Huckleberries: Reagan Republicans, PR group joined at hip

A public relations company tied closely to a Kootenai County Republican organization was paid $86,000 by eight candidates involved in the local 2012 GOP primary – five of whom won. Ron Lahr, of Post Falls, who is president of both the Strategery Group and the influential Reagan Republicans, told Huckleberries his PR organization is a “labor of love.” Lahr claims much of the money collected from candidates is used to buy campaign material.

Another operative straddling the Reagan Republican/Strategery divide is Lahr buddy Jeff Ward, the Idaho Reagan Republican president who is listed as a Strategery senior consultant. Payments to Strategery Group from the eight county and legislative GOPrimary candidates, all of whom were endorsed by Lahr’s Reagan Republicans, ranged from $3,421 from Commissioner Todd Tondee to $18,995 from commission Chairman Dan Green.

Interestingly, the relatively faceless Streamline Kootenai County has hired Lahr’s Strategery Group to promote a radical change in county government, placed on the November ballot by Green, Tondee and Commissioner Jai Nelson. Among other things, the measure calls for appointing rather than electing the assessor, clerk, treasurer and coroner. Strategery’s conjoined twin, Reagan Republicans, hasn’t taken a position on that issue. Yet.

The question remains: Which comes first – the Reagan Republican endorsement or the contract for services with Strategery?

Make mine Pabst

Bartender Patrick Jacobs, of Mik’s in downtown Coeur d’Alene, sez there’s something to that beer survey – you know, the one that claims Democrats prefer Heineken while Republicans quaff Coors and Sam Adams.

Mik’s put Sam Adams Summer Ale on tap this summer. And the beer moved so slowly that the bar is now dumping it at half price, $2.

Patrick has a theory why a Republican beer doesn’t sell at his pub in Republican North Idaho. Mik’s is gay-bi-lesbian-trans friendly. BTW, Mik’s LGBT patrons prefer Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Huckleberries

Poet’s Corner: Stepped out the door,/Gazed up at the skies,/Hummed the old tune,/“Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” – The Bard of Sherman Avenue (“Hoping for Rain”) … On Thursday, publisher Trish Gannon, of the River Journal, Facebooked: “Hmm. Just got a text message that reads, ‘Dad’s picking you up.’ Given my dad died in 1984, I’m really hoping it’s a wrong number” … On the police scanner at 1:48 p.m. Thursday: “73 has that lizard in custody.” Two legs? Or four legs with a tail? … Herb Huseland, of Bayview, is still processing his discovery of a full-service gas station – the Chevron in Chewelah – where he stopped on a return trip to Colville in search of his roots. Owner even pumped his gas and cleaned the windshield … Latest clever marriage proposal venue? The finish line of the Priest Lake Marathon last weekend. That’s where marathoner Matt Siegel, of Spokane, faked a leg injury, only to get down on a knee with a ring to propose when galpal Ashley Earls, also of Spokane, rushed to help him.

Parting shot

Seems Maryellen Livingston Garasky was talking by phone to Associate Superintendent of Schools Matthew Handleman of the Coeur d’Alene School District as school began earlier this month. Huckleberries’ll let Maryellen take it from there: “Just before hanging up, I told him I loved him. I’ve met him exactly twice. Ever.” Don’t you hate when that happens?