On Adam's Blog, Adam Graham writes of the GOP presidential primary/caucus race: “The phenomenom of one candidate leading the GOP pack and then leading another has been described as “flavor of the month.” This is ultimately disrespectful to both the process and the candidates that have run the race. Each Conservative Candidate for President brings a lifetime of unique and exceptional experiences that has carried them through years and politics and business. You don’t get elected three times as Governor of Texas, rally thousands to the Capitol against Obamacare, win two terms in the Senate in a blue state, or lead the Republican Revolution because you are a flavor of the month. Perhaps, the most apt comparison is to a marathon.” More here. And: “Perry & Gingrich 2012 = Fred Thompson 2008” here. (AP Photo: Rick Santorum in New Hampshire this week)

• Santorum's fashion felony of wearing sleeveless sweaters/Dennis Mansfield
• War on Congress/Fort Boise
• Reality TV & American politics/Idaho Conservative Blogger
• Mormonism or Marxism? Which would you prefer at White House?/Austin Hill, ICB
• Confidence Men: No passion for anonymity here/The Johnson Report
• Best albums of 2011/The Political Game
• Otter, Denney say they won't roll over for counties on oil drilling/Rocky Barker

Question: Am I the only one in Hucks Nation who believes that Mitt Romney is the only GOP candidate with a chance of unseating President Obama — and then less than a 50-50 chance?

The Ethics process in any legislative body serves best when it investigates legitimate wrongdoing as happened during the Jack Noble case when Noble introduced a bill to benefit his own convenience store. What’s going on in the Idaho legislature with Phil Hart is nothing more than a mockery of the process. As happened with Sarah Palin in Alaska, spiteful folks are trying to drive a conservative from office through spurious ethics complaints.  The legislature is now investigating a 14 year old case of illegal timber cutting that happened 8 years before Hart was elected to the State legislature. Mind you the total cost of timber that Hart took was $2,450, which he’s already paid despite the fine not being enforcable by the State of Idaho/Adam’s Blog. More here.

• Wikileaks guidance/The Stupid Shall Be Punished
• A tale of two elk hunts/Fort Boise
• Christmas tax bill/Idaho Conservative Blogger
• Wisconsin’s curious Senate history/The Johnson Post
  

Question: Do you agree with Idaho Conservative Blogger that the House Ethics Committee hearing on Rep. Phil Hart is a mockery of justice?

The proposed tax deal is one of those classic bitter pills that we’re presented with in American politics. It’s a classic compromise. Democrats have to swallow the extension of the Bush tax cuts on the wealthiest Americans. Republicans have to agree to a 13-month extension of Unemployment benefits without paying for it. The two parties have agreed to split the difference on the Estate tax, with it coming back in 2011, however at a lower rate and a higher income threshhold. For me, the 13 month extension of Unemployment benefits really is a bit of a bridge too far/Adam’s Blog. More here.

• That didn’t take long/Fort Boise
• Portland sides with would-be bomber/Idaho Conservative Blogger
• ‘Wolfer’ tells inside story of wolf reintroduction to the West/Rocky Barker
• Press secretary to a good boss/Marc Johnson, The Johnson Report
• Q-&-A with Gonzaga beat writer Jim Meehan of SR/CougLink
  

Question: Doesn’t the net benefit of this tax deal seem to be that we’re taking in less money and spending more — a lose-lose proposition?

If you take a look at Americans who are politically active, you’ll find that Americans on the left and right in the 21st Century are culturally different, with different views of the importance of religion,  family, marriage, etc.. We don’t read the same books, we aren’t entertained in the same way, and we don’t have the same heroes from American history. Of course, there are some people who are exceptions to the rule, but I think the problem with civility in 21st Century America comes to the fact that by a series of choices with unintended consequences along the way,  Americans have diverged/Adam Graham, Adam’s Blog. More here.

• Arts community & God — is there a bridge?/Dennis Mansfield
• What can we work on together?/Fort Boise
• Anatomy of 2 campaigns/Sisyphus, 43rd State Blues
• Ted Sorensen’s legacy/Political Game
• Fast-food diners lure customers with fresh fries/Rocky Barker

Question: What do you think of Adam’s theory that Americans have grown apart and therefore less civil because we no longer share similar values?

A big milestone birthday (no. 30 on Tuesday) brings reflection on both the past and the future. Life is not as I would have wished it to be when I turned twenty. I imagined myself having already been elected to office and living off my writing and creative efforts, and there have been some personal disappointments as well.   The last decade has been filled with challenges, restlessness, unease, and setbacks, but also some successes. It also has been filled with learning, growth, and the occasional triumph. Over the past decade, I’ve worn many hats and done many things. I”ve met many good folks who’ve been encouraging to me, and who have comforted me in the way. I’ve had a loving wife who’s been with me every step of the way, even if I can be a challenging fellow to live with at a times/Adam Graham, Adam’s Blog. More here.

• Why should Independents choose political party nominees/Dennis Mansfield
• Phil Hart: A remarkable piece of work/Fort Boise
• Risch leaves no buzzword unused in blast at Allred/Kevin Richert
• The character of the man/MountainGoat Report
• Bobby Cox and my baseball life/Political Game
• If you’re not going to win … /Randy Stapilus
• U.S. 12 shipments tied to future of Lewiston port, salmon/Rocky Barker
• Our disinvestment in higher education/The Johnson Report
  

Question: In the year 2000, did you have any idea that you’d be where you are today? Are you happy with the progress in the last 10 years?

In his “cheers & boos” column, Adam Graham/Adam’s blog gives U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson and other Republicans like him “boos” for attacking the so-called “loyalty oath” in the press. Said Simpson, “I take one oath, and that’s to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic, period.” Now first of all, the actual resolution is not a loyalty oath, it’s a media pejorative as Rod Beck explains over Idaho Grassroots GOP. More to the point, rather than accepting the decision of delegates at the Convention and uniting the Party, Simpson is pressing a divisive issue. … Simpson seems to be clueless to his position.His 58% of the vote in the last primary was down from more than 80% two years ago. In 2012, if Simpson keeps cheezing people off on this on things like this and his wilderness bill, he could lose. More here.

Question: Would you cheer or boo Simpson’s stand against the Idaho GOP plank that demands a loyalty oath of all political candidates to support the Republican platform?

Wal-Mart is not moving (from Moscow) to a place where they’ll pay higher taxes, but lower taxes. The National Tax Foundation has the run-down on the State of Washington. Washington ranks 9th in the Nation in Business Tax environment and has the nation’s 35th lowest state and local tax burden. Most importantly, Washington does not have that great disincentive to industry and productivity, the income tax. Individuals and corporations pay exactly zero on their productivity and labor. How does Idaho compare? We rank 18th in business tax environment with heavy progressive taxes on individual and corporate income/Adam Graham, Adam’s Blog. More here.

• Achilles heels of Ward, Vaughn in 1st District race/Dennis Mansfield
• Now that the euphoria has worn off/Fort Boise
• Obama delivers tax cuts to Idaho’s working families/Sisyphus, 43rd State Blues
• Worrying about right-wing media bias/Free In Idaho!
• Conservationists fight among themselves over wolves/Rocky Barker
• 2-fer: Daily politics brief, and: Wednesday morning news/Treasured Valley

Question: Are you surprised that Washington has a better business tax environment than Idaho?

So, apparently, they believe it’s possible that the AP quoted the Memo without actually seeing it and that Bill Sali fabricated it in order to fool the AP into believing he’d been exonderated. Truth is that they don’t want to take responsibility for the the false attacks on Bill Sali. They attacked what amounted to a trivial matter of being late with an FEC report to attack Sali as dishonest and incompetent, and refuse to acknowledge their errors.  Instead, they pursue a conspiratorial line of reasoning that makes crop circles sound reasonable. The situation is reminiscent of the comments of Former Labor Secretary Ray Donovan after a court acquitted him of criminal charges, “Which office do I go to get my reputation back?”/Adam’s Blog. More here.

Question: Is Bill Sali owed an apology by bloggers and other online commenters who lambasted him for campaign finance problems that now appear to be the fault of the Federal Election Commission?

So, I’m checking my facebook and I see this ad in the sidebar: The ad slams Minnick and, when you click on the link, it comes from MoveOn.org. So, you’ve got the far left wing of the Democratic Party deciding to take pot shots at the only Democrat to win any congressional race in this state in 16 years. What could go wrong? Pressuring Minnick to go left is dumb. Attacking Minnick for voting like he promised he was going to vote is dumb. This ad shows the great tragedy that has left the Idaho Democratic Party a shadow of it’s former self. If Minnick continues on the road he’s on, he’ll have trouble gathering support from the left wing of the Party. if he takes more left wing moves, he’ll end up losing/Adam’s Blog. More here.

• Those pesky Montanans/Clayton Cramer
• Separated At Birth — Jindal & 30 Rock’s Kenneth The Page?/Dennis Mansfield
• IVA applauds Supreme Court’s 10C ruling/Bryan Fischer
• Rep. Hartgen and the real world/Randy Stapilus
• Thursday morning coffee/Unequivocal Notion

Question: Do you agree with Adam that Minnick would have a difficult time if he listened to the extremists in the Idaho Demo party and moved left?

 My overall grade for the Bush Administration: C-. Not the worst President we ever had, but certainly not the best/Adam’s Blog. Complete report card here.

• The Stupid Shall Be Punished wins blog award/Bubblehead
• Priorities in tough times/MountainGoat Report
• Book Review: John Buchan’s ‘Greenmantle’/Clayton Cramer
• Good cop/bad cop/F-Words
• In the name of the holy & undivided trinity/Idaho Values Alliance
• Laptop fight/Unequivocal Notion

Question: What grade would you give President George Bush?

You want a classic example of why newspapers are in trouble? Look no further than today’s riveting Idaho Statesman Editorial alleging that Idaho’s too lenient on those parking in disabled parking places, saying, “Meanwhile, state law sets a $100 fine that doesn’t provide much deterrent.” They suggest following the example of Oregon and raising it to $190 for the first offense and $450 for second and subsequent offenses. I actually think a $100 fine is plenty of deterrent. This isn’t like it was in the early 1990s when I lived in Montaa where the fine for speeding was $5. A lot of folks would consider that just an entertainment expense/Adam’s Blog. More here.

Question: How much should be fined for handicap-parking violations?