Malloy: Can Mary Souza Be Effective?

In a special column in the Coeur d’Alene Press, former Idaho Statesman editorial page editor Chuck Malloy writes of Mary Souza becoming a state senator: “Strangely, her critics are not talking openly about (Mary) Souza going to the Senate. Bloem says she’s “the wrong person to ask.” Former councilman Mike Kennedy, who was subject to the recall effort, said, “I don’t have anything constructive to add to the conversation. As a citizen, I hope she does a good job and I wish her well.” But her history as a conservative activist raises questions about how effective she will be in the Legislature. Politically, she’s poles apart from moderate Senate leadership and influential members such as Sen. Dean Cameron of Rupert and Sen. Shawn Keough of Sandpoint. Can Souza work with them? At what point will she be painting moderate colleagues with the same broad brush as Bloem and Kennedy?” More here. (Eye on Boise file photo)