Today's Coeur d'Alene Press reports that the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee will vote tonight on whether to remove their state committeeman for denouncing Rep. Phil Hart over his tax and legal troubles. "This vote is important, because it's going to identify what the local party's identity is. If they vote me out, it's because a lot of people support what Phil Hart is about," said Matt Roetter, a four-term committee member and two-term state committeeman. "This vote's not really about me, it's about Phil Hart." Roetter said, "I won't support a guy who has these issues surrounding him, because it's not good for the Republican party. Character matters. Being honest matters."

Others on the central committee said Hart is the party's nominee and that's that; he's being challenged by another Republican, Howard Griffiths, in a write-in campaign. "I don't care who it is. If the guy is elected through the primaries, that is the person we're obligated to support," said Vermont Trotter, precinct 60 committeeman. "It could be Bozo the Clown, for all I care. Not that Phil Hart is a bozo." You can read the full story here, and here's a link to yesterday's Huckleberries post on the topic.