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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Huckleberries Online

GOP Activists Calls Out Tea-publicans

Ann Wheeler, a longtime GOP activist and Republican Party state committee woman from Power County, has sent out an op-ed piece to Idaho newspapers decrying the tactics of the tea party wing of the Idaho Republican Party, saying longtime GOP stalwarts like herself are wrongly being branded as “RINOs,” or Republicans in Name Only. In addition to her current service on the Idaho Republican Party Central Committee, Wheeler has volunteered on numerous GOP campaigns over the years, including serving as the Power County chairman for President George W. Bush’s campaign in 2000. Her husband, former Sen. Ralph “Moon” Wheeler, R-American Falls, served four terms in the Idaho Senate and two in the House. “I challenge the ultraconservatives to gather their hardy band of true believers, stand up, step out, and form their own party,” Ann Wheeler writes/Betsy Russell, Eye on Boise. More here including Wheeler column.

Question: It's my experience that those most apt to label others "RINOs" are RINOs themselves. Thoughts?



D.F. Oliveria
D.F. (Dave) Oliveria joined The Spokesman-Review in 1984. He currently is a columnist and compiles the Huckleberries Online blog and writes about North Idaho in his Huckleberries column.

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