Campaign ‘96
Lean on thee
Democratic Senate challenger Walt Minnick this week called for a Justice Department investigation into Republican Sen. Larry Craig’s staff. Craig aide Norman Arsenault allegedly told Bureau of Land Management state director Martha Hahn to rescind her decision to hire Sherry Sita to be BLM district manager in eastern Idaho.
Amendments to the Hatch Act that Craig voted for in 1993 bar oral or written recommendations from congressional employees on such personnel decisions. Interior Department Solicitor John Leshy wrote Craig on March 7, recounted the legal restrictions and urged Craig to make his staff aware of them.
Craig campaign manager Mike Reynoldson discounted the BLM charge as politically motivated.
A dark horse bolts
Gregory Raugust, an unknown Democrat who was the sole member of his party to file for Kootenai County Commissioner, now is disappearing from the ballot. Raugust never surfaced during his short political career; he has an unlisted phone number, no answering machine and granted no interviews. Friday Raugust told the Kootenai County Elections Office that “due to developments in his personal affairs, he was withdrawing from the race.” Democrats meet Monday at 7 p.m. at the Iron Horse Restaurant in Coeur d’Alene to choose a replacement candidate. We hope to meet that candidate.
Friendlier fire
The National Taxpayers Union bestowed its “Taxpayers’ Friend” award on Craig, as well as U.S. Rep. Helen Chenoweth and the rest of the Idaho delegation. New Hampshire is the only other state where the entire delegation earned the Taxpayers Union’s highest score. Craig won the group’s most frugal senator award earlier this year and also in 1994.
Terrorism tiffs
Dan Williams, one of two Democratic challengers to Chenoweth, cranked up his quote machine last week to lambaste the congresswoman for voting against the anti-terrorism bill in Congress. “It makes you wonder who Helen Chenoweth is trying to represent - the law abiding citizens of Idaho or the radical fringe,” he said.
The legislation went too far, Chenoweth said. “While we must take action to ensure that the cowards we call terrorists never again do violence on American soil, we must never forget to protect our own freedoms, guaranteed by the Constitution.”
Candidate calendar
U.S. Rep. Helen Chenoweth is back in North Idaho this weekend. She is speaking to the annual meeting of the Retired Officers Association today from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. at Templin’s Resort in Post Falls.
Web site of the week
What do you get when you cross citizen activists with the Internet? Netizen, a new political site for the well-wired among us compiled by Wired magazine and its on-line alter-ego, HotWired … A visit to http://www.netizen.com/ produces daily campaign dispatches and dissertations the mainstream media would never touch, such as why Madonna gets more coverage than global warming. There are also some links to the standard political sites as well as a few unusual ones, such as the Unabomber for President page and a site that touts a congressional campaign for porn star Traci Lords. No, it doesn’t say what district.
Campaign calendar
May 3 is the deadline to register to vote in the Idaho primary. Voters also can register at the polls on Election Day with proof of residence. May 28 is the primary election in Idaho.
The Republican State Convention will be held in Nampa from June 20-22.
The Democratic State Convention will be held in Boise from June 20-23.
, DataTimes MEMO: Campaign ‘96 is published regularly during the campaign season and is compiled from staff reports. To submit information on a political event or a question you want the candidates to answer, write us c/o The Idaho Spokesman-Review, 608 Northwest Boulevard, Suite 200, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814. Or call Cityline at (208) 765-8811 on a Touch-Tone phone, then press 9893 to leave a message, your name and phone number.