Campaign ‘98

Sorry, wrong number

Some employees at the Coeur d’Alene Dakotah Direct telemarketing company say they hung up on their bosses last week after being ordered to call voters and stump for the Republican Party. The script, apparently changed daily, lauded the Republican plan for Social Security or lambasted President Clinton. The company says it does work for both parties and if it had alternative work, it would have reassigned its folks. They estimate fewer than five employees went home without pay instead of calling. In either case, the quandary is another resounding vote for the end of election season.

Poor need not apply

Bob Huntley, underdog Democratic candidate for Idaho governor, managed to scrape together enough dough for a single day of television ads. Even today’s quasi-blitz will be a thin run. Huntley couldn’t afford to hire Spokane television to hit the North Idaho market with his “Governor or King” ads. That’s what happens when you raise $250,000 to your opponents $1.5 million war chest, Huntley explains. Any wonder the term “underdog Democrat” is redundant in Idaho?

Hello, fact finding?

Or has U.S. Rep. Helen Chenoweth’s campaign staff misplaced the telephone number. Already under fire for repeated misstatements, Chenoweth verbally smacked Democratic challenger Dan Williams for inflating her tobacco donations during the taping of KSPS television’s 1st Congressional district debate last week. Chenoweth, the favored Republican incumbent, declared at most she’s received $3,500 from tobacco interests. A quick check by the Associated Press revealed the number was at least $10,000. Later in the evening, Chenoweth declared she was author of legislation increasing penalties for tree spiking - a measure U.S. Sen. Larry Craig and his staff might argue they pulled together. No matter. The political pundits at this column still predict Chenoweth’s verbal panache will give her the race by better than two percentage points. P.S. That debate airs tonight on Spokane Public Television, Channel 7, beginning at 6 p.m.

Hello, driver’s ed?

Williams didn’t escape his own round of ribbing as the makeup and microphones were prepared for Thursday’s taping of the verbal fest with Chenoweth. One of the panelists noticed Williams drive up to KSPS Television’s building in Spokane, with his aide in the passenger seat of the pickup. Usually a candidate has the luxury of riding and studying last-minute notes. “Worried about your assistant’s driving?” the journalist asked.

Signing off

The farther north you travel in Idaho, the more difficult it is to keep your campaign signs out of the hands of thieves … especially if you are a Democrat. A few weeks ago, it was Kootenai County Commission candidate Larry Belmont. Then Bonner County Clerk candidate Marie Scott lost signs to the hands of a man some sources say could be identified as a local elected official from the other party. Then Thursday night, nearly 95 of Boundary County Commission candidate Dick Dawson’s campaign signs went missing. Jeepers. Is it a plot or is firewood that difficult to come by?

A secret election?

Is this from the cellar of sour grapes or the lofty heights of public service? The “Bonner County Bee” is questioning the validity of Tuesday’s elections. The “Bee” says Bonner County failed to issue notice of the election in two newspapers published in the county. Instead one notice went out in the “Bee” and the other in the “Gem State Miner” - printed in Washington but distributed in Bonner County. The Secretary of State’s office says it doubts it’s that big a deal considering the election is hardly a secret. And considering the Bee’s had the notice twice. Could it “be” that the “Bee” is sore its sister paper, the “Priest River Times,” didn’t get the advertising job?

Campaign calendar

It’s the election, Tuesday. Polls open at 7 a.m. Be there or be silent.