Tea party makes record long jump in calling Idaho GOP incumbent ‘basically Democrat’

This commentary from the Moscow-Pullman Daily News does not necessarily reflect the view of The Spokesman-Review’s editorial board.

The friend of my enemy is my enemy.

Is that how it goes?

It is if you tea party the way C.T. “Chris” Troupis tea parties.

Troupis was defeated soundly in the recent Republican primary by incumbent Attorney General Lawrence Wasden.

So were most of his compatriots in statewide races. Nonetheless, immediately after the election, Troupis and the other losers in the Republican primary promised to support their party’s nominees in November.

Then, the Democrats’ nominee for Idaho attorney general, Bruce Bistline, announced he won’t be campaigning against Wasden in the November general election. Bistline said the main reason he was running was to provide opposition to Troupis, in case he won the Republican primary. But, all things considered, he doesn’t disagree much with the way Wasden has handled the office of attorney general the past 12 years.

Quite a display of bipartisanship.

But hold on.

Now Troupis says that means Wasden, who has always run as a Republican, must be a Democrat.

Troupis told reporter Betsy Z. Russell of The Spokesman-Review, “I’d really like some assurances from Mr. Wasden that he’s not in line with the Democratic candidate for attorney general. If they’re on the same page, then I feel pretty stupid endorsing basically a Democrat.”

For the tea party folks, it seems, the two-party system is them versus everyone else.

The campaign manager for the also-defeated Russ Fulcher explained her candidate for Idaho governor certainly was to the right of incumbent Gov. Butch Otter, because “how could you be to the left?”

Well, gee, let’s ask Gov. Jay Inslee, that Democrat in Washington. Bet he could come up with a couple of ideas.

Bob Ferguson, attorney general for Washington, happened to be in the Daily News offices on the same day recently as Wasden. Ferguson is a Democrat. Although Ferguson spoke respectfully of Wasden’s record, skill and tenure, he didn’t welcome him as a fellow Democrat.

It’s a bit wimpy of Bistline to forgo the effort to find opinions, policies and practices in Wasden’s office with which he and Democrats would disagree.

It’s a bit stupid – using Troupis’ word – to say that means Wasden is a Democrat.