Idaho
Meanwhile back at the ranch: Senate Edition
Seven of the thirteen Western states have Senators up for election this year: Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, New Mexico, and Wyoming. The Republicans are defending six of these seven Senate seats. Montana’s Max Baucus is the sole defending Democratic incumbent in the group, and his seat is considered safe. Colorado, Idaho, and New Mexico will be open seats, and Wyoming will have both their Senators up for re-election, due to the death of Senator Craig Thomas in 2007.
Colorado and New Mexico look like the best opportunities for Democratic pick ups, and both states are considered swing states in the 2008 presidential contest. Our candidates, Mark Udall in Colorado and Tom Udall in New Mexico, are cousins from the long prominent Udall family.
Larry LaRocco is our Western Democrat running for Idaho’s Senate seat to replace the retiring and embarrassing Larry Craig. It would be great if red-state Idaho could turn purple.
The remaining campaigns are still shaping up. The contests in Alaska and Oregon could be particularly interesting. Senator Stevens (R-Bridge to Nowhere) is the poster child for pork gone wild and an opponent of transparency in government. The Iraq War puts Oregon’s Gordon Smith in a bind. He voted for the war and has been a Bush enabler. Yet he has broken with the Bush administration on the war, and hence will be at odds with Senator McCain on that issue.
Leo Brown | April 8, 2008 | Comment on This Post (4 so far) |
Stunning turnout throughout the West
In a release, the DNC points out that turnout on Super Tuesday was stunningly high throughout the West -- which bodes well for the general election.
• In Colorado, Democrats saw twice the number of caucus-goers as Republicans—119,184 to 55,845. Yesterday’s turnout was eight times higher than that of turnout from 2004 when only 15,000 participated. [Denver Post, 2/6/08]• In Idaho, 21,224 people caucused for Democrats, far exceeding anyone’s expectations, and forcing officials to print more ballots. [AP, 2/5/08; cnn.com, 2/6/08]
• In Arizona, 368,828 people turned out for Democrats, far exceeding the record of 239,000. [cnn.com, 2/6/08]
• In New Mexico, more than 152,000 ballots were cast, far surpassing the 2004 number of 104,000 in 2004.
• And in Utah, 122,617 people came out for Democrats, far exceeding the 33,839 who participated in the 2004 primary. [cnn.com]
It's going to be a good year.
Kari Chisholm | February 6, 2008 | Comment on This Post (2 so far) |
Which Larry should represent Idaho?
Senator Larry Craig says he is staying put, despite a court ruling against him in Minnesota.
Check out the Democratic alternative, Larry LaRocco at this link.
Larry LaRocco is definitely Western Democrat. In fact, General Wesley Clark said exactly that:
LaRocco is the kind of plain speaking, common sense western Democrat whom America needs.
I saw this in a local Idaho paper last month.
U.S. Senate candidate Larry LaRocco worked a sweet shift Wednesday, stacking five-pound bags of sugar onto pallets at Amalgamated Sugar Company in Nampa as part of his statewide “Working for Senate” campaign.Beginning in June, LaRocco started taking jobs all over the state to learn what life is like for Idahoans from all walks of life…
This link goes to our Larry's Act Blue page.
Leo Brown | October 4, 2007 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) |
ID Sen. - Larry Craig Resigns
I know, I'm a couple of days late and a dollar or two short, but I was out of town with no internet access (despite the hotel advertising it).
As you probably know by now, embattled Idaho Senator Larry Craig has resigned, effective September 30. Boise local, Red State Rebel, has posted an account of Craig's press conference, with links to other local blogs covering the resignation.
kencamp | September 4, 2007 | Comment on This Post (1 so far) |
ID Sen. - Larry Craig Continues to Lose Support
With the release of the police tape yesterday, Idaho Senator Larry Craig continues to lose support from the GOP. Senator John Ensign (R-NV) is the latest to call for Craig's resignation.
Sen. John Ensign told MSNBC today that it would be best if Craig resigns, MSNBC reported at 1 p.m. MDT.
Ensign's turning away from Craig is especially significant because he is chairman of the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee, the Senate GOP's campaign arm that raises money and develops strategy to elect Republican senators. Ensign's statement suggests that Republicans fear that a prolonged battle by Craig to keep his seat will harm other GOP candidates in 2008.
They're scared. They know Larry LaRocco is a great Democratic candidate who can win Larry Craig's seat, and this situation has become John Ensign's worst nightmare, especially with the Club for Growth trying to persuade Congressman Bill Sali (R-Way Out There) to run for the Senate seat.
The word from Washington, D.C. is that there is high-level buzz that Larry Craig will resign as soon as today.
Reporters in Washington, D.C., are hearing high-level talk that Sen. Larry Craig could resign as soon as today.
The Associated Press cites "Republican activists." News stations including CNN and Fox started reporting Thursday that national Republican leaders and White House officials were huddling to find a way to persuade Craig to step down and limit the damage his scandal could cause to the party's election hopes in 2008.
Here's to a bloody Republican primary and Larry LaRocco winning in November 2008.
Update 2: Larry Craig will resign tomorrow.
Idaho Republican Sen. Larry Craig will resign from the Senate amid a furor over his arrest and guilty plea in a police sex sting in an airport men's room, Republican officials said Friday. Craig will announce at a news conference in Boise Saturday morning that he will resign effective Sept. 30, four state GOP officials told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity.
kencamp | August 31, 2007 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) |
ID-Sen.: Support Eroding for Larry Craig
Amid the revelations that Idaho Senator Larry Craig was arrested for lewd conduct in a Minneapolis airport men's room and subsequently pled guilty to disorderly conduct, support for the Senator to continue in his current role is eroding.
Today, Senators Norm Coleman (R-MN) and John McCain (R-AZ) have called for Craig's resignation.
The AP reports, “Sen. Norm Coleman of Minnesota, where Craig was arrested, became the first Senate Republican to say Craig should leave office. ‘Senator Craig pled guilty to a crime involving conduct unbecoming a senator,’ he said in a statement. ‘He should resign.’”
In an interview with CNN’s John King this afternoon, McCain said he thinks Craig “should resign”:
JOHN MCCAIN: I believe that he — that he pled guilty and he had the opportunity to plead innocent. So I think he should resign.
JOHN KING: And suppose he comes back to Washington and says, “I want to serve.”
MCCAIN: That’s — that will be a decision that he will make and most importantly, the people of the state of Idaho. But my opinion is that when you plead guilty to a crime, then you shouldn’t serve. And that’s not a moral stand. That’s not a holier than thou. It’s just a factual situation. I don’t try to judge people. but in this case, it’s clear that it was disgraceful.
But Senators Coleman and McCain aren't the only ones calling for Craig's resignation. The state's largest newspaper, the Idaho Statesman has called for Craig to quit.
However, we cannot abide an elected official who didn't disclose a lewd conduct arrest until the story broke 77 days later -- a lie by omission and a violation of the public trust. We cannot believe Craig can effectively serve Idaho, under the shadow of his guilty plea on a lesser charge of disorderly conduct. We cannot afford, as a state with but four congressional representatives, to have a senator who merely provides fodder for bloggers and late-night talk show hosts.
Whether Craig is gay or not is not the issue. The issue is a Senator who was arrested for lewd conduct and pled guilty to disorderly conduct (either one is as Senator Coleman describes it "conduct unbecoming a senator"), and then hid it from his family, his colleagues, and his constituents. People demand more of public officials and Craig's conduct and intentional deceit violated the public trust and he should resign.
As for what the political landscape might look like after the fallout, mcjoan writes that the Club for Growth seems to be doing some dirty work for Congressman Bill Sali (R-Way Out There) to clear the way for him to run for an empty Senate seat should Craig he resign.
In any case, our man in this race is former Congressman Larry LaRocco and you can help end years of right-wing rule in Idaho by showing Larry some love.\
Update: I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that SurveyUSA polled Idaho voters and 55% think Larry Craig should resign versus 34% who favor him staying in office.
kencamp | August 29, 2007 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) |
Idaho Senator Larry Craig Arrested For Lewd Conduct
According to the Idaho Statesman:
A Washington, D.C., newspaper reported on its Web site today that Idaho Sen. Larry Craig was arrested in June for lewd conduct in the restroom of a Minnesota airport.
Roll Call reported that Craig was arrested by a plainclothes police officer investigating lewd conduct complaints in a men’s public restroom.
You may recall that last year, gay activist/blogger Mike Rogers alleged that Senator Craig was engaging in homosexual relations with other men, which Craig denied.
Much like the gay/anti-gay former mayor of Spokane, Larry Craig has made a habit of being strongly anti-gay in his legislative career.
- Voted YES on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage. (Jun 2006)
- Voted NO on adding sexual orientation to definition of hate crimes. (Jun 2002)
- Voted NO on expanding hate crimes to include sexual orientation. (Jun 2000)
- Voted YES on prohibiting same-sex marriage. (Sep 1996)
- Voted NO on prohibiting job discrimination by sexual orientation. (Sep 1996)
So if you're tired of politicians who say one thing while doing another, go visit Larry LaRocco's ActBlue page and show him some love.
Update: There's a little more to the story that I didn't get from the Idaho Statesman. Kos put up a post with more of the subscription-only article from Roll Call, which shows that Larry Craig used his position as a U.S. Senator to try to intimidate police get out of the trouble he was in. Retirement can't be far off for Senator Craig.
kencamp | August 27, 2007 | Comment on This Post (1 so far) |
ID-Sen.: Larry LaRocco - Working for the Senate
Larry LaRocco is running for Senate in Idaho, taking on the incumbent Senator Larry Craig, who seems to suffer from the same foot-in-mouth disease as former Montana Senator Conrad Burns.
Sen. Larry Craig told his home state constituents that fraud is as much a part of the fabric of Louisiana as it is in Iraq and that flooded sections of New Orleans should be abandoned.
"Fraud is in the culture of Iraqis. I believe that is true in the state of Louisiana as well," Craig was quoted as saying in the Lewiston (Idaho) Morning Tribune on Thursday.
He was also quoted in the McCall (Idaho) Star News, saying "Louisiana and New Orleans are the most corrupt governments in our country, and they always have been... . A rookie cop in New Orleans, they pay him or her $17,000 starting pay and then wink and say you better make the rest of it on the street."
Here is an excellent recent video of Larry LaRocco, continuing his "Working for the Senate" series.
So if you like what you see and would like to help send Larry Craig packing for a long fishing vacation with his compadre Conrad Burns, please visit Larry LaRocco's ActBlue page and show him some love.
kencamp | August 26, 2007 | Comment on This Post (1 so far) |
Insufferable, Ignorant and Intolerant
Idaho Congressman Bill Sali (R-Intolerant) strikes again, showing just how ignorant he really is, taking issue with cultures that are not his own. Not that this is the first time or anything.
In an interview posted online this week by the Christian news outlet American Family News Network, Sali said: "We have not only a Hindu prayer being offered in the Senate, we have a Muslim member of the House of Representatives now, Keith Ellison from Minnesota. Those are changes — and they are not what was envisioned by the Founding Fathers. The principles that this country was built on, that have made it great over these centuries were Christian principles derived from Scriptures. You know, the Lord can cause the rain to fall on the just and the unjust alike." [emphasis mine]
Looks like Bill Sali has taken a page out of his colleague Virgil Goode's playbook. I hope George Allen and Conrad Burns have trademarked their bigoted catchphrases because Bill Sali might just start using them.
Here's a little civics lesson for you Bill. Those "Christian principles derived from Scriptures" that you speak of, allow for the separation of church and state. It's called the first Amendment to the Constitution. And I thought memorized recitation of the U.S. Constitution was a litmus test for Republican Congressmen. So take your theocracy to some other country. And thanks for the imitation of Pat Robertson.
There is hope for Idaho, however. Larry Grant is running again, so go give Larry some love and let's retire ignorance from the U.S. House of Representatives.
kencamp | August 13, 2007 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) |
The West can find its own solutions, Democrats can lead
The Idaho Statesman had an interesting oped earlier last week about a piece of environmental legislation written by easterners that has a big impact on Idaho:
As Westerners, we can fuss and foam and fret about an out-of-the-region vision of Big Wilderness; the bill's lead sponsors are Reps. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., and Christopher Shays, R-Conn. But it isn't enough just to say no. It's more important, and more persuasive, to unite and say yes to workable, consensus-based wilderness bills developed close to home....
These lands are the region's backyard; that's why a 23-million-acre "solution" makes many Westerners suspicious and angry. But these lands belong to all Americans; that's why these kind of big-score bills resurface every congressional session. Westerners should view the latest version of this bills not as a threat, but instead as a call to local action.
Its obvious to see why Western Republicans can easily paint Democrats as the big evil. They're the ones who are legislating a way of life from back east, with little or no input from the people who actually live out west. But, the paper also points out a positive solution to the problem, a Western answer to intrusive eastern legislating.
Great idea, but the problem is that Idaho's uninfluential and close-minded congressional delegation is unlikely to come up with solution for the West, rather than just saying "No."
Emmett O'Connell | April 29, 2007 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) |
2008 and House Candidates in the West
Swing State Project recently listed ten Democratic House Candidates who ran close, but unsuccessful, races in 2006, and should run again. These are good candidates who ran in tough districts and now have some name recognition for a second attempt. Of particular note is that half of these are in the West:
Charlie Brown CA-4
Larry Grant ID-1
Tessa Hafen NV-3
Darcy Burner WA-8
Gary Truaner WY-AL
The New York Times and CQ Politics recently reported a list of fifteen close 2006 House races. Again five, though not the same five, are in the West.
CO-4
NV-3
NM-1
WA-8
WY-AL
Combining the two lists already gives us seven House seats to watch in the West in 2008. Two of the seven are in blue states (CA, WA). Two are in the red states (ID, WY). Three are in red states considered to be trending purple (CO, NV, NM).
The focus in 2008 will be on the top of the ticket, but we are now seeing how important control of the House is. Continuing or expanding Democratic control of the House in 2008 may well depend on having a Presidential ticket that can run well in the West.
Leo Brown | January 6, 2007 | Comment on This Post (4 so far) |
All hail Boise State! Time to end the BCS.
Wow. Wow. Wow.
It's gotta be one of the greatest games in college football history. In the Fiesta Bowl, Boise State led Oklahoma for 58 minutes, were losing with a minute to go, tied the game with seven seconds left, and finally won it 43-42 on a two-point conversion in overtime.
Despite finishing 13-0, Boise State won't be the national champion - and won't get a chance to face Ohio State (the only other undefeated team) for the national championship. Over at BlueOregon, I've got a post up that describes the politics and the failures of the BCS.
Kari Chisholm | January 2, 2007 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) |
Post-Election Statehouse Roundup
To quote Buffalo Springfield, "there's something happening here". Post-election, Western Democrats have made great gains in the states, building strong majorities in the legislatures and taking or retaining several governorships. Here's a look at the numbers, courtesy of NCSL.
Senate 12-18 Republican majority
House 21-39 Republican majorityPost-Election
Senate 12-18 Republican majority
House 28-32 Republican majorityPickups
Senate – stays the same
House - +7 seats
Democratic Governor Janet Napolitano was overwhelmingly re-elected.
Pre-election
Senate 25-15 Democratic majority
Assembly 47-32-1 (Senate 25-15 Democratic majority
Assembly 48-32 Democratic majority
Pickups
Senate – stays the same
Assembly - +1 seat
Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was re-elected.
Pre-Election
Senate 18-17 Democratic majority
House 35-30 Democratic majority
Post-Election
Senate 20-15 Democratic majority
House 39-26 Democratic majority
Pickups
Senate – +2 seat
House - +4 seats
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter was elected Governor.
Pre-Election
House 13-57 Republican majority
Post-Election
Senate 7-28 Republican majority
House 19-51 Republican majority
Pickups
Senate – stays the same
House - +6 seats
Republican gubernatorial candidate C.L. “Butch” Otter was elected.
Pre-Election
Senate 27-23 Democratic majority
House 50-50
Post-Election
Senate 26-24 Democratic majority
House 50-49-1 (
Pickups
Senate – -1 Seat
House – stays the same
Democratic Governor Brian Schweitzer is up for re-election in 2008.
Pre-Election
House 26-16 Democratic majority
Post-Election
House 27-15 Democratic majority
Pickups
Senate – +1 seat
House - +1 seat
Pre-Election
Senate 24-18 Democratic majorityHouse 42-28-2(
Post-Election
Senate 24-18 Democratic majority
House 42-28 Democratic majority
Pickups
Senate – stays the same
House – stays the same
Democratic Governor Bill Richardson was overwhelmingly re-elected.
Pre-Election
Senate 17-11-2(
House 27-33 Republican majority
Post-Election
Senate 17-11-2(
House 31-29 Democratic majority
Pickups
Senate – stays the same
House - +4 seats
Pre-Election
House 19-56 Republican majority
Post-Election
Senate 8-21 Republican majority
House 19-56 Republican majority
Senate – stays the same
House – stays the same
Republican Governor Jon Huntsman is up for re-election in 2008.
Pre-Election
Senate 26-23 Democratic majority
House 56-42 Democratic majority
Post-Election
Senate 32-17 Democratic majority (not since 1965)
House 63-35 Democratic majority
Senate – +6 seats
House - +7 seats
Pre-Election
Senate 7-23 Republican majority
House 14-46 Republican majority
Post-Election
Senate 7-23 Republican majority
House 17-43 Republican majority
Senate – stays the same
House - +3 seats
Democratic Governor Dave Freudenthal was overwhelmingly re-elected.
kencamp | November 22, 2006 | Comment on This Post (4 so far) |
Room to Grow in the West
Western Democrats did well in 2006. Here is a link to some helpful maps. Particularly noteworthy were pickups in Montana for the U.S. Senate and the Colorado for governorship, plus four pick-ups in the House of Representatives. And we won the office of Secretary of State in the swing states of New Mexico and Nevada. (Think Florida in 2000 and Ohio in 2004 for the importance of this). But we could have done better, and in 2008 we can. For the Senate in 2008 think Colorado and New Mexico. There is still room to grow in the West.
But returning to 2006, Senate pickups in Arizona and Nevada were possible. Governor’s mansion pickups were possible in Alaska, Nevada and Idaho. Additional House pickups were possible in California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Washington, and Wyoming. And we didn’t win the election for Secretary of State in Colorado. These races were close enough to be considered competitive. Several of the competitive House districts in 2006 could be just as competitive in 2008.
So while we are still basking in the warm glow of victory, let us ask ourselves, what could we do better? Any campaign can be critiqued, but I think the biggest factor is that we were outspent. Jack Carter was outspent four to one in Nevada. The GOP and the Club for Growth poured a ton of money into ID-1. The national GOP was spending much more in CA-4 than the DCCC was. And so it went in many districts. Meanwhile Hillary Clinton spent $30 million defeating token opposition in New York. Now I understand that each candidate can raise his or her own funds, and the national committees carefully decide where to spend scarce resources, but more seed money in planting season and more money at harvest time would go a long way in the West. Something to think about for 2008.
Leo Brown | November 21, 2006 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) |
Brady of Idaho: A classic Western Dem
Idaho. The reddest of the red states. It's hard to imagine that in Idaho, Democrats are ascendant.
But Jerry Brady might just pull off a win in the governor's race - and, if he does, it'll be in part because of the classic Western Democrat attitude he's got: a respect for the land, deep ethics, and a straight-talking attitude.
Check out a couple of Jerry Brady's spots:
Kari Chisholm | November 6, 2006 | Comment on This Post (1 so far) |
George Will Discovers the West
In today's "election scorecard" column from conservative commentator George Will:
Four years ago all eight Mountain West states -- Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming -- had Republican governors. If Democrat Bill Ritter wins Colorado's governorship, Democrats will hold five of eight governorships in the Mountain West, which in the 1990s was even more reliably Republican than the South. In 2004 a change of a total of 63,508 votes in Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico would have given those states' 19 electoral votes and the presidency to John Kerry. No wonder the Democrats' 2008 convention will probably be in Denver.
Bring it on home, folks. Bring it on home.
Kari Chisholm | November 6, 2006 | Comment on This Post (1 so far) |
ID-Gov and ID-01: Winnable Races for Democrats
I know I've been throwing out a lot of love to Idaho lately, but Democrats in that state are running strong and part of the party's resurgence in the West. New polling shows that the Idaho Governor's race and the 1st Congressional District race are both statistical dead heats.
For the first time since the early 1990s, the outcome of a statewide election appears in doubt with just 10 days to go.An Idaho Statesman/Today's 6 poll says races for governor, 1st Congressional District and school superintendent are essentially tied.
[...]
In the governor's race, Republican U.S. Rep. Butch Otter leads Democratic newspaper owner Jerry Brady by a single percentage point. Republican state Rep. Bill Sali has a 2 percentage point lead over Democratic businessman Larry Grant for the congressional seat that runs from West Boise north to Canada. In the race to oversee public schools, Democrat Jana Jones leads Republican Tom Luna by 3 percentage points.
The key here is that for the first time since the early 1990's Democrats are running strong and poised to win seats that they haven't controlled in years, and all of this is happening in one of the reddest states in the union.
So since it's late in the game to be donating money, if you live in Idaho (or on the border in eastern Washington or eastern Oregon), please do what you can to help these candidates get out the vote. These races are going to be won by a superior ground game and they need all the volunteers they can get. That's not to say that races in Washington and Oregon aren't important, but we need to help our neighbors when we can.
To volunteer, please contact:
Grant for Congress
Brady for Idaho
Jana Jones for Superintendent of Public Instruction
kencamp | October 29, 2006 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) |
Cheney To Visit Idaho
Dick Cheney will be in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho next week. I'm sure he won't be there to take some of the Aryan Nation faithful on a hunting trip, despite his fetish for hunting terrorists. Though details are scarce, the only reason Cheney could be in Idaho is to stump for Republican congressional candidate Bill Sali. It's always a great day when Dick Cheney has to fly to one of the reddest states in the union right before the election to campaign for a Republican who is such an idiot that even members of his own party are against him.
Go see for yourself how Republicans feel about Bill Sali. Then read McJoan's excellent post on Larry Grant's campaign over at Daily Kos.
And then do what you can to help Larry Grant. Even $5 will help. Aren't there already enough morons in Congress?
kencamp | October 26, 2006 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) |
Brady leads in Idaho for governor
A short two years from not even fielding a candidate against a sitting Republican Senator, things sure have turned around for Democrats in Idaho. Their man in in the lead (or pretty damn close):
In one of the most Republican states in the country, a new poll released yesterday shows that Democrat candidate Jerry Brady has closed a 19-point gap and now is within the margin of error against his Republican opponent, U.S. Rep. C.L. "Butch" Otter, in the race for Idaho Governor. The poll conducted by Goodwin Simon Victoria Research shows Jerry Brady with a 42-40 lead over Congressman Otter among likely voters."This poll clearly indicates that Jerry Brady's 'Idaho Is Not for Sale' message is resonating with the voting public," DGA Chair New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said. "Protecting public lands is an important issue to Idaho voters, and they know Jerry Brady shares their values and is on their side."
No matter which way you sliced it, this is way better than a 99 percet loss in a statewide race.
Other coverage:
43rd State Blues: Democrat Leads in Idaho Governor's Race!
Red State Rebels: Brady pulls ahead
Emmett O'Connell | October 26, 2006 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) |
ID-01: Idaho Statesman Endorses Larry Grant
Today the Idaho Statesman endorsed Democrat Larry Grant over right-wing nutjob Bill Sali in Idaho's 1st Congressional District.
I really hope the voters in Idaho pay attention to that last paragraph I quoted. Effectiveness, focus, substance and results is what Larry Grant will give you. What more could a voter ask for of a member of Congress?Idaho voters can’t replace 435 members of Congress. However, 1st District voters can elect a successor to Otter with the temperament, the intellect and the maturity to focus on complicated issues from Iraq and Iran to immigration to the deficit.
Democrat Larry Grant would be that kind of congressman — the right choice for this district and for these times. Grant gets our enthusiastic endorsement in the Nov. 7 election.
[...]
In fact, Sali rates a poor third to Grant and United Party upstart Andy Hedden-Nicely. We’ve had our issues with Hedden-Nicely, who launched a brief boycott of the Statesman to protest our coverage of the May primaries. Hedden-Nicely deserves credit for running a spirited campaign and staking out bold positions: for instance, he leans toward removing portions of four Lower Snake River dams in Washington state to aid Idaho salmon recovery. Hedden-Nicely also would bring a small businessman’s perspective to the nation’s health-care crisis. But it’s hard for us to see how a third-party candidate would have any traction in Congress.
In the end, this decision comes down to effectiveness — and focus. If voters want more of the same from Congress, an unproductive fascination with gotcha politics, then this historically Republican district should elect Sali. If voters want substance and results, Grant is a great choice.
Sali's so bad that the Statesman made a point of noting that even a candidate from a minor party was a better choice. A word of caution here...Although the temptation might be to chalk this one up as a win, it's important that you remember that Idaho is still a solidly red state and Larry Grant is going to need a lot of help to bring this one home. Right now it's looking good, but nothing is guaranteed until that last vote is counted.
So please go visit Larry Grant's website and dig as deeply into your pockets as you can and throw a few bucks his way. Every little bit helps.
kencamp | October 22, 2006 | Comment on This Post (1 so far) |
More of a connection with the West than a vacation spot
Joel Connelly at the Seattle PI takes a look at the congressional races in the Inland Empire, Peter Goldmark and Larry Grant both having good chances to pick off a couple of seats. The most interesting part of the column is this note at the bottom which points out the difference between how east coast brie chablis Democrats view the West and how others see it:
Would-be Democratic presidential candidates continue to fly into Seattle and host small fundraisers at the Rainier Club or bigger events at the Westin.In days gone by, Harry Truman whistle-stopped through Spokane. John F. Kennedy delivered a stirring 1963 speech at the Hanford N Reactor. Lyndon Johnson and Hubert Humphrey dedicated Snake and Columbia River dams.
Doesn't happen anymore. The 2004 Democratic ticket ignored places where Dems' 2006 prospects are looking up.
Its only connection with the inland West came when Sen. John Kerry went snowboarding at his wife's "cabin" near Sun Valley.
Emmett O'Connell | October 6, 2006 | Comment on This Post (1 so far) |
Are the netroots liberal? Or just partisan?
Over at the National Journal, John Mercurio shares a comment he got from Western Democrat's own Jonathan Singer. Here's the comment, since archives are subscriber-only:
You write, "Liberal bloggers, who, much like the Club for Growth, encourage ideological purity over party loyalty, cheered Chafee's victory."I really don't believe that the top issue for the progressive netroots is "ideological purity." In some ways, I think you may have it backwards. The concerted netroots effort to go after Lieberman started when he went on FOX News to bash Democrats over the war, not because of his stance on the war (which was longstanding).
The netroots have supported a number of non-doctrinaire Dems who are willing to stand up for the party, most recently with Jim Webb. Brian Schweitzer, a favorite of many, certainly isn't in line with the left of the party on the issues of coal or guns, but he remains extremely popular. Other Western Dems -- Trauner in WY, Grant in ID, and Fawcett in CO -- show up on the Daily Kos/MyDD/Swing State Project ActBlue page even though they are not hard-core liberals.
Taking a look at unscientific approval ratings from Daily Kos readers, more moderate/conservative Democrat Harry Reid has a significantly higher approval rating (70 percent) than more progressive/liberal Nancy Pelosi (36 percent).
There are certainly issues upon which the netroots look for politicians to fall in line. Social Security, Iraq and Net Neutrality come to mind. But the netroots does not take the same tack as groups like Club for Growth on these issues. There was no challenge -- not even talk of challenging Ben Nelson, for instance. He may not agree with us on all of the issues, but he doesn't go on national television to denigrate his party, either.
Good stuff, JS.
Kari Chisholm | September 21, 2006 | Comment on This Post (11 so far) |
Republicans for...
Republicans for Ritter (CO-Gov) is a great post on Western Democrat.
But check out what some Republicans are saying about the GOP candidate in Idaho.
Republicans for Grant (ID-1)
"That idiot [Grant’s opponent, Bill Sali] is just an idiot. He doesn’t have one ounce of empathy in his whole fricking body. And you can put that in the paper.” Bruce Newcomb, Republican Speaker of the House, Idaho Statesman April 8, 2006
And former Republican primary candidates Pete McCloskey and Tom Benigno have endorsed Jerry McNerney in California.
Republicans for McNerney (CA-11)
“You know, I never really thought I’d be doing this. I’ve been a Republican for 57 years. My family have been Republicans for four generations,” said McCloskey. “But I’ve concluded two things: Jerry McNerney is an honest man; Richard Pombo is not. I’m confident that Jerry McNerney is an honorable man who will vote his conscience.”
And in Colorado
Republicans for Fawcett (CO-5)
"It's not as unusual as you would think…We're both retired Air Force Academy graduates, both Desert Storm veterans, we're both Bronze Star recipients; Jay [Fawcett] and I have a lot in common." Scott Hente, City Councilman
If we are to reclaim the vital center, we will need the votes of thoughtful Republicans like these. There aren’t enough Democrats in some of these districts to win unless we attract GOP voters in significant numbers.
Leo Brown | August 25, 2006 | Comment on This Post (1 so far) |
Gas and Property Rights and fishermen
Now here's an interesting mix of issues. On one side you have the current gas and oil boom across the west that is pitting not only ranchers and small property owners against big Oil and Gas, their state governments and the BLM, but also (as pointed out here by the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel), hunters and anglers (thanks Coyote Gulch).
On the other side, you have a somewhat under the radar, astro-turf, sagebrush rebellion sweeping the West with five eminent domain initiatives.
One of the key pieces to the entire Western Democrat theme is the connection of the bullets and bait folks to the Democratic Party. Once they feel that we have their interests in heart (like protecting stream access in Montana for Schweitzer), they'll forget about voting for a Republican.
Anyway, here is a good part of the Daily Sentinal piece, leaves you thinking how to bring the bullets and bait crowd into the property rights fight:
Alliances among groups who once considered themselves at odds with popular environmentalism are occurring throughout the West, and they’re being noticed by politicians, chief among whom are Colorado’s gubernatorial candidates.“It feels like a natural alliance, a coming-together of common interests to fight forces that are threatening our outdoors,” said Evan Dreyer, spokesman for Democrat Bill Ritter’s gubernatorial campaign. “I think that for a very long time, this was something that was fought on the fringes, the environmentalists on the far left and the hunters’ groups on the far right. I think there is an agreement that they can be more effective by coming together and finding that middle ground.”
Emmett O'Connell | August 22, 2006 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) |
Idaho-1
Larry Grant is one of several Democrats identified by our readers as a good man to support. This race is heating up with some recent news links below along with some highly recommended general links.
ID-1 is an open seat, and the GOP candidate is a guy we don’t want in Congress. Read this.
Once in a while a leader comes along who cuts across the partisan divide, brings us together and works in the best interest of all Idahoans. Republicans, independents and Democrats have such a leader in Larry Grant.Quotes here from Republicans about the GOP candidate. And here for an article in the Idaho Statesman on Republicans for Grant.
Other links at NewWest, 43rd State Blues, IdaBlue, Liberal Idaho, and Red State Rebels.
The district map is here. Idaho has been a red state, but also the home of great Western Democrats like the late Senator Frank Church. We have in Larry Grant an outstanding candidate.
Want to help Larry? Go here.
Leo Brown | August 17, 2006 | Comment on This Post (3 so far) |
Idaho-1: Western Dem vs. Wingnut of the Year
In Idaho, the open congressional seat (vacated by Republican Butch Otter, running for Governor) is heading for a barnburner.
In the blue corner, you'll find Larry Grant - a former local tech executive and attorney. Running hard, he's a tough, smart, accomplished Democrat.
In the red corner, you'll find Bill Sali - a state representative that's so crazy his own party leaders can't stand him.
Over at Swing State Project, they've declared Bill Sali GOP Wingnut of the Year, and quoted Idaho House Speaker Bruce Newcomb (R):
“That idiot is just an absolute idiot. He doesn’t have one ounce of empathy in his whole fricking body. And you can put that in the paper.”
Read the coverage at Swing State. Check out this diary at DailyKos. And then dip into Idaho blog Red State Rebels for complete coverage.
Kari Chisholm | May 27, 2006 | Comment on This Post (10 so far) |
Gas prices and Idaho, Montana and Wyoming
Pacific Views wonders if low gas prices in the interior West are keeping the President's poll numbers up. It sounds a little too simple, but it makes for an interesting set of maps.
View the full-sized version here. [Map: GasBuddy.com]
View the full-sized version here.
[Map: RadicalRuss.net]
Emmett O'Connell | April 24, 2006 | Comment on This Post (4 so far) |
Bringing down the elephant in Idaho
Boise Weekly has a great piece this week on the rise of Dems in Idaho. Go here to read the entire thing, but this article goes to show that in a couple of years we've come a long way in Idaho, from not even fielding a candidate for Senate in 2006, we have strong candidates for governor and the single open house seat:
But as Idaho lurches into the 2006 election season, Democrats and others throughout the state are sniffing winds of change. What they smell, they say, is opportunity. Such times have come and gone before--the party has at least mounted challenges to most of the major office-holders in the state as their terms come up--but the difference this time around may be the depth and breadth of their response.Circumstances may also be on their side. This is not a year in which the president is up for re-election. In 2004, Bush's sweeping success in the West and his popularity in Idaho helped lower-ticket Republicans happy to sign onto his banner. Democrats gave up hunting the top-ticket races in the state and focused on the Legislature, but they managed only to gain in urban areas what they lost in rural parts of the state, according to media analyses of that year's results.
This year, Bush is not winning in any popularity contests; even his approval rating in Idaho has slipped to near 50 percent according to SurveyUSA, a national polling group that supplies surveys to media outlets. That half-mark of approval is down from nearly 60 percent earlier this year. For a red state like Idaho, this represents a dramatic shift.
Also, you have to love the art. Apparently different issues matter out West. And, with laser dicipline, Idaho Dems are taking advantage:
...In the Idaho Statehouse, Democrats in the state Legislature all seem to have memorized the same refrain: Idaho's growing middle class is ill-served by Republican majorities. Democratic lawmakers reference issues of environmental health, of wages, of economic opportunity, and say Republicans aren't getting the job done.According to Weatherby, the focus on pocketbook and daily-life issues is wise.
"The Democrats have been hurt in Idaho and nationally by focusing too much on the cultural and social issues," Weatherby says.
...Leaning forward in his chair, he begins to softly pound his desk with his fist as he lists the offenses of the Republicans, whether it be no relief from property taxes, inadequate school funding or the stripping of environmental regulation.
"The middle" (thump) "class" (thump) "is getting" (thump) "hosed up here." Thump.
Emmett O'Connell | March 25, 2006 | Comment on This Post (3 so far) |
Bush Nominates Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne as Interior Secretary
Continuing his all-out assault on environmental policy, President Bush nominated Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne, today, as Secretary of the Interior. Even the hometown Idaho Statesman knows the score.
President Bush picked Gov. Dirk Kempthorne to be his new interior secretary, selecting a pro-development Western Republican to push for more oil and gas drilling from the Gulf of Mexico to Alaska's North Slope.
Say goodbye to ANWR, it will become the largest oilfield this side of Texas. Say goodbye to the forests of the Pacific Northwest and get ready for full implementation of Bush's "No Tree Left Behind" plan.
Bill Schneider of the New West Network provides more perspective on Kempthorne.
That’s probably an overstatement, but the fact is, Kempthorne, a former U.S. Senator who decided to run for governor instead a second term in the Senate, has consistently received a zero rating from the League of Conservation Voters—except once, when he soared up to a 6 percent rating, getting one vote correct, something about funding a rocket for the space program that nobody remembers. But he has always received a 100 percent rating from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
[...]
Kempthorne prides himself as a consensus builder, but a few years ago, an amazing committee of timber companies and environmentalists reached a consensus and hatched a plan to restore grizzly bears in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, but Kempthorne was primarily responsible for influencing Norton to kill it, even though her own scientists in her own agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, favored it.
Raping the land is clearly no match for the Almighty Dollar. Almighty Dollar wins in a first round knock-out. Loggers will soon join oilmen in reaping the windfall under Bush's environmental policy. Bears and wolves will be hunted and shot (unless the hunters are as bad as Dick Cheney). Arlo Guthrie once sang, "This land is your land, this land is my land", but clearly Bush sees it as his land, and his land only.
kencamp | March 16, 2006 | Comment on This Post (1 so far) |
Western Democrats...
We haven't had a true "Big Strategy" post here in a while, but the chair of the Bannock County Democrats wrote one hell of a piece for the Idaho Journal. He starts out that while a lot of Idaho Republicans somehow had a problem with Harry Reid crossing the boarder into Idaho, they couldn't argue him on facts, they could just call names.
Read on (from 43rd State Blues):
Like Senator Reid, they could say things with which you disagreed, but you knew these Western Democrats shared your values. You knew they stood for something and were in your corner fighting for you and your family.Democrats from the West have the same values today. They believe citizens have to take responsibility for their own futures and for making their communities better. They believe government should provide opportunities and tools for citizens to improve their lives. That is why Western Democrats support making higher education more affordable, raising the minimum wage and providing funding to improve the quality of education.
Western Democrats understand government must be responsive to the will of the people. That is why Democrats in the state legislature are working with moderate Republicans to provide property tax relief. Governor Kempthorne, unfortunately, is passing up the opportunity to lead on this issue. If you want the people to trust you with their vote, you cannot treat their problems as a smorgasbord where you pick and choose the issues with which you are comfortable. You take everything on the table.
Western Democrats also believe government has an obligation to promote equal opportunity for all while granting special privileges to none. Government cannot be effective if the people do not have faith in its integrity and fairness. That is why Senator Malepaeai and Senator Marley stood firm against corruption when Senator Jack Noble of Kuna violated the state senate’s ethics rules last year. He resigned shortly thereafter.
Don’t let the Republican leadership’s cackling alarm you. Western Democrats are not the enemy. They are ready to lead Idaho and the nation into a bright future.
Emmett O'Connell | January 31, 2006 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) |
"The sky is just a little cloudy" for the Idaho GOP
And, those clouds you see are Larry Grant's campaign.
From Grassroots for Grant:
Larry Grant, asked about Craig's comment Sunday on Moscow radio station KUOI, replied, "Larry's got a lot of respect around Idaho. If Larry says to take me seriously, that's something a person ought to do.""The Republican Party has a lot to answer for over the last few years, both in and out of state," Grant added. "There's a lot of reporting about how Congress may shift to the Democrats, and that makes every vote far more important. I think there are a lot of independents and certainly a lot of unhappy Republicans who are looking to see what their party does before they cast their votes this November."
"Craig pointedly said an Idaho congressional seat could go to Democrats if Republicans don't recruit the state's 35,000 new Idahoans. 'That's a margin that could spell defeat,' Craig said.In a previous interview, Craig told the Lewiston Tribune he considers Democratic candidate Larry Grant of Fruitland, a former Micron attorney, as a formidable contender for the open 1st Congressional District seat. Six Republicans are vying for the seat, which U.S. Rep. Butch Otter, R-Idaho, is leaving to run for governor. Democrat Cecil Kelly, a Coeur d'Alene businessman, also is running.
In addition to the Grant cloud, there is also a Brady for Governor cloud raining down on Butch Otter's recent attempt to sell off Idaho's bullet and bait heritage.
Emmett O'Connell | January 18, 2006 | Comment on This Post (1 so far) |
Red State Tour
Harry Ried is on his Red State Tour of Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho and Nebraska. In Utah, Congressman Jim Matteson introduced Reid at the press conference as someone who "makes me proud to be a Western Democrat." Amen.
A podcast of Harry’s speech in Idaho is available here via 43rd State Blues.
Leo Brown | January 12, 2006 | Comment on This Post (1 so far) |
Otter flops on land sale bill
Brady 1, Otter 0.
Apparently selling off federal lands to private parties isn't a popular idea in Idaho. Randy has a good take on it:
Dare we call it a flip-flop? That might be a cheap shot - and beside the point. The question at the heart of it is this: What is the reason Representative C.L. “Butch” Otter abruptly has this to say today about his till-now firm support for the bill calling for mass sellout of federal lands to pay Hurricane Katrina costs:“I was wrong. It wasn’t the first time, and it won’t be the last.” And his sponsorship is withdrawn … “for now.”
There are no newly-apparent facts on the table about all this. So when Otter says “I was wrong,” what exactly does that mean? What was it precisely that he was wrong about? The legislation specifically? (If so, what did he suddenly come to realize about its flaws?) The way he has thought about public lands, and how they should be treated? Has he had a philosophical reawakening? Did he get scared about a loss of votes and decide to pander? What changed?
That’s an important question, because without knowing the answer, we have no way of knowing whether his pullback of sponsorship - “for now” - means, “until the uproar in Idaho dies down,” or or whether it is predicated on something else. And without knowing the answer, we have a chasm in our evolving understanding of who Butch Otter is.
Politically, Otter’s mea culpa clearly was meant to put the cork in the conversation. What it should do now is uncork that conversation.
And Julie:
An Idaho Stateman online poll found that 85 percent of those voting opposed Rep. Butch Otter's damn-fool plan to sell off up to 15 percent of the nation's public lands. So what does Otter do? He takes his name off the legislation. "I was wrong," he told Boise's KTVB. "It wasn't the first time and it won't be the last.State Dem party chair Richard Stallings isn't letting Otter slide away from the issue so easily. "Butch Otter still doesnt get it, Stallings said in a news release tonight. Its not enough for Otter simply to take his name off the legislation. If he was doing his job, Otter would be actively fighting against this bill and any others that would do the same thing.
Local control doesn't mean just selling off land and making the West into New Jersey. Local control is, well, locals engaged and controlling the land around them.
Emmett O'Connell | January 6, 2006 | Comment on This Post (1 so far) |