Craig Mails Out Fund-Raising Letters To Donors Liberally

Seems like Republican Larry Craig is taking Democrat Walt Minnick’s challenge to his U.S. Senate seat seriously. In a recent memo to supporters - with “confidential” and “do not copy” stamped in giant red letters and the word “liberal” used liberally (19 times) - Craig makes this “urgent request”: “The liberals in Washington, D.C., are putting their ducks in a row. They seem determined to make this the toughest election I’ve ever faced. That is why I need your help. I need to know if you will stand with me.” Craig closes by making a plea for campaign money. Craig wasted his stamp on the S.O.S. sent to one Boise home, however. I don’t think the homeowner - Walt Minnick - is going to stand by his (congress)man.

A lot we knew

Post Falls Councilman Gus Johnson didn’t say, “I told you so,” when he asked for a copy of a 1993 S-R editorial that endorsed two other guys. But he should have razzed us. The editorial board picked against Gus because it thought his day job would keep him from making council meetings. He hasn’t missed one since winning a seat as the top vote-getter. Attaboy. … It’s my 2 cents: The city of Sandpoint must have gotten some kinda deal on the paint used on its community center. Why else would anyone use a fleshy-pink tone to color a log building? Yech. … Hmmm. Didn’t Attorney General Al Lance say he was going to do away with his predecessor’s public relations department? Then, why am I sitting here holding four news releases faxed from his office in a 24-hour period? Two of them actually contain news, too.

Blast from the past

Ken Sands, who takes over as Handle editor today, has a sure-fire way to remember how to spell the “Coeur” in my hometown. E-mails he: “As a rookie police reporter in Spokane in 1981, I never could remember whether it was ‘Coeur’ or ‘Couer’ - until it dawned on me that the other name I was writing constantly, Coe, started the same way. So, from then on, I always thought of (“South Hill Rapist”) Kevin Coe when I needed to spell Coeur d’Alene.” Different strokes for different folks.

Huckleberries

Mike Kennedy, ex-Kinko manager now with the Minnick campaign, recently christened his 6-week-old son, Will. Said proud papa afterward: “He’s officially a Catholic, but that didn’t change his spitting up or anything.” … After reading that 10 University of Idaho football players have minor-criminal records, a Post Falls subscriber asked: “Why do UI team buses have bars on the window?” The answer? “Because all Latah County sheriff’s buses do.” Ba-dum-bum. Onward. … I heard it this way: Why do North Idaho College grads mount their diplomas on their dashboards? So they can park in handicap zones. (Of course, you probably could insert the rival college of your choice.) … So, where was Northern Lights Inc. when the “Lights” went out on its Sandpoint sign Tuesday? There’s never an electric company around when you need one. … Apparently, the ladder climber who hangs messages on the Rathdrum Hico station reader board plans to hibernate. Latest message? “Jack Frost nipping at our noses - not going to climb this sign no more.” Hey, that doesn’t rhyme.

Parting shot

A foul-up by Festival at Sandpoint board members may have triggered last week’s staff exodus. Seems word leaked out from a Nov. 17 executive session that the board was planning to lay off fund-raiser Jennifer Leedy. She found out before being told officially. (How tacky.) So, Jennifer packed her desk over the ensuing weekend - along with Executive Director Connie Berghan and two other staffers. Loose lips sink festival staffs as well as ships.

, DataTimes MEMO: Gotta Huckleberry? Call the Huckleberry Hound Hotline, (800) 344-6718 or (208) 765-7125).

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = D.F. Oliveria The Spokesman-Review