Campaign ‘96
Another epic from Rabbit Run
Post Falls Republican Rep. Hilde Kellogg has had a bit of a rough start to her campaign. First, she couldn’t decide whether to run, then she learns a young up-start law student is challenging her. Next, Kellogg is picked for the jury in a highly emotional child injury case. That was topped off with the flu. In the middle of having the flu, the Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce had a candidates’ forum where she lost time mopping up a spilled glass of water. Then the microphones weren’t working so she had to introduce herself three times. All of that after the winter when Kellogg’s namesake rabbit, used to lead the dogs at Coeur d’Alene Greyhound Park, was retired along with live dog racing.
Toning up
Gonzaga law student Jay Jump, who is challenging Kellogg, is agreeing to make his phone number public if he wins the primary. “Guess I have to, huh?” he told a reporter. Most public figures feel the same way.
Creditor crunch
Larry LaRocco lost the election to Helen Chenoweth in 1994. Now his creditors from that race are losing - 63 cents on the dollar to be exact. LaRocco ended the campaign owing his pollster $18,600. Last week, LaRocco made a deal to settle the bill with The Mellman Group for $6,200. Chenoweth owes West One Bank $28,000 on a $40,000 campaign loan and several thousand dollars more to herself from the 1994 campaign, the most expensive U.S. House race in Idaho’s history. But at least she’s still paying.
This fish a wrap
Northwesterners for More Fish, the controversial utility-industry campaign allegedly formed to keep salmon-saving efforts from hurting their bottom line, is folding. The group generated political trouble for U.S. Sen. Larry Craig after his chief of staff got involved with the group. It also embarrassed itself after a biologist pointed out that the group’s logo was not a salmon.
The art of politics
Chenoweth is co-sponsoring an art contest for high school students in the 1st Congressional District. The contest has been running 14 years and involves 200 congressional districts. Idaho judges will include Boise art teacher Lorraine Rink, retired Meridian art teacher Marilynn Fairchild and Dennis O’Leary, director of the Boise Art Museum.
Hydro Phobia
The North Idaho College student newspaper successfully snagged one of next year’s sophomore senators for not making it across the finish line with all of the right answers. Seems the senator-to-be defined unlimited hydroplane racing incorrectly when questioned about an anti-hydro petition he was circulating. He said it’s an infinite number of races. He didn’t know it’s just a type of boat. Back to beaches, senator.
Web site of the Week
Major news organizations seem to be rethinking their rush to have their own Internet sites early in the campaign. Rather than operate by themselves, several are combining to produce better products. CNN and Time magazine have done that recently and created All Politics. It offers the ‘Net wanderer news updates, the musings of both organization’s columnists, a quiz on current events and political trivia and, perhaps most useful, a hookup to the newspaper archives of Lexis-Nexis. Read about fees before tapping into that service. Locate it at http://AllPolitics.com/index.html.
Campaign Calendar
May 28 is the primary election in Idaho.
The Republican State Convention is in Nampa June 20-22.
The Democratic State Convention is in Boise June 20-23.
, 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 Blvd., Suite 200, Coeur d’Alene, ID 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.