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Huckleberries Online

Mailbag: Bikini War Differentiates Idaho Repubs

James Bond: I don't know the full story, although I would toss out a possible dynamic. Nampa is conservative in a way that CdA is not -- it is socially, religiously conservative. CdA is a very Republican area, but northern Idaho Republicans are different that southern Idaho Mormon Republicans. Do not underestimate the ability of social conservatives to go to war with bikini bars. Boise's former disgraced Mormon mayor Brent Coles went to war with these establishments, much the confusion of Boiseans who did not see what the big deal was. He ended up costing the city hundreds of thousands of dollars by spearheading unconstitutional ordinances and having the cops spend lots of time investigating the busting these fine establishments. To this day, I think the anti-bikini bar crusade did more to promote and popularize these places in Boise than anything since then. Looks like Nampa is following in Boise's big footsteps.

DFO: 007 provides invaluable insight from his perch in the state capitol. I'm running this comment out front because it not only gives a glimpse into the mind-set of southern Idaho R's toward risque venues like bikini bars but it also shows the difference between north and south R's.



Huckleberries Online

D.F. Oliveria started Huckleberries Online on Feb. 16, 2004. Oliveria's Sunday print Huckleberries is a past winner of the national Herb Caen Memorial Column contest.