Spokane7
37°
I am writing to you to emphatically respond to your astonishing abuse of the powers of your 
office. I am shocked at the threat of legal action by the City of Coeur d’Alene to stifle political debate and trample the First Amendment Rights of the members of the Kootenai County Reagan Republicans. Your statements in the Coeur d’Alene Press today and the intimidating words and actions of city employees demonstrate a caviler disdain for citizens’ rights of free expression and a willingness to use the legal power of the city to suppress political dissent. Your published statement that the city is not “tolerant of circulating” certain political communication during a political campaign demonstrates an incredible abuse of the city’s legal authority. You and city administrator Wendy Gabriel’s threats of legal action to suppress political expression cannot go unaddressed/Jeffrey Ward, Kootenai County Reagan Republicans, in a letter sent to Coeur d’Alene Mayor Sandi Bloem today. More here.
Question: Are the Reagan Republicans beginning to marginalize themselves and possibly hurt their candidates?
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.
999 W. Riverside, Spokane, WA 99201
P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210
Main switchboard: (509) 459-5000 • (800) 338-8801
Newsroom: (509) 459-5400 • (800) 789-0029
Customer service: (800) 338-8801
© Copyright 2012, The Spokesman-Review
Terms of use • Privacy policy • Copyright policy
Find DFO on Facebook
DFO on Twitter
SideNote on October 27 at 4:23 p.m.
Yes, and after their people lose badly on election day you won’t hear from the Reagan Republicans again. They are at their loudest and shrillest now because they know they are done.
Phaedrus on October 27 at 4:26 p.m.
Beginning? For gawd’s sake Duane Rasmussen quit their club!
bpoole on October 27 at 4:33 p.m.
Just a Fringe that lost their way. Like I said before don’t get in the way of the enemy, when the enemy is destroying himself.
Sisyphus on October 27 at 4:33 p.m.
Just like teabaggers thinking that the first amendment means that they can say whatever they like. They’re not suppressing dissent they’re threatening legal action redress an injury borne from a lie. They throw around grade school constitutional platitudes with a grade school mentality. They will be judged accordingly.
Charles_Dixon on October 27 at 4:33 p.m.
So first they defame you, and then they claim you have no right to defend yourself against the defamation.
florined on October 27 at 4:34 p.m.
Sigh.
Recommendation #1: always asked a second party to proof-read anything you plan to publish.
Recommendation #2: at least us a spell-check program.
florined on October 27 at 4:35 p.m.
of course, HBO doesn’t have a spell checker, so…us = use
Charles_Dixon on October 27 at 4:35 p.m.
“Just like teabaggers thinking that the first amendment means that they can say whatever they like. ”
Or just like Sis saying what the Tea Party stands for and insisting on using the sexually derogative term to describe them.
LarrySpencer on October 27 at 4:37 p.m.
“us a spell-check program.”
/SIGH
:)
Sisyphus on October 27 at 4:43 p.m.
ZOMG! Exactly Dixon. This line has to be one of the funniest things I’ve read in a while: “To misinterpret this statement [flyer allegation] is a ruse to create a weak excuse to intimidate those of us making the accusation.”
In other words, its not what you think we intended to mean even though it is what we intended and we stand by our accusation but its not enough for you to threaten legal action cause we didn’t intend it to mean the way that everyone thinks that we intended because….first amendment. So there. Nyah.
Sisyphus on October 27 at 4:46 p.m.
“Or just like Sis saying what the Tea Party stands for and insisting on using the sexually derogative term to describe them.”-heh. They insist on the term and defend it. I didn’t pick it. I’m just accommodating. And what does the Tea Party stand for? Cause I’m I’ll fired up to point out the hypocrisy. Neat as I can tell they’re only against things, except those grade school platitudes I mentioned.
pthompson on October 27 at 4:49 p.m.
This is getting Juicy!
bpoole on October 27 at 4:53 p.m.
The tea party braggers are still unsure of what they stand for. I hear that they are wanting examples of what really matters.
nic on October 27 at 5:24 p.m.
Um… does Jeffrey Ward not realize that the threat of lawsuit was implied by a CDA Press employee, and not an actual threat from the mayor?
Sam on October 27 at 5:30 p.m.
I was just going to say what Nic said. The only person who raised concerns abouts was Mike Kennedy (who isn’t “the city”) and the press employee literally wrote that neither the mayor or the administrator stated whether legal action would ensue. The reporter could have written that better (perhaps, like, you know, asking that question about it and making that clear. It reads like he just threw it in there for fun as a potential situation. Just ask the question!), but it seemed to me to indicate they weren’t the ones discussing it … the press reporter was.
IdahoDad on October 27 at 5:57 p.m.
Yesterday I contemplated writing a letter to the Press in support of Mike Kennedy. Basically, I would’ve said that his efforts in the last four years to bring us the Kroc Center alone are worthy of rewarding him with another term in office.
But this nonsense with Mary Souza, Jim Brannon, and now the Reagan Republicans make me wary of sticking my name out where they can see it. I view these people as unstable and capable of harm against those who disagree with them on any issue.
Sorry, Mike, but my first amendment rights are being violated through the subtle threat of crazy people showing up at my house with pitchforks and torches.
bpoole on October 27 at 6:06 p.m.
Then just vote for him!
hhuseland on October 27 at 6:39 p.m.
Beginning? BEGINNING?
hhuseland on October 27 at 6:43 p.m.
I’m experiencing a flashback to the John Birch society days in Orange County California. I was declared a pinko at the time because I was a “true” Reagan Republican. Ronnie would turn over in his grave if he knew who and what stole his mantle and his reputation.
Cindy_H on October 27 at 6:44 p.m.
@bpoole: Love the new avatar :-)
bpoole on October 27 at 6:47 p.m.
well thank you
LarrySpencer on October 27 at 7:10 p.m.
I think bp’s avatar is rabid. It shows in the eyes.
;)
BTW, what was the old one, exactly? I never could figure it out…
MamaJD on October 27 at 7:13 p.m.
Ronald Reagan was too leftist for the Kootenai County Reagan Republicans. Ronald Reagan would have been considered a tax and spend liberal and kicked out of the local club. While he was one of the most conservative politicians to hold office, once he got there, he showed an ability to bend. Sure, Reagan upped spending on national defense and he cut taxes and spending within the federal budget. On the other hand, Reagan is also known to have saved Social Security, he failed to dismantle the Departments of Energy and Education as he had wanted to do, and then he added an additional bureaucracy of the Veterans Affairs department. Ronald Reagan was hellbent in his campaign on dissolving Social Security yet after the GOP lost a significant number of seats in Congress, he agreed to a huge bailout ( A *BAILOUT*) of Social Security that resulted in increased taxes on many and saved the program.
I love Ronald Reagan. I hate to see raving lunatics rallying around a false idol they have chosen to honor based on selective memory.
bpoole on October 27 at 7:19 p.m.
lighten up LS, it’s just a kitty.
GuyFawkes on October 27 at 7:29 p.m.
The KCRR may have blundered so badly they have cost Mr. Brannan a gentlemanly close second place finish at the polls. Not only have they shown themselves to be a fringe splinter group uninterested in truth in political advertising - they have shown their hand picked candidate to be weak - incapable of making even the politically easy decisions.
When Mr. Brannan was asked if he would man-up and stop a poorly considered flier from seeing the light of day - he folded like cheap suit. Instead of making a morally simple decision he blinked - choosing instead to sit this one out. If Mr. Brannan can’t make a decision about a questionable political flier how on earth can he be trusted with tough decisions about taxes, jobs, and the future of a community?
Mr Brannan may be a good man - but his willingness to use lies and half truths to catapult himself into public office proves he is not the man for the job.
meme13 on October 28 at 6:57 a.m.
Must be laundry day!
Arch_Druid on October 28 at 10:00 a.m.
The “Reagan Republicans” have created a club around a myth. I am certainly old enough to have lived through the Reagan years and served in the military during his time in office. Yes, I’ll agree that Reagan would be today described as a leftist. However, what does that say of the “Reagan Republicans” who utilize a leftist for their “right wing” claims? Suggests they are as leftist as their hero.
Oh, and isn’t Sandi Bloem a Republican?
Think I am glad I don’t live in CDA any more; or I’d have to hold my nose while voting in this upcoming mess.
nic on October 28 at 11:58 a.m.
@ IdahoDad
GOOD NEWS! You can still send your letter into the press and you don’t have to have your real name attached to it! Kage Mann has done it twice now.
IdahoDad on October 28 at 12:09 p.m.
Somehow I get the feeling Mike Patrick wouldn’t give me a similar exception.