Malloy: Idaho GOP Pols Aging
In his column today, Chuck Malloy of Idaho Politics Weekly notes that Idaho's Republican political leaders are getting long in tooth:
By all appearances, the Idaho Republican Party is as healthy as it ever has been, or perhaps ever will be. Republicans hold all four 
congressional seats, all of the state’s constitutional offices and an overwhelming majority in both houses of the Legislature. But I’m not sure how healthy the party really is, with the aging politicians holding the highest offices and showing few signs of leaving their offices. Gov. Butch Otter, who can’t seem to put the Idaho Education Network mess behind him, says his third term will be his last. But I’ll believe it when I see it. Four years ago, I couldn’t imagine him even running for a third term into his 70s.
On the congressional side, Sen. Mike Crapo, who is in his mid-60s, is setting records for length of service and appears to be a shoo-in for re-election. Sen. Jim Risch, who is in his 70s, shows no signs of slowing down. Since the first of the year, he has been getting a lot of national attention with regular appearances on CNN. Rep. Mike Simpson, who is in his 60s, appears safe in the 2nd District for as long as he wants it. More here.
