Huckleberries Online

Group Wants Minnick To Act Like Dem

Posted by DFO

March 17, 2009 10:44 a.m. • 21 comments

A Berry Picker tells Huckleberries that he fielded a recorded message from an organization — he couldn’t remember the name — that was unhappy that U.S. Rep. Walt Minnick had voted against President Barack Obama’s stimulus package and a large omnibus proposal. He was encouraged to join the chorus to force Democrat Minnick to back Obama’s plans — and given told which button to push on his telephone to immediately call Minnick’s office. So the Berry Picker did call Minnick’s office — to thank the young woman who answered the phone that Idaho was represented by an elected official who put the concerns of his constituents ahead of his party.

Question: Anyone else out there get one of these calls?

21 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

Kage_Mann on March 17 at 10:41 a.m.
He did run as an independent right? Then he’s acting like one.
I’d actually, consider voting for him if he keeps voting like a conservative.Thom,care to weigh in on this?
toadman on March 17 at 10:44 a.m.
Minnick can only act like Minnick, to be anything else would be dishonest. Groups like this are dorky.
Arch_Druid on March 17 at 10:45 a.m.
I had not gotten such a call. But I do recall any number of letters to the editors in the CDA Press where Minnick was accused of being too much of a Dem. That was before he was elected. I regard that as a real irony. And Kage Mann, I agree with you.
BillH on March 17 at 1:00 p.m.
Neither R nor D myself, but I have to laugh when an elected D gets all “mavericky” and makes the party faithful nervous… it was funny when it was McCain, but maybe not so much when it’s one of your guys? We’ll see how much Idaho he has in him if he can withstand the Party pressure to toe the line.
Charlie on March 17 at 1:15 p.m.
I have always voted for the best person running, be it “D” or “R”, I want what is best for the country. It is funny when democrats go against the party and vote with republicans, the gnashing of teeth and wailing. Funny.
Aliasjax on March 17 at 1:24 p.m.
Charlie…what if the best person running is neither an R or a D??? What then? Do you still vote for the I or L or G or C even if they have little to no chance of winning?
Cindy_H on March 17 at 1:32 p.m.
I do. Isn’t that the point of being independent? Laughing in the face of a two-party system and voting for the underdog just because you can?
My husband still hasn’t forgiven me for voting for Ralph Nader.
Not sayin’ which election.
Sisyphus on March 17 at 1:34 p.m.
I know what you mean Charlie. Kind of like RNC chairman Mike Steele promising primaries against Snowe, Specter and Collins for voting for the stimulus package.

Do we have anything more on this phone call or group against Minnick other than the unsubstantiated mention by one dinglelberry? Cause I was at the Frank Church Banquet last week when Minnick received a standing ovation.
Aliasjax on March 17 at 4:43 p.m.
I’m with you on this one, Cindy…but not just because it’s fun, and I dismiss the notion such a vote is “wasted,” but because it’s the best hope we have for affecting change. If more people would vote in favor of something other than Rs and Ds we could break their stranglehold on policy. They’d have to adapt.

Truth is, people who vote R or D are merely voting to maintain the status quo, so in that sense, they’re all conservatives.
Cindy_H on March 17 at 4:54 p.m.
Exactly, Alias!
I find it so frustrating to be accused of “wasting” my vote if I vote for a candidate that’s neither R nor D. Voters miss the point completely. It’s not simply about electability. It’s about making our voices heard one vote at a time.
Bent on March 17 at 6:53 p.m.
This is an interesting turn of events. The House Blue Dog caucus just expanded its membership last week growing from (I think) 40 members to 47 members. Now they have the numbers to join with the House GOP and block any of the spending bills that have been sailing out of the House unchecked up until now….

In fact the blue dogs are expected to release their 2010 budget this week, which is considerably smaller than President Obama’s proposal. You can pretty much bet at this point that any compromise will look real close to what they are proposing. they may thow Obama a couple of bones to stay in good graces. Their fight isn’t with him. It’s with the leftist wing of the party right now…

This congress is getting good. It’s not about two parties under the rotunda any longer. It’s conservative vs. moderate vs. liberal…and my moderates seem to be in control right now.

Go get ‘em Walt!

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D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.