Sisyphus: This is usually where I pull out my Mayberry analogy. I still view most of Idaho as Mayberry. And I prefer to react as Andy Griffith, not Barney Fife. I grew up with guns. I know how to use them. Family members own guns. I insisted my kids learned how to use them safely. But I don’t see the need to have one handy. I acknowledge that may change. Ironically there are campgrounds I just won’t go to because of the prevalence of alcohol and guns used in concert. I’ve rarely had a need for a gun to protect myself from large predators. But I’ve definitely been scared of my fellow man a time or two. (Wikipedia photo of Don Knotts as Mayberry character Barney Fife)

Question: Do you view Idaho as Mayberry, as Sisyphus does?

Last week the Idaho legislature scheduled three days of hearings to get feedback from the public about Superintendent Tom Luna's surprising proposal to completely overhaul Idaho's education system. Senator John Goedde (pictured in Betsy Russell photo) is a Republican from Coeur d'Alene and chairman of the senate education committee before which the hearings were held. Goedde stacked the deck. He manipulated the process from the beginning of the debate. Despite the fact that overhaul opponents overwhelmed the proponents at the hearing, Chairman Goedde granted equal time to each group, as if there were an equal number of contentions. And when one speaker, who identified himself as a proponent, failed to speak in favor, Goedde blew a gasket. Sisyphus, 43rd State Blues. More here.

Question: Are you happy with the way Chairman John Goedde, R-Coeur d'Alene, handled the Senate Education Committee debate re: Tom Luna's proposed education “reforms” this week?

(Ayn Rand) has had a disproportionate amount of influence among conservatives, whether its her acolyte Alan Greenspan or Congressman Paul Ryan, the architect of Republican efforts to dismantle New Deal legislation. Needless to say she's beloved by libertarians and she's become something of a darling among tea baggers, the ones who can read better than they spell. From time to time, you'll see a reference to someone “going Galt” which is the pretension that what you have to offer the world is so important and valuable that you'll punish the world by withholding it. That was a rallying cry from banksters on Wall Street which ironically was occurring while government was in the process of bailing them out/Sisyphus, 43rd State Blues. More here. (Photo of Ayn Rand courtesy of Wikipedia)

Question: Sisyphus goes on to note that Ayn Rand didn't walk her philosophical talk. However, he did say he enjoyed her book, “Atlas Shrugged.” How about you? Are you an Ayn Rand fan?

Democrats running against the Democratic party is a shortsighted losing strategy which enables the destruction of the Democratic brand in Idaho leaving us little to work with in the next cycle. … When all the Democratic candidates do it, as all three top tier candidates did, people just stay home. And in addition to being dead wrong, poobahs telling the media after an election that there was nothing to be done, ignores the consequences of that pronouncement. That self serving excuse demoralizes volunteers and tells funding sources not to bother next time we come a knocking, not to mention throwing a bucket of cold water on future candidate recruitment. Most Democrats would rather go down swinging, standing up for who we are, whether right or left, but as proud Democrats, with pragmatic and successful solutions, not self contradicting platitudes/Sisyphus, 43rd State Blues. More here.

Question: Which strategy is better in Idaho — to run as a Democrat against the Democrat Party, and occasionally win as Minnick did 2 years ago — or to run as a Democrat and lose?

Re: Rep. Phil Hart makes a ‘donation’ to school endowment fund

Sisyphus: I expect Hart is concerned that if he makes payment on a judgment which hasn’t been renewed, he might provide legal grounds for the entire judgment to be revived. And he wants to pay only the amounts he thinks are fair instead of the total amount the court and the law imposed. Same as what he’s doing with the IRS. That tells me a couple things. 1) He’s insincere about this payment and doing it to stave off political consequences which, ironically, is a tacit admission of wrongdoing in any event. 2) its another example of how his titanic ego vastly overshadows any inclination towards selflessness. I can see why he and Larry are buds.

Question: Which bothers you most re: Rep. Phil Hart’s troubles — his debt of almost $500,000 to the IRS/Idaho Tax Commission or his theft of timber from endowment land?

Re: Betsy Russell to blame not Hart/Huckleberries Online

Sisyphus: He doesn’t even bother to use “liberal” before “media”. It’s becoming redundant for him. … I find it amusing. Shorter Bill Sali: “Hart has successfully hidden his overdue tax obligation and timber thievery for years, its only a liberal media conspiracy that it come out on the eve of his uncontested election”. Give it up Betsy. There’s no hope for you. Your best bet is to freak out over a burka wearing taxi driver and score a fat $2 million contract at Fox.

• Change the subject/Randy Stapilus, Ridenbaugh Press
  

Question: Are Phil Hart’s problems part of a “liberal media conspiracy”?

Re: McCrory lawyer wants witness fee of $21.27 back

Sisyphus: The “real” point is that McRory’s attorney exercised the authority of the court by issuing a subpoena (a court order to appear) to assure Christa’s attendance at the hearing. The rules required he provide a witness fee to cover travel expenses. Had she failed she would have been held ….wait for it….in contempt. Mr. Hazel’s comment doesn’t make a case that it was a mistake, but that it was a boneheaded mistake. The cost in attorney time to request the refund is far more than the amount requested. It ain’t about the money.

Question: What is the attempt by Bill McCrory’s attorney to get back the witness fee from Christa Hazel really about?

Sisyphus: Dave, he has to show six illegal votes FOR Kennedy. I’m still mightily confused how we get a trial without an indispensable party. Attorney fees in this case are well into the six figures. This isn’t justice.

DFO: I talked to a couple of people on Councilman Mike Kennedy’s side of the aisle after the hearing Wednesday. They welcomed the various rulings, especially the various rejected ones from Jim Brannon attorney Starr Kelso. And weren’t surprised that Judge Charles Hosack rejected the motion for summary judgment. They considered themselves winners at the end of the day. It sounds like the judge is letting this go to trial simply to ensure that Brannon supporters can’t whine that they didn’t get their day in court. As evidence that the day didn’t go well for Brannon Wednesday, Ancient Templar at OpenCDA.com is already yapping that this case should go to the U.S. Supreme Court. He’s the No. 4 post under: “It’s going to trial” here. If you can imagine that.

Question: If Jim Brannon loses again in the court trial before currently unpersuaded Judge Charles Hosack, do you think that’ll be the end of this case?

Sisyphus: (Bill McCrory’s allegations of voting irregularities in Coeur d’Alene are) the same minor and inconsequential issues exist in every election. In just about every election there are large quantities of folks of all backgrounds and experiences and education levels volunteering their time to be involved in a collective, common and essential process of a democracy. This is the EXACT issue for Kelso’s election challenge centered upon against Jim Risch 10 years ago. Kelso alleged there were 190 or so of these same issues with absentee ballot envelopes in that case. The District Judge and the Idaho Supreme Court said a collective (my words) “so what?” and denied Kelso’s challenges. Kelso is re-litigating what he lost 10 years ago costing the Kootenai County taxpayer hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Reaction?

Sisyphus: Way to go idawa. Your first (baby)? Kiss your old life bye bye. Slap on the feedbag and keep yer head down. You are embarking on an adventure unlike anything you’ve ever done. And its all good. Great timing. My first born came at the end of August. You ever get that look from across the room like she wants to rip yer lungs out for doing that to her? Duck and cover. I remember when she was in labor and used my collar to help push. I turned several shades of blue. Fortunately I was in a hospital. ;-)

Question: Any of you guys — sorry, gals — want to share your experience re: the delivery of your first baby — and how it changed your life?

There have been two recent events flying just below the media radar but which should be sounding alarm bells. Officials in California arrested Gregory Giusti for threatening the life of Speaker Nancy Pelosi. In Washington the FBI arrested a Yakima man, Charles Alan Wilson, for threatening the life of Senator Patty Murray. The crime they’re charged with is isn’t just for making the threat, but making the threat with the intent to impede, intimidate, interfere or retaliate against an official in the exercise of her official duties. 18 USC 115 et seq. I raise that point to demonstrate that society has rendered illegal threats of violence as a form of political persuasion. This type of violent coercion is not protected political speech under the first amendment nor should our process be tainted by it/Sisyphus, 43rd State Blues. More here.

• 2010 Idaho Conservative Scorecard/Adam Graham, Adam’s Blog
• Eagle Scout: Getting job done w/integrity/Dennis Mansfield
• Costco FAIL/Fort Boise
• What’s up with anti-Boulder-White Clouds wilderness ads?/Rick Johnson, ICL
• Mediating toward health care?/Randy Stapilus, Ridenbaugh Press
• What is it about Montana? Giants in the U.S. Senate/Marc Johnson, Johnson Post
• Friday Morning News/Treasured Valley 

Question: Do you think we’re going to see an attempted assassination of an elected official within the next year? Or are the threats Sisyphus mentions above so much hot air from disgruntled, fringe people?

Score one for Otter, finally. After a downright disasterous run of horrible appointments, Senator Little (R-Emmett) was sworn in today as Lt. Governor. Little’s family has deep roots in Idaho. He’s a rancher and businessman. He doesn’t let ideology cloud his pragmatism. He’s personable, approachable, likable, respected and intelligent. He was one of the first ranchers to offer a hand instead of a fist towards environmentalists concerned about land abuse/Sisyphus, 43rd State Blues. More here.

*Shiny & new blog sites/Political Game

*Lt. Gov. Brad Little/Randy Stapilus

*Who will take Lt. Gov. Little’s Senate seat?/Unequivocal Notion

Here’s news of a local bank that will be a recipient of the federal bailout proceeds. Nathaniel Hoffman is using his hound like senses to root out the fact that Intermountain Community Bancorp applied and got approval for $27 million of the free, newly printed money. Intermountain is the holding company for Panhandle State Bank based out of Sandpoint and has branches in Nampa and Gooding. Trouble for Nathaniel is that CEO Curt Hecker won’t return his phone calls to see what the money is for or why it was needed. Still absolutely zero oversight on the bailout despite Treasury Department assurances and a Congressional mandate. Panhandle’s mission statement promised to invest community money back into the local economy but there is no requirement that bailout funds be loaned out at all/Sisyphus, 43rd State Blues.More here.

Question: Do you think the massive federal bailout has proper oversight?