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Denney (left) and Semanko (right) got caught up in trying to out-conservative their own conservative party. We have seen this attitude play out too often right here in Kootenai County, and inevitably, it serves neither the citizens at large nor the Republican Party itself. This Constitutionalist/Libertarian wing of the party represents a political splinter group so contrary to the basics of good government that the county's Reagan Republicans have distanced themselves from their alleged party mates. … We're hopeful that the Republican Party will find leaders more in tune with this great state's ideals, and we offer a sincere suggestion for those who argue that the party isn't conservative enough: Declare yourself a Constitutionalist, a Libertarian or even an anarchist, but stop masquerading as something you're not/Mike Patrick, Coeur d'Alene Press Editorial Board. More here.
Question: What do you make of Mike's point that the Constitutionalists/Libertarians/militia, etc., embedded in the local Republican Party should be honest enough to quit masquerading as something they're not?
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.
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Norther on February 03 at 1:40 p.m.
Amen! I am very tired of the Constitutionalist/Libertarian Circus throwing their cars on my train. Drop ‘em at the next station.
hhuseland on February 03 at 1:40 p.m.
Mike is spot on.
Dennis on February 03 at 1:47 p.m.
I’m waiting for them to start issuing “Constitutional Warrants” for those that disagree with them.
Wes on February 03 at 2:08 p.m.
Right on, Mr. Patrick. I never thought I would hear
this truth from the press.
Phaedrus on February 03 at 2:20 p.m.
The inmates are running the asylum. Pass the popcorn.
Sisyphus on February 03 at 2:41 p.m.
Whaaaa? They were invited and welcomed with open arms. Republicans deliberately lured these critters out from under rocks during the hey day of the tri-cornered hat people lamenting the onset of sosholism ruinin’ ‘merica and giving lip service to the illegitimacy of the Kenyan Muslim man in the White House. They have no one to blame but themselves when they come home to roost.
ShoshoneConservative on February 03 at 2:42 p.m.
Once again, I will grant that libertarianism is a separate philosophy from conservatism, even though the two have much in common.
However, the Constitutionalists WERE Republicans until 1992. Every Constitutionalist I’ve talked to used to be a Republican. Every Republican who used to be a Constitutionalist I’ve talked to started out as a Republican, and talks about coming “back” into the Republican Party.
The Republicans being derided as “Right-wing RINOs” generally support policies that were supported by such figures as Joseph McCarthy, Robert Taft, Herman Welker, John Schmitz - Republicans all - when they were in Congress. Even going back to the 19th Century, Idaho Republican U.S. Senator Weldon Heyburn (noted for his opposition to the creation of the Forest Service) was considered very conservative, even by standards back then.
You might not agree with the right wing of the Republican Party, but the Republican Party is from whence they came, to which they have returned, and where they are likely to stay for the foreseeable future.
hhuseland on February 03 at 3:18 p.m.
John & Mary Schmitz were friends back in the ‘60’s. John was the only John Bircher that I ever met that had a sense of humor. Speaking of which, many that use constitutionalist, etc. are birthed from the John Birch society, which was discredited by the early ‘70s.
DFO on February 03 at 3:34 p.m.
@ Herb Huseland re: “Speaking of which, many that use constitutionalist, etc. are birthed from the John Birch society, which was discredited by the early ‘70s.”
I’ve often wondered about that. Seems Constitutionalists share the same paranoia as Birchers. Yet they’ve been able to gain credibility by embedding themselves in the Kootenai County Republican Party. And then they try to redefine salt-of-the-earth Republican conservatives & moderates as RINOs. Which cows the latter. Brilliant strategy. Seems some are waking up to it.
duroc on February 03 at 3:35 p.m.
ShoCon - I’ve never heard the Constitutionalists or Libertarians within the GOP referred to as “RINOs.” Most people I know who use that term, use it to deride moderate and progressive Republicans who aren’t taking a hard-right-enough line.
Ol’ Laird Whats-His-Name in Boise made a hobby about of tarring lots of good, honest Idaho Republicans with the RINO epithet simply because they weren’t as zealously anti-government as he was. I realize things are a little different in North Idaho, but in southern Idaho RINO is used to deride Republicans who are seen as “too liberal” by the hard-right members of the party.
Sisyphus on February 03 at 3:42 p.m.
We ditched Laird Maxwell years ago duroc. Last I heard he’s plinking lizards off saguaro in Arizona somewhere. But the tactics remain.
ShoshoneConservative on February 03 at 3:54 p.m.
@Duroc - I know RINO is generally used against moderate Republicans. My reference is to those on here, and those like Mike Patrick, who think they are being clever by turning the epithet around and using it against the right wing, who may have been associated with the Constitution Party at one point.
As for the Birchers, the John Birch Society, of course, was never a political party. It was comprised mainly of Republicans, with some conservative Southern Democrats (the most prominent being Congressman Larry McDonald, who was on the KAL flight that was shot down by the Soviets). However, it lost a lot of its clout when Welch, its founder, called Eisenhower “a dedicated agent of the Communist conspiracy.” It seems that calling a decorated 5-star general, the hero of Normandy, and Republican President a Pinko isn’t exactly the way to win friends and influence people. Even if he was a political moderate… It’s still limping along, though, and it’s based in Appleton, Wisconsin - hometown of Senator McCarthy.
duroc on February 03 at 3:56 p.m.
I know, Sisyphus. I met him through a friend when I lived in Boise (I have some strange friends and associates, I must admit). This was just before he fell in love, got married, and left Idaho. He was a nice enough guy to talk to, but he had some nutty ideas about the world. I just wish he’d taken Wayne Hoffman along with him when he left. Laird Maxwell’s tactics did a lot of damage to some really nice men and women in the Idaho Republican Party. Although not as severe as the death threats certain Republican members of my family received from members of the John Birch Society, Maxwell’s tactics were quite deplorable.
And there are still some people in high places in Boise who were part of Laird’s little gang. They still have plenty of influence.
duroc on February 03 at 3:58 p.m.
[To clarify: I didn’t mean “I know Sisyphus” (I don’t). I meant “I knew Laird Maxwell left Idaho, Sisyphus.” Just so there was no confusion.]
:)
hhuseland on February 03 at 4:49 p.m.
A true bastion of the Birch Society was in Orange County, California, which is where John Schmitz taught ;political Science at Santa Ana Community College. Back then there were several members in the California Legislature, and yes, they called me a pinko as well. It was when Ronnie Reagan was elected Governor in 1966 that they were all voted out of office.
Digger on February 04 at 10:36 a.m.
When people ask me about my party affiliation, having been a dyed in the wool Republican from birth and sticking with it even after coming out of the closet, I simply tell them that I’m an independent. When they ask why I left the GOP I simply tell them, “I didn’t. They left me.”
Arch_Druid on February 04 at 11:11 a.m.
You mean, there is actually a difference between actual Republicans and extremists?
Would you guys like to know what I really think of someone who is “anti-gvt” and yet runs the gvt as a public official or runs the gvt through think tanks and etc.? Not that anti-gvt just opposed to the idea that gvt can take care of people who aren’t part of the party faithful.
Sounds far more socialist when you think about it than anything President Obama could ever try doing in his lifetime.
Yeah, Reagan Republicans, et al: Stop the socialism, start with your own.
iamyou on February 04 at 2:47 p.m.
@shoshone Conservative. You’ve got it right again.
Now for my thoughts on the Press editorial. I knew Mike Patrick’s editorial would be red meat for the Huckleberries crowd. Well he was all wrong . How dare he decide who should be a Republican and who shouldn’t. His facts, suppositions and most everything else in the article were disingenuous. His pompous attitude was laughable. So, do you want to know how I really feel?