Jeers: Crapo, Risch try to hide facts

In his weekly Cheers & Jeers column, Opinion Editor Marty Trillhaase of the Lewiston Tribune gives JEERS … to U.S. Sens. Mike Crapo and Jim Risch, both R-Idaho:

They don’t want you to know how unpopular President Donald Trump’s education secretary - Betsy DeVos - is with their constituents.

So they’re playing hide-the-ball with a fairly routine statistic. When the Idaho Statesman’s Bill Dentzer asked how the telephone and mail count in their offices was going, both clammed up.

“It isn’t available and we’re not going to release those numbers,” said Risch’s chief of staff, former state Sen. John Sandy.

“We will not release the call and mail tallies regarding the DeVos nomination because the precise number of Idahoans cannot be determined due to outside area codes and those who did not leave contact information,” said Robert Sumner, Crapo’s press secretary.

Congressional offices keep detailed records about who contacts them. More here.