The 1st Congressional District of Idaho has had its share of iconoclastic characters: Helen Chenoweth-Hage, Butch Otter and Bill Sali. But Sali stands apart for his inability to gain respect and encouragement from a wide range of fellow Republicans.

His uncooperative nature not only precludes him from reaching across the aisle, it cuts off avenues within his own caucus.

From incompetently filing campaign finance reports, to taking credit for highway legislation he opposed, his erratic behavior does not engender confidence. His campaign to place his centrist Democratic opponent in the amen chorus with liberals like Nancy Pelosi and Barney Frank isn’t credible.

In fact, it’s laughable, but these are serious times.

The district needs someone who will come to the table ready to work. Sali is more interested in yanking off the tablecloth. One example is a joke bill to control gravity to solve the obesity issue. His act grew tiresome in the state Legislature, where Republicans rule. It is irrelevant in Congress. He was one of only a handful of representatives to vote against an extension of unemployment benefits.

Walt Minnick has an impressive resume inside and outside government. He worked for the Nixon White House, before resigning shortly after the Saturday Night Massacre. He already knows many key players, such as Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.

In Idaho, he has remained civically engaged, with leadership roles at Albertson College, Boise State University and the Idaho Business Council. He also has been active in charities.

He is a Democrat with solid roots in the business community. He started and successfully ran two businesses. He has an impressive educational resume, with degrees from Whitman College, Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School.

Minnick has a firm grasp on the biggest challenges ahead, but he also is a realist when it comes to how much Congress can accomplish as the nation heads into a near-certain recession.

His top two priorities would be education and health care. On both issues, he says access is paramount.

Minnick notes that a college education, even in-state, is out of the reach of many Idaho families. The state lags the nation in the number of college graduates it produces. He would like to see college loans and grants expanded.

He also recognizes the damage that health-care costs are inflicting on the budgets of families, businesses and governments.

His pragmatic, nonpartisan style has attracted many Republican supporters who have tired of Sali’s ideologically driven antics, which may play well on the far right but are unproductive and sometimes embarrassing for the state.

Minnick is the best choice for Idahoans looking for practical leadership in uncertain times.