Idaho Politics
from the new west blog: column, congressional campaigns
Medicare Override Vote Was Test of Priorities
Anyone who has helped a senior through a health crisis involving Medicare knows how crucial those payments can be (and how the paperwork is enough to infuriate the Dalai Lama, although that's another story).
Without Medicare, the astronomical long-term care costs for my mother, who had Alzheimer's, would have been out of reach for my parents, even though they were not poor. My elderly father would have collapsed under the burden of caring for her.
I'm betting that's a familiar story to many readers. That's why this political story needs telling.
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Politics in the West
An Interview with Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper
If John Hickenlooper, the mayor of Denver (above) appears to be an unconventional politician, it's because he is. But, he's become typical of Democratic politicians in the New West. He loves microbrew beer (started Denver's first brewpub) and the Mountain West (hails from Pennsylvania before becoming an oil geologist based in Denver), and he isn't afraid to make his voice heard. He, and his city, are basking in the national spotlight this summer as the Democratic National Convention, which he helped woo, comes to Denver. I recently asked Mayor Hickenlooper about his transitions and about politics in the region.
NewWest.Net: You're an East Coast guy, from Pennsylvania, right? Product of a small, East Coast liberal arts college?
Mayor Hickenlooper: Yup
NW: How did you choose to be a Westerner? How did that happen?
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from the new west blog: presidential election
Obama Said Boise Rally Was Defining Moment
In a Saturday radio interview, Obama Chief of Staff Jim Messina told guest host Larry LaRocco that Sen. Barack Obama said to him, “Jim, you should’ve seen Boise. Right there, I knew that something is happening out there.”
Messina told the story on Boise radio’s 580 KIDO “AM Idaho Saturday.” U.S. Senate candidate LaRocco co-hosted the show, working as a journalist and announcer, in the 28th job in his “Working for the Senate” campaign.
LaRocco asked Messina, a 1988 Boise High School graduate, how Obama reacted to the huge crowd in Boise State University’s Taco Bell Arena, when Obama said, “And they told me there were no Democrats in Idaho” to a roof-rattling roar.
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Column: U.S. Senate Race
LaRocco, Rammell Challenge “Missing Man” at Unusual Press Conference
A press conference held by two opposing candidates who called on the third to “come out of the bunker and actually campaign” may never have happened in Idaho until today.
At least, nobody I talked to could remember one.
Starring Senate candidates Larry LaRocco (D) and Rex Rammell (I), the unusual joint occasion showcased two articulate, civilized and friendly candidates who have been appearing at the same events all over Idaho.
“We’ve gotten to know each other on the campaign trail and both of us believe in public discourse,” said LaRocco.
LaRocco said that he and Rammell will hold a series of live debates “all over Idaho” and they were both challenging Risch today to debate in all of them. “But there’s a pattern that’s developed with our opponent Jim Risch. He dodged debates in 2006 and 2008, and so far, we don’t see that he’s even campaigned at all in this election.”
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From the new west blog: U.S. Senate votes
Just One ‘Nay’ on FISA from Rocky Mountain Senators
Montana Sen. Jon Tester was the lone vote from a Rocky Mountain western senator against H.R.6304, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which passed the U.S. Senate Wednesday, 69 – 28.
Colorado Sens. Wayne Allard (R) and Ken Salazar (D), Idaho’s Larry Craig (R) and Mike Crapo (R), Utah’s Robert Bennett (R) and Orrin Hatch (R), and Montana’s Max Baucus (D) all voted for the FISA bill.
Include Oregon’s Sen. Ron Wyden (D) and Nevada’s Sen. Harry Reid (D) and there were two more Nays.
Though the Nays were all cast by Democrats, two Democratic Yeas – from Salazar and Baucus – helped pass the bill.
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Column: U.S. Senate Race
LaRocco Releases Poll
Internal polling for former congressman Larry LaRocco, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, shows he trails opponent Lt. Gov. Jim Risch by 15 percentage points, plus or minus 4.5%. Risch had 43%, LaRocco 28%, Rammell 6%, Other 6%, and Undecided 18%.
But when voters were read LaRocco and Risch’s stance on issues, LaRocco took the lead at 40 to 37 percent, with the same margin of error. Rammell was 5%, Other 5% and Undecideds dropped to 13%.
The poll was conducted between May 20 and 25 by Celinda Lake of Lake Research Partners. 500 likely Idaho voters were questioned.
As I wrote yesterday, President Bush’s disapproval rating came in at 54% in LaRocco’s poll – the first time a majority of Idahoans disapproved of the job Bush is doing. With a 4.5 margin of error, that could be as high as 59.50% or as low as 49.5%.
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from the new west blog: 2008 elections
New Poll: Majority of Reddest-State Idahoans Disapprove of Bush
New West has some preliminary numbers from an Idaho Democratic Senate campaign poll. Full results of the poll will be released Tuesday.
The Larry LaRocco for Senate poll surveyed 500 likely Idaho voters and was conducted from May 20 to May 25 by Celinda Lake of Lake Research Partners.
Idaho has the most Republican-dominated state legislature of all the 50 states, and the GOP holds all the top-level statewide offices. So it's more than surprising that 54% of those polled said they disapproved of the job President Bush is doing - it could be telling.
The closest Idaho poll readily available for comparison is a Survey USA poll done in August 2007 which had a 49% disapproval rating for Bush. So LaRocco's poll could signal a five percent jump in disapproval for Bush, and the first time a majority of likely-voting Idahoans disapprove of the president.
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Column: Politics
Sen. Larry Craig Co-Sponsors Defense of Marriage Amendment
Sens. Larry Craig (R-ID) and David Vitter (R-LA) have signed on as co-sponsors of S.J. Res. 43, the Marriage Protection Amendment - a bill that would amend the Constitution to declare that marriage “shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman.”
Sen. Craig was arrested June 11, 2007 on charges of lewd conduct in a Minneapolis airport terminal and pled guilty.
Sen. Vitter was on a list of clients of a prostitution firm owned by “The DC Madam,” Deborah Jeane Palfrey.
This is the fourth attempt by Republicans during this Congress to legislate what they call “family values" with similar bills.
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Column: Idaho Politics, U.S. Senate Race
Will Rex Rammell’s Run Ruin Risch?
Idaho Sen. Larry Craig told the Wall Street Journal Wednesday that he and other Idaho Republicans are worried about eastern Idaho veterinarian Rex Rammell, who dropped out of the Republican primary to run as an independent for U.S. Senate. Rammell's opponents are Republican Lt. Gov. Jim Risch, Democratic former congressman Larry LaRocco, independent candidate Pro-Life (formerly Marvin Richardson) and Libertarian Kent Marmon.
Rammell has consistently held that Risch is not representative of real Republican values, and states on his website: “Don’t believe for one second that he is a stalwart conservative. Risch is a stalwart politician that [sic] will say anything to get elected.”
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Idaho Politics: Presidential Campaign
Obama Hires Boise High Graduate as Chief of Staff
New West has learned through a local source that Democratic nominee for president Barack Obama has hired 1988 Boise High School graduate Jim Messina as his campaign Chief of Staff. Messina is former COS to Montana Sen. Max Baucus.
The Idaho Statesman has the story.
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