Campaign ‘98
Foul Play, Part I
Kootenai County commission candidate Rob Beck - one of the neighborhood’s rare and endangered Democrats - has called foul ball on this newspaper for running Republican Ron Rankin’s candidate profile on the top of the front page. Beck and fellow Democrat Cecil Kelly, meanwhile, were relegated to the bottom of the Handle page. We concede. Here’s one for Beck’s side.
Foul Play, Part II?
Kootenai commission candidate Beck also has raised questions about The Idaho Spokesman-Review’s coverage of this election. Basically, he likes it but wants more of it. The newspaper this year is treating the election process as if candidates are applying for a job with voters. To that end, most candidates submit a cover letter, resume, and we write a profile. Beyond that, we invite questions from readers interested in who they hire via the polls.
Frank mistake
As if giving unequal play to the king of rock-‘em-sock-‘em rhetoric (Rankin) wasn’t enough, our headline writers apparently couldn’t decide how to identify one of the legislative candidates. One headline talked about a fellow named Frank Roseth. The identification line a few millimeters away declared him to be Hank Roseth. Frankly folks, we messed up. It’s Hank.
Funny thing about luck
Leif Skyving, the barely known stand-up comic running as a write-in candidate for the 1st Congressional District, claims he’s serious about this campaign. He’s holding one public appearance - today, somewhere in Caldwell. He’s purchased a few bumper stickers, and he has a Web page. How many hits a day on that Web page? “Seven or eight a day,” says Pete Peterson, Skyving’s campaign manager. But Peterson lives on Lucky Lane in Boise. So maybe there’s a chance - probably so small it’s not funny.
Keeping truth hostage
Apparently unable to get Margaret Thatcher or Ronald Reagan, Helen Chenoweth landed Lt. Col. Oliver North at her weekend fund-raiser. What’s still unclear, however, is whether North is raising money for the Idaho Contras, selling arms to raise campaign money or just plain here to help send Helen back behind enemy lines - the beltway. Camouflage tuxedos at the event?
Mr. Potatohead goes to Washington
U.S. Senate candidate Bill Mauk is introducing Idaho’s most famous product to Washington, D.C., next week. With the help of several senators and, gasp, a farmer, Mauk has persuaded someone to showcase a famous Idaho potato at a Democratic gala in the nation’s capitol. In his self-promotional proclamation, Mauk declared he will “personally be serving up 400 pounds of Idaho’s high-grade baker spuds to 1,200 attendees.” Clearly, Mauk has skills to fall back on if he doesn’t beat Republican Mike Crapo.
Money bags
Finally, in the most forgettable political event of the week, Democratic congressional candidate Dan Williams declared he has raised more money than opponent Helen Chenoweth so far this year. Chenoweth claimed to be taking the high road by raising more from Idaho residents. The Internal Revenue Service trounced both, however, by raising more money than either one, everywhere it tried.