Hot Potatoes: Growth Opposition Party?

I thought Republicans were for progress. And Democrats were for … well, who knows what they stand for these days? In Coeur d’Alene, the R’s – at least the red-meat conservatives among them – are trying to waylay the amazing progress along the waterfront. They have attacked the urban renewal agency, directed by pillars of the community. Some have attacked the city’s visionary use of tax dollars and a complicated land swap to land the $70 million Kroc/Salvation Army community center. Some have griped about the cost of the city library project. Acting on an erroneous tip, a handful embarrassed themselves by staging a media event to try to catch developer Marshall Chesrown violating enviro regs. This week, one of them was involved in a Google attack video against progressive City Council members Dixie Reid and Mike Kennedy. To their credit, CAVE has prompted the city to tighten renewal agency operations and legislators to consider legislation to protect school funding in renewal districts. But one ringleader has said he wants to radically hamstring the agency. What gives? Most Republicans would give their left tusk for the kind of growth that’s occurring in Coeur d’Alene. Does this group of stampeding rogue elephants represent county Republicans as a whole?

Help! I need somebody

Wannabe protester Zach St. John said – what? Quoth: “I don’t want to be here. I’m not into (messing) up my life for a cause.” In this instance, “here” was Spokane County’s cross-bar motel. St. John was in stir, killing time for allegedly assaulting an SPD Blue. However, the bigger issue here is St. John’s lack of commitment to a cause. That sound you hear is Abbie Hoffman turning in his grave. Altogether now, where have all the Flower Children gone, long time pa-a-ssing … Tune In: I’ll be a guest on KGA-AM’s (1510) “On the Road with Dick Haugen” at 11:30 this morning … French Fries (or, “Which blogosphere words will make the next Merriam-Webster dictionary”): 1. blurker (reader who lurks but doesn’t comment), 2. blogopotamus (long comment), 3. blogorrhea (high volume of blog posts), 4. blog troll (commenter who generates angry responses), and barking moonbat (extremist).

Sloop Duane B

One of the legit new Merriam-Webster words is “ginormous” (gigantic-enormous combo), or the word for Duane Hagadone’s new Lake Coeur d’Alene sailboat: 60 feet long, 14 feet wide, 86-foot mast, and 42,000 pounds. You can visit the North Shore to see the U.S.S. Hagadone. Or click on Huckleberries Online ( www.spokesmanreview.com/blogs/hbo) this morning to view photos … Headliner: “Gag order issued in Duncan trial: Judge’s restrictions aim to ensure impartial jury.” Where to look for neutral Duncan jury: 1. Off the grid, 2. Under rocks, 3. Pedophiles Anonymous, 4. In the mountains where Rip Van Winkle slept, and 5. Siberia … Today’s edition of Hot Potatoes was brought to you by the No. 105. Or the number of balloons that Bend gas station owner Kent Couch used to lift his lawn chair and him 11,000 feet and fly 193 miles in almost nine hours over much of Oregon this week. And you thought you were brave to parasail over Lake Coeur d’Alene last summer. Pshaw.