Richard Mack will not be speaking at this year's Lincoln Day Dinner. After nearly two hours of often acrimonious debate, a nearly evenly divided Kootenai County Republican Central Committee voted Tuesday in favor of rescinding the party's invitation to Mack, a Tea Party activist and former Arizona sheriff, to be the keynote speaker at their March 24 dinner and fundraiser. The roll call vote of 31-30 was taken after the party chair, Tina Jacobson (pictured), defended the procedure followed to select Mack and chided a group of elected precinct committee members for signing a letter opposing Mack's selection and giving the letter to members of the media. "We've had discussions in this room about airing our laundry in the press," Jacobson said. She said going to the newspapers with party business hurts the organization and shows divisiveness. "And the Democrats are passing the popcorn," Jacobson said/Maureen Dolan, Coeur d'Alene Press. More here.

Question: Did Kootenai County Republicans help/hurt themselves by disinviting controversial Richard Mack to speak at their Lincoln Day Dinner March 24?