Otter Needed Lanza Inside Tent

Nobody described the idea of keeping your friends close but your enemies closer more colorfully than President Lyndon Baines Johnson. Asked about his decision to keep J. Edgar Hoover as FBI director, LBJ famously told the New York Times: “It’s probably better to have him inside the tent pissing out, than outside the tent pissing in.” Which brings us to Gov. C.L. (Butch) Otter. Last week, Otter’s State Board of Education appointee Richard Westerberg yanked Idaho education activist Mike Lanza from the governor’s education reform task force. Lanza had signed up as Democratic gubernatorial hopeful A.J. Balukoff’s communications director and education adviser/ Marty Trillhaase , Lewiston Tribune. More here.

Question: Did Gov. Otter compromise the integrity of his education task force by kicking Mike Lanza off?