were equally angry at the judge for being too "liberal" (translation: independent of the Legislature).

He said Buttars' controversial letter to the judge was sent with Valentine's blessing - a claim a Valentine spokesman disputes.

prolly@sltrib.com