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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Huckleberries Online

Meckel Won’t Hand Out Hart Material

Fred Meckel, a Rathdrum city councilman and Precinct 9 committee man, told Huckleberries a few minute ago that he also will not deliver campaign literature for Rep. Phil Hart to his city of Rathdrum precinct. "There's no reason to tow the party line just because there's an R after someone's name," he said. "Where do you draw the line?" Meckel was referring to the recent disclosure that Hart, who survived a House Ethics Committee hearing on his income tax problems, stole timber from state endowment lands to build his Athol home. Meckel said he's joining Duane Rasmussen of Precinct 19 in taking his stand for moral reasons. Meckel and Rasmussen were unsuccessful GOPrimary candidates for the House District 3 seat won by Vito Barbieri. Meckel told Huckleberries: "(Hart's) a Constitutionalist through and through running on a Republican ballot."



D.F. Oliveria
D.F. (Dave) Oliveria joined The Spokesman-Review in 1984. He currently is a columnist and compiles the Huckleberries Online blog and writes about North Idaho in his Huckleberries column.

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