Otter Faces Moment Of Conscience

Remember when C.L. (Butch) Otter acted on his own conscience? It was Oct. 24, 2001 - in the shadow of the Sept. 11 attacks. Otter, then a newly minted member of the U.S House of Representatives, told Republican House Majority Leader Dick Armey he intended to vote against the Patriot Act. He considered it a breach of Americans’ privacy and civil liberties. Armey counseled Otter to play it safe. “Oh, Butch, you can’t do that,” Armey said. “If you speak against this, your people in Idaho won’t send you back here again.” Replied Otter: “Mr. Armey, if this vote will cause me to lose the election, then I don’t belong here.” Otter wound up among only three Republicans to cast a no vote. Now in his second term as governor and seeking his third, Otter is facing another moment of conscience/ Marty Trillhaase , Lewiston Tribune. More here .

Question: What would you advise the governor to do?