Campaign ‘96

Truly a dark horse candidate

After a week of calls to every relative in the phone book, Gregory Raugust, the elusive Democrat running in Kootenai County’s four-way commissioner race, is still nowhere to be found. He has an unlisted telephone number and, even if the number is secured, no answering machine. Relatives refused to discuss the man - or the reasons for his secrecy - and would not even pass along a message.

Keep it in the sand box, boys

Meanwhile, Reed Simpson, one of three GOP candidates in that race, wants his opponents - inveterate tax wolf Ron Rankin and incumbent Bob Macdonald - to meet him on the steps of the court house Tuesday for a challenge. The duel? Who will sign Simpson’s no-dirty-campaigning pledge. Taken from Rotary International principles, the four-point promise asks candidates to conduct themselves truthfully, fairly and with good will. The last point, however, could ruin any deal: “Will it be beneficial to all?” Rankin has said he won’t be there. “I’ve already taken the Boy Scout oath,” he said.

But the law is still in effect, isn’t it?

The Interior Department has warned Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, to butt out of personnel issues. Department officials claim pressure from his staff undermined an eastern Idaho Bureau of Land Management appointment. Solicitor General John Leshy warned that interference in career government positions violates the Hatch Act. Craig spokesman Bryan Wilkes argued that the applicable portion of the law is new and some members of Congress are trying to repeal it. The issue came up last February when Sherry Sita backed out of her appointment as Upper Snake River District manager after meeting with some members of the Idaho delegation’s staff.

Cashing in

Dan Williams, the Boise attorney taking on GOP Congressman Helen Chenoweth, R-Idaho, said this week he had $100,000 in the bank for his campaign. Chenoweth only had $3,000 on hand during the same reporting period in 1994, Williams said. The congresswoman, however, is no stranger to strong finishes.

Web site of the Week

We’ve been passing along those helpful and informative home pages for weeks, so we thought we’d suggest something a little more twisted: The Skeleton Closet. This posting by Real People for a Real Change out of Emeryville, Calif., lists scandals and foibles by presidential candidates of all stripes, delivering on its promise to “attack all candidates with brutal fairness” … Look for it at http://www.real change.org/

Campaign Calendar

May 3 is the deadline to register to vote in the Idaho primary, although voters can register at the polls on Election Day with proof of residence. May 28 is the Idaho primary election.

, DataTimes MEMO: Campaign ‘96 is published regularly during the campaign season and is compiled from staff reports. To submit information on a political event or a question you want the candidates to answer, write us c/o The Idaho Spokesman-Review, 608 Northwest Boulevard, Suite 200, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho 83814. Or call Cityline at (208) 765-8811 on a Touch-Tone phone, then press 9893 to leave a message, your name and phone number.